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Postfix integration

Our Postfix integration consolidates mail server data into one view, so you can track how many emails are sent, bounced, or deferred in a given time period. Our Postfix integration uses our infrastructure agent, and gives you a pre-built dashboard with your most important Postfix metrics like email delivery process, mail queue, and message overview.

After setting up our Postfix integration, we give you a dashboard for your Postfix metrics.

Set up the Postfix integration

Complete the following steps to set up the Postfix integration:

Install the infrastructure agent

To use the Postfix integration, you need to also install the infrastructure agent on the same host. The infrastructure agent monitors the host itself, while the integration you'll install in the next step extends your monitoring with Postfix-specific data.

Export Postfix data

Export your Postfix metrics with pflogsumm. The Postfix agent usespflogsumm as a log analyzer, which translates into metric data about your Postfix activity. This gives you enough detail to anticipate potential incidences with email administration.

Follow these steps to use pflogsumm.

  1. Run the following commands to download and extract pflogsumm:

    bash
    $
    wget https://jimsun.linxnet.com/downloads/pflogsumm-1.1.3.tar.gz
    bash
    $
    tar xvf pflogsumm-1.1.3.tar.gz
  2. Go to the pflogsumm folder.

    bash
    $
    cd pflogsumm-*.*.*
  3. Copy the pflogsumm.pl file to the path /usr/local/bin/pflogsumm :

    bash
    $
    sudo cp pflogsumm.pl /usr/local/bin/pflogsumm
  4. Run the following pflogsumm commands to export the Postfix metrics:

    bash
    $
    cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm
    $
    cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm -d today

Configure NRI-Flex for Postfix

Flex, our application-agnostic monitoring tool, comes bundled with the New Relic infrastructure agent. Follow these steps to create a flex configuration file for your Postfix data:

  1. Create a file named postfix-flex-config.yml:

    bash
    $
    touch /etc/newrelic-infra/integrations.d/postfix-flex-config.yml
  2. Update the file postfix-flex-config.yml. We recommend you work off our configuration sample below:

