Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 01:49:39 -0700 From: Dragos Ruiu <dr@dursec.com> To: Rick <wylee@sabrecross.com>, freebsd-security@freebsd.org Subject: Re: 3.5 and 4.0 with sendmail 8.9.3 Message-ID: <0008230151550S.36794@smp.kyx.net> In-Reply-To: <0008230135450N.36794@smp.kyx.net> References: <Pine.WNT.4.05.10008221124060.170-100000@lan.imbris.com> <0008230135450N.36794@smp.kyx.net>
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Or thinking outloud... an even better solution would be to copy them to a temp location and have a local process that checks them for integrity before overwriting the old ones. An aliases mailbox directory as it were, and postman process that looks for damaged mail. cheers, --dr On Wed, 23 Aug 2000, Dragos Ruiu wrote: > Make a backup of the files that flake regularly. > > Create a watchdog that looks for the files flaking after a > copy and copy from the backups in that case. > > Use a lock file or some other form of interlock to > disable the watchdog during a copy so that the > watchdog doesn't collide with a copy. Watchdog > will wake up after the lock is removed and if the > file is flaked, hopefully resore your system before > it goes off the deep end again. > > But I'm sure there are other solutions, including > using some sort of reliable protocol for the > transfer so that the files don't flake in the first > place. > > cheers, > --dr > > > > On Tue, 22 Aug 2000, Rick wrote: > > Fun problem? > > > > Wanna get a machine to reach max load and never return to normal? > > Watch sendmail processes explode faster that you can refresh PS? > > Try this? > > > > Here is what we have: tested two machines: Alpha 500a running 4.0 and I386 > > running 3.5, only common attributes: BT-958 SCSI card and etherlink III > > 10/100 cards. Which BTW the BT958 goes into mailbox busy, 192 commands, > > scsi clear both machines, problem is confirmed with the BL driver. Doesn't > > happen with an Adaptec. Note 3 versions of firmware for Busslogics was > > tried on 3 seperate cards. All reacted the same. > > > > Mail is on one central server and aliase file along with password updates > > are passed from another machine, via nfs, at various times during the day. > > > > 9/10 times not a problem all works as planned. > > > > when we fail: aliase.db file is not rebuilt and set to 0 bytes. > > Aliase file is correct at proper value and number of bytes. > > > > Error message is aliase file is locked and can't run new aliases. > > Now of coarse sendmail looking at the aliase file goes off the deep end > > and attempts to do local delivery and can't. > > > > The only way so far to clear this problem is to shutdown now and do a > > control D to bring back up in multi user. Forget reading the console port. > > It scrolls faster than a 2K page running at DS3 speed. Nothing different > > in the logs, either. > > > > Killing sendmail doesn't work. No locks can be found and until this occurs > > system swears the file is locked. Not just locked in shared mode, but in > > executive mode. > > > > Now we have tried a simple copy, a mv and various other ideas and the > > problem is persistant on the regular aliase file. > > > > Today by varying the sequence the newliase command went off into space, > > lost somewhere in the great memory void. The system did not attempt to > > rebuild but the file did not say it was locked. Killed out of processes > > ok. But could not rebuild aliase file. > > > > Again single user mode back to multi and you can clear, go about your > > business. > > > > I stress the fact this is a random error. It may happen once in a 3 day > > period or once every few hours. > > > > Any help would be appreciated. > > > > > > > > Rick McGee > > Network Engineer > > > > > > > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > > with "unsubscribe freebsd-security" in the body of the message > -- > dursec.com ltd. / kyx.net - we're from the future > pgp fingerprint: 18C7 E37C 2F94 E251 F18E B7DC 2B71 A73E D2E8 A56D > pgp key: http://www.dursec.com/drkey.asc > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-security" in the body of the message -- dursec.com ltd. / kyx.net - we're from the future pgp fingerprint: 18C7 E37C 2F94 E251 F18E B7DC 2B71 A73E D2E8 A56D pgp key: http://www.dursec.com/drkey.asc To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-security" in the body of the message
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