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Skipping queue run -- load average too high

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Packet Paul

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Mar 6, 2008, 11:17:47 AM3/6/08
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Every message submitted to sendmail is queued with the status:
status=queued

The log file shows:
Mar 6 11:13:20 lists sendmail[20286]: runqueue: Skipping queue run --
load average too high

But the sendmail.cf configuration is:
# load average at which we just queue messages
O QueueLA=99

# load average at which we refuse connections
O RefuseLA=200


and the load is way under 99!

Why are the messages being queued when the load average is below 99?
Why is the queue run skipped?

I realize 99 is an absurd number, I am just testing.

Andrzej Adam Filip

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Mar 6, 2008, 11:38:12 AM3/6/08
to
Packet Paul <pbor...@gmail.com> wrote:

Request single queue run with shouldqueue tracking:
sendmail -q -d3.30

As far as I can see the message you report is generated by
run_work_group function in queue.c file based on result generated by
shouldqueue function.

--
[pl>en: Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : an...@priv.onet.pl : an...@xl.wp.pl
Open-Sendmail: http://open-sendmail.sourceforge.net/
A method of solution is perfect if we can forsee from the start,
and even prove, that following that method we shall attain our aim.
-- Leibnitz

Packet Paul

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Mar 6, 2008, 2:56:04 PM3/6/08
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On Mar 6, 11:38 am, Andrzej Adam Filip <a...@onet.eu> wrote:

> Packet Paul <pborgh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Every message submitted to sendmail is queued with the status:
> > status=queued
>
> > The log file shows:
> > Mar 6 11:13:20 lists sendmail[20286]: runqueue: Skipping queue run --
> > load average too high
>
> > But the sendmail.cf configuration is:
> > # load average at which we just queue messages
> > O QueueLA=99
>
> > # load average at which we refuse connections
> > O RefuseLA=200
>
> > and the load is way under 99!
>
> > Why are the messages being queued when the load average is below 99?
> > Why is the queue run skipped?
>
> > I realize 99 is an absurd number, I am just testing.
>
> Request single queue run with shouldqueue tracking:
> sendmail -q -d3.30
>
> As far as I can see the message you report is generated by
> run_work_group function in queue.c file based on result generated by
> shouldqueue function.
>
> --
> [pl>en: Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : a...@priv.onet.pl : a...@xl.wp.pl

> Open-Sendmail:http://open-sendmail.sourceforge.net/
> A method of solution is perfect if we can forsee from the start,
> and even prove, that following that method we shall attain our aim.
> -- Leibnitz

Here is the response:

[root@lists ~]# sendmail -q -d3.30
getla(): 12.85

so it looks like load average is 12.85 which is far below the
configured load average of:


# load average at which we just queue messages
O QueueLA=99

# load average at which we refuse connections
O RefuseLA=200


So why is sendmail refusing to run the queue and ignoring the
configuration of QueueLA=99?

Packet Paul

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Mar 6, 2008, 5:43:00 PM3/6/08
to

I found someone else who is having the same problem. Could this be a
bug in Sendmail?:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1447858&page=1

Andrzej Adam Filip

unread,
Mar 6, 2008, 6:08:06 PM3/6/08
to
Packet Paul <pbor...@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mar 6, 11:38 am, Andrzej Adam Filip <a...@onet.eu> wrote:
>> Packet Paul <pborgh...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Every message submitted to sendmail is queued with the status:
>> > status=queued
>>
>> > The log file shows:
>> > Mar 6 11:13:20 lists sendmail[20286]: runqueue: Skipping queue run --
>> > load average too high
>>
>> > But the sendmail.cf configuration is:
>> > # load average at which we just queue messages
>> > O QueueLA=99
>>
>> > # load average at which we refuse connections
>> > O RefuseLA=200
>>
>> > and the load is way under 99!
>>
>> > Why are the messages being queued when the load average is below 99?
>> > Why is the queue run skipped?
>>
>> > I realize 99 is an absurd number, I am just testing.
>>
>> Request single queue run with shouldqueue tracking:
>> sendmail -q -d3.30
>>
>> As far as I can see the message you report is generated by
>> run_work_group function in queue.c file based on result generated by
>> shouldqueue function.
>

