vBouncer: reduce server load by unsubscribing bouncing members from threads

vBouncer is a handy tool for busy forums (or those that do not require email verification) to control the amounts of bogus emails sent from and to your server.

What vBouncer does: vBouncer monitors your mail spool file, and identifies members responsible for large amounts of bounced emails. It then issues a PM warning, and when the unsubscribe threshold is met, it will will unsubscribe them for all threads, and sets them to the "no email" subscription level.

After a couple of runs, this should significantly reduce your server load.

Features:
o Manual or auto processing option
o Collect logs via IMAP/POP or mail spool file
o Custom filters to match patterns in bounced emails
o Uses vB's cron files (Scheduled tasks)
o Uses encrypted header for authentication (suggested by Paul M).
o Stats on members with bouncing emails, and error codes
o Tuning options
o Verbose cron logs for diagnostics
o Option to send PM warning prior to reaching the limit
o Option to send PM notifications after reaching the limit
o Option to change the member's subscription default
o Option to all thread subscriptions to "no email"
o Option to all forum subscriptions to "no email"
o Option to move offenders to a different primary usergroup
o Option to process 5.0.0/550 errors (email unknown) upon a single email, isntead of observing the bounce limit

Installation:
1. Extract the files into the corresponding directories (admincp => admincp, includes => includes)
2. Run the installation script in the admincp
3. Fill out the settings menu in the vBouncer section of the admin panel (see the how-to post below)
4. Import and activate the plugin file through the plugin manager.
5. Once ready, add the cron scripts to your scheduled tasks: vbouncer-collect.php (should be run daily, or more frequently) and vbouncer-clean.php (weekly, equal to Bounce limit period)
6. If you are using vB's SMTP email option, make sure to also enable the "-f" option.

Change log:

- August 12, 2005 v1.3 Update to the cron files to match new changes in vB's cron/tasks. To upgrade, just re-upload the contents of includes/cron.

- July 11, 2005 v1.2 Bug fix for some server/PHP setups; resolve aliases for return keys, otherwise some aliases would be considered forged.

- July 5, 2005 v1.1 Bug fix in standard report pattern matching

- July 4, 2005 v1.0 Added encrypted header for authentication (suggested by Paul M).

- July 3, 2005 v0.9.1 fixed a bug preventing IMAP/POP log collection.

- July 2, 2005 v0.9 added IMAP/POP option and custom filters file vbouncer.ini

- June 27, 2005 v0.5 Added custom header setting option, for re-written headers.

- June 26, 2005 v0.4 Found a way to make it work as a plugin, without code edits (thanks to Paul M)

- June 26, 2005 v0.3 No changes, just removed the plugin

- June 25, 2005 v0.2 Added NDR/Reply code errors to stats, and option to act upon 5.0.0/550 (user unknown)

- June 21, 2005: v 0.1 Initial release. Marked beta, but it's working fine on PostFix and SendMail. Need to hear from those who tried on QMail and Exim

[COBRAws]

will give it a shot. Nice hack

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by merk

I will be using this on a live system when a qmail system has been tested.

I am willing to provide a server to test it on, if needs be.

We need a QMail system with someone who knows how to admin it Check this thread for more details:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=83407

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by Zachery

Seems like this saves on resources like bandwidth and storage, rather than server load...

Both actually. But server load problems are harder to solve than bandwidth. Consider having many threads with thousands of subscribers in the instant email mode. This will spike your server on new replies. But it doesn't hurt that it also saves bandwidth

Also this does not seem too applicable to users who are in a shared hosting enviroment...

Correct. As stated, it is for busy forums. However, it can run in a shared/virtual environment, if the host can move your mail storage to your space (some control panels do that). For Sendmail and PostFix, this is as easy as a symlink.

[Zachery]

Originally Posted by tamarian

Both actually. But server load problems are harder to solve than bandwidth. Consider having many threads with thousands of subscribers in the instant email mode. This will spike your server on new replies. But it doesn't hurt that it also saves bandwidth



Correct. As stated, it is for busy forums. However, it can run in a shared/virtual environment, if the host can move your mail storage to your space (some control panels do that). For Sendmail and PostFix, this is as easy as a symlink.

Hmm, thats what I thought, I'll be checking into it for cpanel, as I already got a request from one of my custers for it

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by Zachery

Hmm, thats what I thought, I'll be checking into it for cpanel, as I already got a request from one of my custers for it

Please post any tips and hints from your experience here:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=83407

My plan is to compile a list of steps on the various setups to spool emails of one account to a file, and update post #3 with it.

[-=Sniper=-]

could I use this so if I send out emails to users awaiting confirmation any bounces would go to the same account so they can be moved deleted etc with vBouncer.

[Spinball]

Well done tamarian - it's on the way to answering the request in this thread
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91176
May I suggest the possibility of analysing the emails to determine those with permanent errors so those members can be moved to the 'awaiting email activation' group after just 1 bounced email?

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by -=Sniper=-

could I use this so if I send out emails to users awaiting confirmation any bounces would go to the same account so they can be moved deleted etc with vBouncer.

You mean from the admin panel email form? That email form asks you to enter the "From" field, and it fills it with the webmaster email by default. If you enter the vBouncer email instead, then it should work, as this will automatically form the "Return-Path" with the vBouncer email address.

So it seems to work by accedent as I have not thought of this when I wrote it.

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by Spinball

Well done tamarian - it's on the way to answering the request in this thread
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91176
May I suggest the possibility of analysing the emails to determine those with permanent errors so those members can be moved to the 'awaiting email activation' group after just 1 bounced email?

You mean:

1. identify and store the error codes/status of the bounces
2. Allow specific actions to be taken against emails generating specific error codes, regardless of not reaching the allowed bounce tolerance limit

I like your ideas

[-=Sniper=-]

yes thats what I mean! I guess thats a extra free feature.

Because some users register thinking they don't have to confirm, so they never validate the account. This could solve the issue where much.

Originally Posted by tamarian

You mean from the admin panel email form? That email form asks you to enter the "From" field, and it fills it with the webmaster email by default. If you enter the vBouncer email instead, then it should work, as this will automatically form the "Return-Path" with the vBouncer email address.

So it seems to work by accedent as I have not thought of this when I wrote it.