From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Wed Jul 23 18:56:40 2003
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 56F8537B401
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Wed, 23 Jul 2003 18:56:40 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from [204.213.64.2] (firewall.tiadon.com [204.213.64.2])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 651B443F75
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Wed, 23 Jul 2003 18:56:39 -0700 (PDT)	(envelope-from kdk@daleco.biz)
Received: from rmc.tiadon.com by [204.213.64.2]
	ESMTP; Wed, 23 Jul 2003 20:56:36 -0500
Received: from applications.tiadon.com (mail.tiadon.com [172.16.18.172]) by
	bcec01.tiadon.net with SMTP (Microsoft Exchange Internet Mail Service Version
	5.5.2653.13)	id PQK81YMH; Wed, 23 Jul 2003 20:56:38 -0500
Received: from firewall.tiadon.com ([204.213.65.75]) by
	applications.tiadon.com  with Microsoft SMTPSVC(5.5.1877.197.19);
	Wed, 23 Jul 2003 20:56:38 -0500
Received: from [204.213.65.75] by firewall.tiadon.com
	via smtpd (for mail.tiadon.com [172.16.18.172]) with ESMTP;
	Wed, 23 Jul 2003 20:56:33 -0500
Message-ID: <106b01c35186$b62a2a30$0441d5cc@nitanjared>
From: "Kevin Kinsey, DaleCo, S.P." <kdk@daleco.biz>
To: "John Fox" <jjf@mind.net>, <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
References: <20030723213746.GT63060@mind.net>
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 20:55:49 -0500
Organization: DaleCo, S.P.---"the solutions people"
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106
Subject: Re: Huge load average on mail server
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
Reply-To: "Kevin Kinsey, DaleCo, S.P." <kdk@daleco.biz>
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 01:56:40 -0000

From: "John Fox" <jjf@mind.net>
To: <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2003 4:37 PM
Subject: Huge load average on mail server


> I recently became responsible for our mail server, and lately, the
load
> average on the thing has been running consistently high, in
mid-20's to
> mid-30's.  And at the same time, sendmail has become extremely
sluggish
> in terms of responding to connections on port 25.
>
> There's got to be a bottleneck somewhere, but my experience leaves
me
> ill-equipped to seek it out.
>
> What procedures would folks recommend for me to follow in order to
try and
> determine the problem?
>
> Thank you,
>
> john

In addition to other thoughts on this thread, if it IS
the MTA:  Examine queues; attempt to find patterns in logs,
check DNS speed/configuration, check disks, memory, etc.

KDK