SMTP under Plesk 8.1 dead

Highland · Unread post by **Highland** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:21 pm

Was wondering if anyone has any idea why this would happen. I'm using a 1and1 server reimaged with CentOS 4.4. Abruptly yesterday the SMTP server apparently died. The control panel didn't show it then but shows it now. I can't find any error messages in any log file indicating why. I have done no updating in the last few days.

Highland · Unread post by **Highland** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:06 pm

Apparently if MAPS can't resolve an address it kills the SMTP server. Fun...

EDIT: Any idea why CentOS 4.4 would have so much trouble resolving domains? I went through the default list and did a nslookup on each and only half of them would resolve.

Unread post by **scott** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:55 pm

are you using your local DNS? or someone elses?

kwebdesign · Unread post by **kwebdesign** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:28 pm

I had the same problem last night, and after some research, discovered that some of the DNSBLs I was using have shut down.

I'm down to this list:

bl.spamcop.net;dnsbl.njabl.org;sbl.spamhaus.org;cbl.abuseat.org;list.dsbl.org

It's working well now. It makes me wonder about how you are supposed to know when one of those services quits serving...

breun · Unread post by **breun** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:43 pm

But what about Scott's question? Are you using local DNS or someone elses? What's in your /etc/resolv.conf?

kwebdesign · Unread post by **kwebdesign** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:56 pm

Actually, resolve.conf has several external IPs in it. I guess that was set up by the AAOI script, based on what was there before (I'm also a 1and1 customer running CentOS4).

Highland · Unread post by **Highland** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:25 pm

Here's what my /etc/resolv.conf looks like

; generated by /sbin/dhclient-script
search onlinehome-server.com
nameserver 82.165.251.251
nameserver 195.20.224.234
nameserver 195.20.224.99

breun · Unread post by **breun** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:55 pm

Those IP addresses resolve to:

cns129.schlund.net
dns.schlund.de
dns2.schlund.de

It seems Schlund has merged with 1&1. I don't know what the default 1&1 DNS setup is.

If you're running a local DNS server you might also want to just use nameserver 127.0.0.1 in /etc/resolv.conf.

Highland · Unread post by **Highland** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:27 pm

ARGH. MAPS is still turned off and SMTP is dead again. Had to disable and re-enable MAPS a couple of times and it finally came back. This is getting old. Any ideas what I can check to see why it's dying? Is Plesk 8.1 to blame?

breun · Unread post by **breun** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:54 am

Any problems in your maillog?