SpamfilterN optional MTA options

Spamfilter MTA options:    (-2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4)
The    MTA options control the MTA&#x27;s reaction when spam/virus filter package   does not respond.

By default, when use of a spam/virus  filter package such  as Brightmail is configured, a failure to initially connect to the  spam/virus filter package, or a failure to get a response from the  spam/virus filter package once the filter package has begun processing  the envelope addresses or the message itself, will normally result in a  temporary error of  " ". (The exact SMTP errors are  " " if  the package cannot even be contacted initially,  " "  if the package error occurs attempting  to process the MAIL FROM: (envelope From:) argument;  " "  if the package error occurs attempting  to process a RCPT TO: (envelope To:) argument, or  " "  if the package error occurs attempting  to process the DATA (the message itself). Alternate text in this error  message may be configured via the correspondingly numbered     MTA options.) Note that for an incoming SMTP message, such a temporary error  means that the message is (temporarily) rejected with that error, while  for a message that is already on the system and being processed by a  reprocess/process/conversion sort of channel, such a temporary error  means that the message is reenqueued to the    channel (for the    channel to subsequently reattempt the virus/spam filter  package processing).

But when  is set, the MTA&#x27;s  message processing will continue even if the spam/virus filter package  cannot be accessed or does not complete its processing; that is,  messages will be passed through without spam/virus filter package  scanning (omitting spam/virus filter package scanning) if the  spam/virus filter package scanning is not functioning.

New in MS 6.2 is support for values -2 and 2. Setting a value of 2 is similar to the effect of 1, except that a syslog notice will be generated in case of spam/virus filter package  errors. A value of -1 is (currently) equivalent in effect to a value of 0. A value of -2 is similar to a value of 0, except that a syslog notice will be generated in case of spam/virus filter package errors. (See the  MTA option for control of the facility and priority of such syslog notices.)

New in MS 6.3 is support for values 3 and 4. A value of 3 tells the MTA that in case of a virus/spam filter package failure during  attempted processing of an incoming message, to accept the message and  queue it to the reprocess channel  (for subsequent reattempted  processing through the virus/spam filter package by the reprocess  channel). A value of 4 does the same thing, but also logs the virus/spam filter temporary failure to syslog.

For most site&#x27;s purposes, either a setting of -2 (meaning to temporarily reject the  message, and generate a syslog notice logging the trouble occurrence),  or (new in MS 6.3) a setting of 4 (meaning to defer the message to the  reprocess channel,  and generate a syslog notice logging the trouble  occurrence) will be desirable.

See also:
 * Spamfilter MTA options
 * Syslog MTA options
 * sndopr_prefix MTA Option
 * sndopr_priority MTA Option
 * error_text_spamfilter1_error MTA Option
 * Process and reprocess channels