    ---
    integrations:
    - name: nri-flex
    config:
    name: postfixFlex
    apis:
    #check if Postfix service is up.
    - event_type: PostfixUp
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(systemctl status postfix | grep 'Active':' active' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #check if Postfix service is down.
    - event_type: PostfixDown
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(systemctl status postfix | grep 'Active':' active' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the grand totals messages by using the below script.
    - event_type: PostfixGrandTotals
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -A 21 'Grand Totals'
    split: horizontal
    set_header: [metricValue, message]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s+(\d+\w*)\s+(.*)
    #Read the number of messages delivered & received in bytes.
    - event_type: PostfixMessageBytes
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -A 1 'bytes received'
    split: horizontal
    set_header: [metricValue, messageBytes]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s+(\d+\w*)\s+(.*)
    #Read the number of messages held by the user.
    - event_type: PostfixHeldMessage
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(cat /var/mail/<USER> | grep -c 'Subject:')"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the count of SASL authentication failure notifications.
    - event_type: PostfixSASLauthFailed
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'status=deferred (SASL authentication failed' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the count of bounced non-delivery notifications.
    - event_type: PostfixBounceNondeliveryNotification
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'postfix/bounce' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the number of messages passed through the email delivery process.
    - event_type: PostfixEmailDeliveryProcess
    commands:
    - run: echo "PICKUPvalue:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'pickup' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    - run: echo "CLEANUPvalue:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'cleanup' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the number of message inserted in mail queue.
    - event_type: PostfixMessageInsertedinMailQ
    commands:
    - run: echo "Ivalue:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'queue active'| wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the number of message handled by SMTP process.
    - event_type: PostfixMessageHandledBySMTP
    commands:
    - run: echo "SENTmsg:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'status=sent' | grep "postfix/smtp" | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    - run: echo "BOUNCEDmsg:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'status=bounced' | grep "postfix/smtp" | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    - run: echo "DEFERREDmsg:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'status=deferred' | grep "postfix/smtp" | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the number of message removed from mail queue.
    - event_type: PostfixMessageRemovedFromMailQ
    commands:
    - run: echo "Rvalue:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'removed'| wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the number of SMTPD connection.
    - event_type: PostfixSMTPDconnection
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep ' connect from' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the number of SMTPD disconnection.
    - event_type: PostfixSMTPDdisconnection
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'disconnect from' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the number of SMTP connection.
    - event_type: PostfixSMTPconnection
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep ' connect to' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the number of SMTP disconnection.
    - event_type: PostfixSMTPdisconnection
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'disconnect to' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the number of connection timed out.
    - event_type: PostfixSMTPDtimedOut
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'timeout after CONNECT' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the number of connection lost.
    - event_type: PostfixSMTPDconnectionLost
    commands:
    - run: echo "value:$(cat /var/log/mail.log | grep 'lost connection' | wc -l)"
    split_by: ':'
    #Read the per-hour traffic report.
    - event_type: PostfixMessagePerHourReport
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm -d today | grep -i 'Per-Hour Traffic Summary' -A 27
    split: horizontal
    header_split_by: \s+(\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(.*)
    set_header:
    [
    time,
    received.perhour,
    delivered.perhour,
    deferred.perhour,
    bounced.perhour,
    rejected.perhour,
    ]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s+(\d+-\d+)\s+(\d+)\s+(\d+)\s+(\d+)\s+(\d+)\s+(\d+)
    #Read the per-day traffic summary.
    - event_type: PostfixMessageTrafficPerDay
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm --zero_fill | grep -C 12 'Per-Day Traffic Summary' -B 0 -A 8 | sed '/Per-Hour Traffic Daily Average/q'
    split: horizontal
    header_split_by: \s+(\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(.*)
    set_header:
    [date, received, delivered, deferred, bounced, rejected]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s+(\w+\s+\d+\s+\d+)\s+(\d+)\s+(\d+)\s+(\d+)\s+(\d+)\s+(\d+)
    #Read the host/domain summary: message delivery & received.
    - event_type: PostfixHostSummary
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -i 'Host/Domain Summary':' Message Delivery' -A 8 | sed -n '2,9p'
    split: horizontal
    header_split_by: \s+(\w+\s+\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(\w+\s+\w+)\s+(\w+\s+\w+)\s+(.*.)
    set_header:
    [sentCount, bytesDelivered, defers, avgDaily, maxDaily, host]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s+(\d+)\s+(\d+\w*)\s+(\d+)\s+(\d+.\d+\s+\w)\s+(\d+.\d+\s+\w)\s+(.*)
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -A 15 'Host/Domain Summary':' Messages Received' | sed '/Senders by message count/q'
    split: horizontal
    header_split_by: \s+(\w+\s+\w+)\s+(\w+)\s+(.*.)
    set_header: [msgCount, bytesReceived, hostDetail]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s+(\d+)\s+(\d+\w*)\s+(.*)
    #Read the senders & recipients with message count.
    - event_type: PostfixSenderRecipientMessageCount
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -C 11 'Senders by message count' -B 1 -A 9 | sed '/Recipients by message count/q'
    split: horizontal
    header_split_by: (.*.)
    set_header: [sender.msgCount, senders]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s+(\d+)\s+(.*)
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -C 11 'Recipients by message count' -B 1 -A 9 | sed '/Senders by message size/q'
    split: horizontal
    header_split_by: (.*.)
    set_header: [recipient.msgCount, recipients]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s+(\d+)\s+(.*)
    #Read the daemon message details.
    - event_type: PostfixDaemonMessage
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -A 10 'Master daemon messages'
    split: horizontal
    set_header: [daemon.msgCount, daemonMessage]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s*(\d+)\s+(\w+.*.)
    #Read the message deferral details.
    - event_type: PostfixDeferralMessage
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -A 15 'message deferral detail' | sed '/message bounce detail (by relay)/q'
    split: horizontal
    header_split_by: (\s+\w+\s+.*)
    set_header: [deferral.msgCount, deferralMessage]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s*(\d+)\s+(\w+.*.)
    #Read the warning message details.
    - event_type: PostfixWarningMessage
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -v 'mail_queue_enter' | grep -C 100 'Warnings' -B 1 -A 10 | sed '/Fatal Errors/q'
    split: horizontal
    header_split_by: \s+(\w+)\s+(.*)
    set_header: [Warning.msgCount, warningMessage]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s*(\d+)\s\s\s(.*.)
    #Read the error message details.
    - event_type: PostfixErrorMessage
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -C 15 'Fatal Errors' -B 1 -A 10 | sed '/Panics/q'
    split: horizontal
    header_split_by: \s+(\w+)\s+(.*)
    set_header: [Fatal.msgCount, fatalMessage]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s*(\d+)\s\s\s(.*.)
    #Read the message bounce details.
    - event_type: PostfixBounceMessage
    commands:
    - run: cat /var/log/mail.log | pflogsumm | grep -A 10 'message bounce detail (by relay)' | sed '/message reject detail/q'
    split: horizontal
    header_split_by: \s+(\w+)\s+(.*)
    set_header: [Bounce.msgCount, bounceMessage]
    regex_match: true
    split_by: \s*(\d+)\s\s\s(.*.)

    If you'd prefer to make your own, then make sure that your yaml file follows the pattern above. Edit the following attributes as needed:

  • EVENT_TYPE: A New Relic database table that you can query using NRQL.
  • COMMAND: The command used to print metrics on the terminal.

Forward your Postfix logs to New Relic

Follow these steps to forward Postfix logs to New Relic:

  1. Create a file named logging.yml in the infrastructure agent directory:

    bash
    $
    touch /etc/newrelic-infra/logging.d/logging.yml
  2. Add the following snippet to the logging.yml file:

    logs:
    - name: mail.log
    file: /var/log/mail.log
    attributes:
    logtype: postfix_maillog

Restart the infrastructure agent

Use the instructions in our infrastructure agent docs to restart your infrastructure agent. This is a basic command that should work for most people:

bash
$
sudo systemctl restart newrelic-infra.service

Find and use data

Follow these steps to use our pre-built dashboard template to easily view your Postfix data:

  1. Go to one.newrelic.com and click on + Integrations & Agents.

  2. Click on the Dashboards tab.

  3. In the search box, type Postfix.

  4. When you see our pre-build dashboard, click on it to install it in your account.

    Your Postfix dashboard is a custom dashboard. Access it from the Dashboards UI. For docs on using and editing dashboards, see our dashboard docs.

    For more on how to find and use your data, see Understand integration data. Here's a few example NRQL queries for Postfix data:

What's next?

To learn more about building NRQL queries and generating dashboards, check out these docs:

  • Introduction to the query builder to create basic and advanced queries.
  • Introduction to dashboards to customize your dashboard and carry out different actions.
  • Manage your dashboard to adjust your display mode, or to add more content to your dashboard.
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