[Mailman-Users] Re: qrunner with over 90% CPU

[Jon Carnes]

On Mon, 2003-08-11 at 21:12, Paul H Byerly wrote:
> >You can adjust these values by becoming root and typing in something like:
> >   echo 16384 > /proc/sys/fs/file-max
> >   echo 2048 > /proc/sys/kernel/threads-max
> >
> >Note: this is not a recommendation (well it is, but it's not *my* 
> >recommendation...)
> 
>       Both of which are well less than what I have.  What would this do?

For *you* it would make things worse!  So don't change what you have.

> >I hope your mail traffic is not too high!
> 
>       Not yet, but it will be in time as I move more lists.  I am way over 
> due for some upgrades and the box no longer covers what I need, so I'm 
> looking to move to a new server.  I'm thinking a two HD box running 
> C-panel, and I'm looking to run a better MTA than sendmail.
> 
Hmmm, well you could experiment with Postfix now. You might have to mess
with the GID's from the Mailman install, but other than that (which is a
PITA) Postfix is pretty much a drop and insert replacement for Sendmail.

> >You might want to drop the Open Relay checks for a week and see if that
> >makes a difference. I'm not sure, but Sendmail may be holding open the
> >access.db file while it does these checks.
> 
>       Could be, but my lists are currently announcement lists that send at 
> a low mail time.  I once let the runaway process go for 15 minutes to see 
> if it would clear, it did not.  The open relay checks cut my mail volume 
> substantially, and I suspect I'd hear from some customers if I stop them.
> 

Well my thought, isn't that the checks are continuing on forever.  I'm
thinking that something in the Sendmail install is very time sensitive
and that the Open Relay lookups stretch you beyond that time - holding
open the access.db file (without proper locking). So that when some
other child process from Sendmail attempts to access the access.db, it
is blocked and never cleared by the parent.

I've googled for the problem and at least two other folks changed MTA's
and the problem went away... No other solutions though.

Good Luck - Jon Carnes