[Techtalk] sendmail config questions

[Dennis Wheeler]

On Mon, 11 Aug 2003, Marcinko, Carmen wrote:

> Hi Dennis,
> <snip>
>
> > >And their internal domain name is different from their external domain
> > >name. I tried sending a test message and eventually got an warning
> > >response "Could not send for 4 hours", with a name sever timeout error=
,
> so
> > >I'm suspecting this domain name difference may be the problem. They're
> > >
> > Not likely. Most probably a nameserver misconfiguration on the redhat
> > install. When sendmail has no dependable DNS access, it cannot deliver
> mail.
> >
>
> resolv.conf points to the internal dns (running on nt) as primary, and th=
e
> isp's dns as secondary
>
>
> This doesn't work the way you're intending.  The secondary DNS will only =
be
> queried when the primary is unavailable.  If the primary cannot resolve a=
n
> address, it will return an error, it won't pass the query to the secondar=
y,
> so it is redundant to have both those entries in your resolv.conf. You wi=
ll
> need a secondary DNS of the same domain as the primary.
>
> I would suggest leaving the external DNS in the resolv.conf. You could th=
en
> try putting the hostname/ip of the exchange server in the hosts file, and
> hard coding the route to the exchange server in the sendmail server's
> routing tables.  Then in your sendmail config, you can use the mailertabl=
es
> features to direct the mail to the exchange server.
>
> HTH,
> Carmen
>

Thanks, this seems to have done the trick, though perhaps it wasn't the
only thing.

Apparently the exchange server didn't have any smtp connectors defined
(whatever that means). And at one point the NT admin had changed something
to the point that they couldn't send mail from one exchange mailbox to
another (they had just uninstalled some expired demo spam filter and
probably needed a couple more reboots).

So, resolve.conf has been changed, and the correct information is already
in the mailertables file. Things are working now.

Thanks for everyone's help.
-- Dennis

> ------------------------------------------------------------
> This e-mail may be privileged and/or confidential, and the sender does no=
t
> waive any related rights and obligations. Any distribution, use or copyin=
g of
> this e-mail or the information it contains by other than an intended reci=
pient
> is unauthorized. If you received this e-mail in error, please advise me (=
by
> return e-mail or otherwise) immediately.
>
> Ce courrier =E9lectronique est confidentiel et prot=E9g=E9. L'exp=E9diteu=
r ne renonce
> pas aux droits et obligations qui s'y rapportent. Toute diffusion, utilis=
ation
> ou copie de ce message ou des renseignements qu'il contient par une perso=
nne
> autre que le (les) destinataire(s) d=E9sign=E9(s) est interdite. Si vous =
recevez
> ce courrier =E9lectronique par erreur, veuillez m'en aviser imm=E9diateme=
nt, par
> retour de courrier =E9lectronique ou par un autre moyen.
>
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>