[Dovecot] OpenBSD and too many open files

[Bryan Vyhmeister]

On Aug 1, 2007, at 9:41 AM, Timo Sirainen wrote:

> You didn't say which process got the "too many files" error, but  
> usually it's the Dovecot master process. Could you show the exact  
> error message so I can be sure? Here you showed only imap, imap- 
> login and pop3-login processes, not dovecot process.

You're right. Sorry, I couldn't find the error message initially but  
I just located it. It appears like this particular error appears in  
the context of a dictionary attack.

Jul 30 07:31:02 a dovecot: pop3-login: Aborted login: user=<aaron>,  
method=PLAIN, rip=69.3.64.3, lip=66.81.83.13
Jul 30 07:31:02 a dovecot: pop3-login: Aborted login: user=<support>,  
method=PLAIN, rip=69.3.64.3, lip=66.81.83.13
Jul 30 07:31:02 a dovecot: pop3-login: Aborted login: user=<support>,  
method=PLAIN, rip=69.3.64.3, lip=66.81.83.13
Jul 30 07:31:02 a dovecot: pop3-login: Aborted login: user=<aaron>,  
method=PLAIN, rip=69.3.64.3, lip=66.81.83.13
Jul 30 07:31:02 a dovecot: pop3-login: Aborted login: user=<aaron>,  
method=PLAIN, rip=69.3.64.3, lip=66.81.83.13
Jul 30 07:31:03 a dovecot: pipe() failed: Too many open files
Jul 30 07:31:03 a dovecot: Temporary failure in creating login  
processes, slowing down for now
Jul 30 07:31:03 a dovecot: Created login processes successfully,  
unstalling
Jul 30 07:31:04 a dovecot: pop3-login: Aborted login: user=<spam>,  
method=PLAIN, rip=69.3.64.3, lip=66.81.83.13
Jul 30 07:31:04 a dovecot: pop3-login: Aborted login: user=<abigail>,  
method=PLAIN, rip=69.3.64.3, lip=66.81.83.13
Jul 30 07:31:04 a dovecot: pop3-login: Aborted login: user=<abraham>,  
method=PLAIN, rip=69.3.64.3, lip=66.81.83.13


Jul 28 21:13:01 a dovecot: pipe() failed: Too many open files
Jul 28 21:13:55 a postfix/smtpd[14992]: connect from  
exprod6mx146.postini.com[64.18.1.118]
Jul 28 21:13:55 a postfix/smtpd[14992]: F0A36142011:  
client=exprod6mx146.postini.com[64.18.1.118]
Jul 28 21:13:56 a postfix/smtpd[14992]: disconnect from  
exprod6mx146.postini.com[64.18.1.118]
Jul 28 21:14:01 a dovecot: pipe() failed: Too many open files
Jul 28 21:15:01 a dovecot: pipe() failed: Too many open files
Jul 28 21:15:10 a postfix/smtpd[14992]: connect from  
exprod6mx183.postini.com[64.18.1.74]
Jul 28 21:15:10 a postfix/smtpd[14992]: D28A8142011:  
client=exprod6mx183.postini.com[64.18.1.74]
Jul 28 21:15:10 a postfix/smtpd[14992]: disconnect from  
exprod6mx183.postini.com[64.18.1.74]


Also, here is fstat output for the master process:

USER     CMD          PID   FD MOUNT        INUM MODE       R/W    DV|SZ
root     dovecot     5846   wd /         1319569 drwxr-xr-x   r      512
root     dovecot     5846    0 /          475354 crw-rw-rw-   r     null
root     dovecot     5846    1 /          475354 crw-rw-rw-   r     null
root     dovecot     5846    2 /          475354 crw-rw-rw-   r     null
root     dovecot     5846    3 /          475354 crw-rw-rw-   r     null
root     dovecot     5846    4 /          475354 crw-rw-rw-   r     null
root     dovecot     5846    5* internet stream tcp 0x4000d50fa40 *:143
root     dovecot     5846    6* internet stream tcp 0x4000d4ca240 *:993
root     dovecot     5846    7* internet stream tcp 0x4000d2f8b20 *:110
root     dovecot     5846    8* internet stream tcp 0x4000d2f88f0 *:995
root     dovecot     5846    9 kqueue 0x4000d4c7600 0 state: W
root     dovecot     5846   10* unix dgram 0x4000252c400 <->  
0x400022ac580
root     dovecot     5846   11 pipe 0x4000d438f10 state:
root     dovecot     5846   12 pipe 0x4000d438f10 state:
root     dovecot     5846   13* unix stream 0x4000252bf80
root     dovecot     5846   14* unix stream 0x4000238a500
root     dovecot     5846   15* unix stream 0x4000251c680 <->  
0x4000250d000
root     dovecot     5846   16* unix stream 0x40002404200 <->  
0x40002517200
root     dovecot     5846   17 pipe 0x4000d439310 state:
root     dovecot     5846   18* unix stream 0x40002484c00 <->  
0x40002520600
root     dovecot     5846   19* unix stream 0x400023ab280
root     dovecot     5846   20* unix stream 0x40002501a00 <->  
0x40002501000
root     dovecot     5846   21* unix stream 0x40002372800 <->  
0x4000251be80
root     dovecot     5846   22 pipe 0x4000d439b90 state:
root     dovecot     5846   23* unix stream 0x40002484880 <->  
0x4000252c900
root     dovecot     5846   24 pipe 0x4000d439490 state:
root     dovecot     5846   25* unix stream 0x400024f6000 <->  
0x40002514500
root     dovecot     5846   26 pipe 0x4000d439d10 state:
root     dovecot     5846   27* unix stream 0x4000250bb00 <->  
0x400024f6280
root     dovecot     5846   28 pipe 0x4000d438c10 state:
root     dovecot     5846   30 pipe 0x4000d439a90 state:
root     dovecot     5846   31 pipe 0x4000d439c10 state:
root     dovecot     5846   32 pipe 0x4000d439790 state:
root     dovecot     5846   33 pipe 0x4000d6c7700 state:
root     dovecot     5846   34 pipe 0x4000d439610 state:
root     dovecot     5846   35* unix stream 0x4000251ef00 <->  
0x4000250ba80
root     dovecot     5846   37* unix stream 0x40002516300 <->  
0x4000250c080
root     dovecot     5846   38 pipe 0x4000d438a10 state:
root     dovecot     5846   39 pipe 0x4000d6c7400 state:
root     dovecot     5846   40 pipe 0x4000d6c6e00 state:
root     dovecot     5846   41 pipe 0x4000d439910 state:
root     dovecot     5846   42 pipe 0x4000d439c90 state:
root     dovecot     5846   43 pipe 0x4000d439990 state:
root     dovecot     5846   44 pipe 0x4000d6c7c80 state:
root     dovecot     5846   45 pipe 0x4000d438a90 state:
root     dovecot     5846   46 pipe 0x4000d6c7a80 state:
root     dovecot     5846   47 pipe 0x4000d6c7280 state:
root     dovecot     5846   50 pipe 0x4000d6c6f00 state:
root     dovecot     5846   53* unix stream 0x40002423a80 <->  
0x4000233a500
root     dovecot     5846   57 pipe 0x4000d439a10 state: