mail forwarding loop

[Flamenetworks]

Hello Dears,

PRODUCT

Parallels Plesk

VERSION

11.5.30 Debian 7.0 115140407.17

MICROUPDATE

#44

OPERATING SYSTEM

Debian 7.5

ARCHITECTURE

x86_64

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION

Just configured on mailbox [email protected] a forwarder to [email protected], but e-mail forwarder produces loop:

May 9 11:55:38 vps postfix/pickup[31618]: 81208123209: uid=30 from=<[email protected]>
May 9 11:55:38 vps postfix/cleanup[529]: 81208123209: message-id=<CACpaKgRN6mdhcKuZNTDnjNiPzm7FOqmH8o-KMFSRkv=OD2SRSQ@mail.gmail.com>
May 9 11:55:38 vps postfix/qmgr[12966]: 81208123209: from=<[email protected]>, size=2219, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 9 11:55:38 vps postfix/pipe[533]: 81208123209: to=<[email protected]>, relay=plesk_virtual, delay=0.01, delays=0.01/0/0/0.01, dsn=5.4.6, status=bounced (mail forwarding loop for [email protected])
May 9 11:55:38 vps postfix/bounce[548]: 81208123209: sender non-delivery notification: 8463F12320A
May 9 11:55:38 vps postfix/qmgr[12966]: 81208123209: removed


STEPS TO REPRODUCE

Configure a simple e-mail forwarder from a mailbox to another e-mail address

ACTUAL RESULT

E-mail loop: the message is not forwarded to [email protected]

EXPECTED RESULT

E-mail to be forwarded to [email protected]

ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

N/A

Thank you very much for any information/tip!

 

[HMoellendorf87]

Hi Flamenetworks,

am I right, that you have the domain domain.com with two mailboxes enabled: 1. pluto, 2. pippo?
You enabled a forwarder from pippo to pluto mailbox?

Can you check the /var/qmail/mailnames/domain.com if the mailboxes are created successfully?
Further more it sounds like a loop, produced by the mailserver. Did you already ran mchk?

For further assistance, just let me know.

 

[Flamenetworks]

Hi,

thanks for your reply.

Yes, you're right: both [email protected] and [email protected] are mailboxes enabled on domain.com. Also I've created a forwarder from [email protected] to [email protected]

In /var/qmail/mailnames/domain.com/ I see both "pippo" and "pluto" directories. Also: Webmail access on both mailboxes works fine, this means mailboxes are ok.

I haven't used mchk, should I?

 

[HMoellendorf87]

Hi,

did you checked other log files? Do you get a reply from the mail server? (error message i.e.)

 

[Flamenetworks]

Hi,

this is the bounce message:

Reporting-MTA: dns; vps.domain.com
X-Postfix-Queue-ID: 1F1E2122F33
X-Postfix-Sender: rfc822; [email protected]
Arrival-Date: Tue, 20 May 2014 17:20:42 +0200 (CEST)

Final-Recipient: rfc822; [email protected]
Action: failed
Status: 5.4.6
Diagnostic-Code: X-Postfix; mail forwarding loop for [email protected]

syslog:

May 20 17:20:41 vps postfix/smtpd[28264]: D8806122F31: client=mailserver.flamenetworks.com[x.x.x.x]
May 20 17:20:41 vps postfix/cleanup[28268]: D8806122F31: message-id=<[email protected]>
May 20 17:20:41 vps postfix/qmgr[12966]: D8806122F31: from=<[email protected]>, size=23436, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/pipe[28272]: D8806122F31: to=<[email protected]>, relay=plesk_virtual, delay=0.17, delays=0.08/0/0/0.09, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered via plesk_virtual service)
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/qmgr[12966]: D8806122F31: removed

This is the forwarder:

May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/pickup[26191]: 08AD1122F34: uid=30 from=<[email protected]>
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/cleanup[28268]: 08AD1122F34: [email protected]>
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/qmgr[12966]: 08AD1122F34: from=<[email protected]>, size=23659, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/pipe[28272]: 08AD1122F34: to=<[email protected]>, relay=plesk_virtual, delay=0.09, delays=0.01/0/0/0.09, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered via plesk_virtual service)
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/qmgr[12966]: 08AD1122F34: removed

May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/pickup[26191]: 1F1E2122F33: uid=30 from=<[email protected]>
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/cleanup[28268]: 1F1E2122F33: message-id=<[email protected]>
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/qmgr[12966]: 1F1E2122F33: from=<[email protected]>, size=23865, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/pipe[28272]: 1F1E2122F33: to=<[email protected]>, relay=plesk_virtual, delay=0.04, delays=0.01/0/0/0.03, dsn=5.4.6, status=bounced (mail forwarding loop for [email protected])
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/bounce[28308]: 1F1E2122F33: sender non-delivery notification: 2814A122F34
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/qmgr[12966]: 1F1E2122F33: removed

Non-delivery message:

May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/cleanup[28268]: 2814A122F34: message-id=<[email protected]>
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/qmgr[12966]: 2814A122F34: from=<>, size=25638, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/bounce[28308]: 1F1E2122F33: sender non-delivery notification: 2814A122F34
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/smtp[28285]: 2814A122F34: to=<[email protected]>, relay=server.flamenetworks.com[x.x.x.x]:25, delay=0.26, delays=0.01/0/0.14/0.1, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (250 2.0.0 Ok: queued as BA0D4AD525)
May 20 17:20:42 vps postfix/qmgr[12966]: 2814A122F34: removed

 

[runtim23]

How did you configure your forwarding? Obviously, you checked that pluto has no forwarding, but did this domain, or MX ever point to a different server that might have extra forwarding? Have you tested with a different account to forward to pluto to see if it's domain wide?

