MX error message

[Robert McGraw]

1) I am having some problems with DNS/MX and sendmail and I would like you
to look
over my setup to be sure that I have the DNS part set correctly.

2) My goal is to have all mail go through mailrelay to be scanned for spam
and
viruses and then relayed  on to our mail server.



         WAN
          ^
          |
          |
          |
         \ /
    mailrelay ------------->smtpserver
         / \
          |
          |
          |
         LAN

I want all mail to be sent to mailrelay, checked and the relayed on to the
smtpserver. But if mailrelay is down I would like mail to be sent to
mailhost
directly.


The smtpserver has several virtual address

The smtpserver has it real name and several virtual IP addresses

   gauss.dept.univ.edu r
   mailhost.dept.univ.edu v
   ptmshost.dept.univ.edu v

   HOSTINFO

   100.200.3.11    gauss.dept.univ.edu
   100.200.3.12    mailhost.dept.univ.edu dept.univ.edu
   100.200.3.183   mailrelay.dept.univ.edu

   DNS INFO
   $ORIGIN univ.edu.
   dept   3600    IN  SOA nomenclator.cc.univ.edu. hostmaster.ns.univ.edu. (
     270 10800 3600 3600000 86400 )
     3600    IN  NS  ns.univ.edu.
     3600    IN  A   100.200.3.12
     3600    IN  MX  30 mailrelay.dept.univ.edu.
     3600    IN  MX  50 mailhost.dept.univ.edu.
   $ORIGIN dept.univ.edu.
   gauss 3600    IN  A   100.200.3.XX
      3600    IN  MX  30 mailrelay.dept.univ.edu.
      3600    IN  MX  50 mailhost.dept.univ.edu.
   mailhost    3600    IN  A   100.200.3.12
      3600    IN  MX  30 mailrelay.dept.univ.edu.
   mailrelay   3600    IN  A   100.200.3.183
   allotherhosts 3600    IN  A   100.200.3.XX
      3600    IN  MX  30 mailrelay.dept.univ.edu.
      3600    IN  MX  50 mailhost.dept.univ.edu.


I have the virutal address to make it easier for the users and myself if I
need to
move the mail server to another host in case there is a problem with the
host
gauss.

I have all my hosts set up the same what as "allhost" i.e. they have the two
MX
records.


Here is an example of the error message that I am getting.
The original message was received at Tue, 21 Oct 2003 07:26:02 -0500 (EST)
from mailrelay.dept.univ.edu [100.200.3.183]

----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors ----- 
look at xxx.lonestar.org

(reason: 553 5.3.5 system config error)

(expanded from: look at dept.univ.edu)

----- Transcript of session follows -----

553 5.3.5 mailrelay.dept.univ.edu. config error: mail loops back to me (MX
problem?) 554 5.3.5 Local configuration error


QUESTIONS:

1) Is my DNS setup correct? If not please pass on suggestions.

2) I have dept.univ.edu set as an aliases to mailhost.dept.univ.edu. Is this
ok?

3) What could be causing the "Local configuration error"

I have searched google and have made changes but things still get these
messages.

thanks

Robert