[Dovecot] auth process(es)

[Thomas Hummel]

Hello Timo,

I've got some questions about dovecot-auth processes which I cannot
answer just by reading the doc :

[ Note : my problem is that I often see 

   dovecot: pop3-login: Can't connect to auth server at default: Connection refused

and I'm looking for a way to tweak dovecot.conf parameters to allow more login <-> auth connections

]
 
  - I'm not sure I get the auth worker process concept right : is
    there a master dovecot-auth which listens to new incoming connections
    from login processes and fork/exec the real job of authenticating
    against the pass/userdbs to a child, called an auth worker ?

  - is it safe to increment the number of auth processes (the 'count'
    parameter in the auth block (auth_default { ...} for instance) ?

  - my understanding is that login processes communicate with auth
    processes through a unix type socket (named 'default') :

    can I create a second auth block in dovecot.conf (for instance
    'aut extra {...}') in addition to the existing 'auth default {...}'
    one ? would it create an second unix socket and thus allowing a heavier 
    login processes load ?

    what would be the difference between that and, say, changing the
    'count' parameter to '2' in the 'auth default' section ?

thanks.

-- 
Thomas Hummel 	    | Institut Pasteur
<hummel at pasteur.fr> | Pôle informatique - systèmes et réseau