> Here is the response:
>
> [root@lists ~]# sendmail -q -d3.30
> getla(): 12.85
>
> so it looks like load average is 12.85 which is far below the
> configured load average of:
> # load average at which we just queue messages
> O QueueLA=99
>
> # load average at which we refuse connections
> O RefuseLA=200
>
> So why is sendmail refusing to run the queue and ignoring the
> configuration of QueueLA=99?

1) Could you repeat the above test with "-v" flag added?
sendmail -v -q -d3.30

2) Have you restarted (or HUPed) sendmail daemon after changing sendmail.cf?
The daemon "remembers" sendmail.cf as it was when the daemon was started.
[ It is a frequent source of "miss-understandings ]

--

[pl>en: Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : an...@priv.onet.pl : an...@xl.wp.pl
Open-Sendmail: http://open-sendmail.sourceforge.net/

<dark> Looks like the channel is back to normal :)
<jim> You mean it's not scrolling faster than anyone can read? :)
-- Seen on #Debian after the release of Debian 2.0

Packet Paul

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Mar 6, 2008, 7:12:58 PM3/6/08
to
> [pl>en: Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : a...@priv.onet.pl : a...@xl.wp.pl

> Open-Sendmail:http://open-sendmail.sourceforge.net/
> <dark> Looks like the channel is back to normal :)
> <jim> You mean it's not scrolling faster than anyone can read? :)
> -- Seen on #Debian after the release of Debian 2.0

Hey that is a cool trick. It shows the following:

shouldqueue: CurrentLA=52, pri=927837: false (CurrentLA < QueueLA)
(hundreds of line like the one above).

Ok, so that sounds like it is not queueing. But if I try to send a
message to myself:

Mar 6 19:10:28 lists sendmail[23344]: m270AREe023344:
to=myemail...@gmail.com, delay=00:00:01, mailer=relay, pri=30045,
stat=queued

Is there a way to see why the stat=queued?

Packet Paul

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Mar 6, 2008, 7:36:52 PM3/6/08
to
> to=myemailaddr...@gmail.com, delay=00:00:01, mailer=relay, pri=30045,

> stat=queued
>
> Is there a way to see why the stat=queued?

OK, here is an example. I used the -d.3.30 debug to send a test
message to myself

-----------------------
[root@lists ~]# sendmail -v -d3.30 -t myn...@gmail.com
from: Paul B. (myrealad...@gmail.com)
subject: hello, world ... test

hello, world
.

getla(): 86.12
shouldqueue: CurrentLA=86, pri=30087: true (by calculation)
myn...@gmail.com... queued

--------------

[root@lists ~]# grep QueueLA /etc/mail/sendmail.cf
O QueueLA=99


Since the CurrentLA is less then QueueLA ... it should have been false
and not queued. I realize a load average of 86 is high, but it is
still less then the QueueLA.

Andrzej Adam Filip

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Mar 6, 2008, 8:00:04 PM3/6/08
to
Packet Paul <pbor...@gmail.com> wrote:

You have missed that your "send test mail" command uses submit.cf.
As I understand you have "fine tuned" *ONLY* sendmail.cf.
[ Sendmail-8.12+ uses (by default) TWO *.cf files ]

$ grep 'LA=' /etc/mail/*.cf

--

[pl>en: Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : an...@priv.onet.pl : an...@xl.wp.pl
Open-Sendmail: http://open-sendmail.sourceforge.net/

If someone stinks, view it as a reason to help them,
not a reason to avoid them.
-- Larry Wall in <1997021117...@wall.org>

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