Getting a new server

[Chad Leigh -- Shire.Net LLC]

On Feb 2, 2006, at 2:37 AM, Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
> I would suggest you not use spamassassin.  If you must use content
> filtering use dspam, as it can be set to allow users to easily feed
> the learner.  spamassassin cannot.

For IMAP users, spamassassin can EASILY be set up to allow the users  
to feed the system.   It is harder for pop users, I agree.  My users  
don't feed at all as it is too hard to explain to them what to do so  
I just feed all my spam in (including positives to reinforce) and my  
uses don't complain about spamassassin's results so it must be  
working.  I figure that most spam out there is so widespread that  
most of my users spam overlaps the spam I get on my 7 or 8 accounts I  
use.

> But, seriously think about chucking
> all that and just run greylist-milter.  It's in the ports I believe
> but if not it's easy to compile and install.  And it is 100 times more
> effective than spamassassin, content filtering, subject line  
> filtering,
> you name it, I've tried it.

I user a greylisting option made for exim and spamassassin.  It only  
greylists those things that spamassassin thinks is spam.  Yes, it  
uses the resources of running spamassassin first -- but it avoids  
lots of problems like the verizon callbacks, etc.  I don't have any  
exceptions set for it and we have not had problems with any servers  
sending us mail.  I have a separate box on a separate nic and private  
net doing clamd and spamassassin so the overhead of running  
spamassassin on everything that passes the callout sender  
verification does not affect the smtp box(es).

We also set up to do our own callout sender verifications using exim  
on most incoming mail (based on some rules) and that greatly reduces  
the amount of spam to a trickle that even gets to the grey listing.   
And the stuff that makes it through the greylisting is 99.9999%  
tagged by spmassassin so the users can filter it if they want.

Chad

>
> There's a few IP numbers and mailservers that need to be defined
> in the exclusion list for greylist milter that aren't in the stock
> exclusion list, but other than that, it is the best antispam tool I've
> used in years.
>
> Ted
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
>> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Lisa Casey
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 7:27 AM
>> To: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
>> Subject: Getting a new server
>>
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> My company (a medium sized ISP) has decided to replace one of our  
>> mail
>> servers. We need more CPU power, memory, etc. My boss is talking  
>> about
>> getting 2 good size hard drives with a raid card to mirror these.  
>> I was
>> planning to install FreeBSD 5.3 (because that's the latest
>> distro I have
>> CD's for) unless anyone has a good reason why not.
>>
>> I'll be installing Sendmail, mimedefang/spamassassin (somewhat CPU
>> intensive), bind (for  a caching name server), Qpopper, procmail. We
>> currently have 500 - 600 mail accounts on the current server,
>> and plan to
>> move these to the new server plus use the new one for growth (I
>> don't know
>> how quickly new mail accounts will be added, but say 20 to 50
>> accounts per
>> month.
>>
>> What would you folks reccomend as far as hardware goes? Hard
>> drive size, CPU
>> type,  amount of RAM, etc.?
>>
>> Thanks for the input.
>>
>> Lisa Casey
>>
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>
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---
Chad Leigh -- Shire.Net LLC
Your Web App and Email hosting provider
chad at shire.net