 

[HMoellendorf87]

Hi flamenetworks,

it seems in fact that there is a redirect through 2 or more servers. You can provide me via PN the informations and I will try to get being solved your issue asap.

 

[Flamenetworks]

Hi,

currently via Plesk Panel there's the following setup:

[email protected] (mailbox) forward to [email protected] (mailbox)
[email protected] (mailbox) forward to [email protected] (mailbox)

The MX is on localhost, the same system of both mailboxes.
Maybe the priority of the MX, set to 0, is the problem? I don't think so, but I won't hide any information for troubleshooting.

 

[HMoellendorf87]

Hi,

currently via Plesk Panel there's the following setup:

[email protected] (mailbox) forward to [email protected] (mailbox)
[email protected] (mailbox) forward to [email protected] (mailbox)

The MX is on localhost, the same system of both mailboxes.
Maybe the priority of the MX, set to 0, is the problem? I don't think so, but I won't hide any information for troubleshooting.

Dear flamenetworks,

you just posted the reason by yourself. It is a loop, because you are forwarding both mailboxes together. This won't work. You'll have to delete one forward entry.

 

[Flamenetworks]

Hi,

I had the same doubt, but customer just told "on other system, the same forwarding works fine"
That's why I reported this issue on the Forum.

I'm a little confused...

 

[HMoellendorf87]

Hi Flamenetworks,

it can't work, so you have to disable one forward and you will be finished.
Sorry for no other solution.

 

[runtim23]

Well there is the option of using an account with a mailbox and adding forwarding so both accounts have a copy if one is emailed, or if you want both to receive email for each other you can create an email alias, but that my or may not be what you want.

 

[madimar]

Hi Flamenetworks,

it can't work, so you have to disable one forward and you will be finished.
Sorry for no other solution.

Hi, I'm the customer with that problem. It is quite obvious that a similar configuration generates a loop. On the other side I think this kind of need can be common and I can assure you all it works perfectly on a cpanel host, without any special configuration. I suppose that the system in this case, simply check the original destination and it prevents the loop not allowing to forward back the message.
Here below some snapshots of cpanel configuration:





Really is it not possible to do a similar configuration with Plesk? I migrated from Cpanel to Plesk recently but I was supposing to be able to replicate everything and manage better my system but maybe I was wrong.

Regards,

md

 

[HMoellendorf87]

Hi md,

I got a thought of it and afaik Plesk isn't currently checking it if it is internally or externally. So the server forwards it to the other mailbox where the mail will be forwarded back.
So the loop will be infinite. You should apply a feature request at http://plesk.uservoice.com/forums/184549-feature-suggestions

 

[runtim23]

Hi, I'm the customer with that problem. It is quite obvious that a similar configuration generates a loop. On the other side I think this kind of need can be common and I can assure you all it works perfectly on a cpanel host, without any special configuration. I suppose that the system in this case, simply check the original destination and it prevents the loop not allowing to forward back the message.
Here below some snapshots of cpanel configuration:

View attachment 8335
View attachment 8336
View attachment 8337

Really is it not possible to do a similar configuration with Plesk? I migrated from Cpanel to Plesk recently but I was supposing to be able to replicate everything and manage better my system but maybe I was wrong.

Regards,

md

I am managing several servers with both plesk and cpanel, and I can tell you they are both good and bad, and I don't prefer one over the other.
They can speed some aspects of administration up, at the cost of their quirks, which aren't apparent at first.
Just my opinion.

 

[madimar]

Good suggestion thanks. I just did it. You can find and possibly vote it here:

http://plesk.uservoice.com/forums/184549-feature-suggestions/suggestions/5951897-email-forwarding-anti-loop-mechanism

Thanks,

md

 

[Holophrastic]

Plesk has no interface to Maildir delivery, but it's super-easy to set up manually. You'll use the .qmail file, located above your Maildir directory. Here's mine:
/mail/mailnames/<domain>/<account>/.qmail
/mail/mailnames/<domain>/<account>/Maildir/

The .qmail file has a bunch of options: http://qmail.org/man/man5/dot-qmail.html
It can forward e-mail, which is another way to create the same mail forwarding loop problem.
It can also run a shell command.
It can also append to an mbox.
It can also deposit into a Maildir -- that's what we want here:

[ /mail/mailnames/<domain>/joe/.qmail ]
/mail/mailnames/<domain>/jill/Maildir/

[ /mail/mailnames/<domain>/jill/.qmail ]
/mail/mailnames/<domain>/joe/Maildir/

A few funny things:

First, apparently this just copies the file into the other Maildir. So obviously, since it hasn't been re-routed through e-mail, headers don't change as they otherwise would.

Second, plesk also uses this file. When you set up normal forwarding in plesk, it writes to this file -- either to add or to remove your forward. But plesk avoids changing anything else in the file. So this remains reliable.
So, there you go. Finally, after all these years, Joe and Jill can both receive incoming e-mails -- since they are equal business partners, yay!