Automounting mail spool directory.

From: Ian Mortimer <ian_at_physics.uq.edu.au>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 11:17:11 +1000

Hi DU Admins

Our mail server exports the spool area to a growing number of clients
which mount the spool directory through fstab.

When the mail server goes down for maintenance most users can't do
anything on the clients because of an xbiff, kbiff or the like and/or
because they've got the MAIL and MAILCHECK enviroment variables set
in their shell. This results in the classic:

   NFS3 server ___ not responding still trying

What I thought I might do is firstly automount the spool area on the
clients and secondly use a replicated mount - something like this in
the auto.direct map:

   /usr/var/spool/mail server:/usr/var/spool/mail mirror:/usr/mirror/mail

This mirror directory could be a real mirror or just a fake to keep
the automounter happy when the mail server is offline.

Are there any problems with automounting the mail spool directory?
Is the replicated mount a feasible solution?
Any other suggestions?


Thanks
Ian

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
_/ Ian Mortimer _/
_/ ian_at_physics.uq.edu.au ,-_|\ Department of Physics _/
_/ Tel: +61 7 3365 3436 / *\ University of Queensland _/
_/ Fax: +61 7 3365 1242 \_,-._/ St. Lucia, Brisbane _/
_/ v Queensland, Australia 4072 _/
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Disclaimer: Speaking only for myself.
Received on Mon Nov 16 1998 - 01:18:16 NZDT

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Wed Nov 08 2023 - 11:53:38 NZDT