Postfix integration

Our Postfix integration helps you construct a complete picture of your mail server's performance. Our Postfix integration makes use of our infrastructure monitoring 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.

Install the infrastructure agent

To get data into New Relic, install our infrastructure agent. Our infrastructure agent collects and ingests data so you can keep track of your mail server's performance. The version should be 1.10.7 or higher to support NRI-Flex integration.

You can install the infrastructure agent two different ways:

Our guided install is a CLI tool that inspects your system and installs the infrastructure agent alongside the application monitoring agent that best works for your system. To learn more about how our guided install works, check out our Guided install overview.
If you'd rather install our infrastructure agent manually, you can follow a tutorial for manual installation for Linux, Windows, or macOS.

Export Postfix data

Use pflogsumm to export your Postfix metrics. Pflogsumm is a log analyzer for Postfix agent and designed to provide an overview of Postfix activity, with just enough detail to give the administrator a "heads up" for potential trouble spots.

Follow these steps to use pflogsumm.

Run the following command to use pflogsumm:
bash
```
$wget https://jimsun.linxnet.com/downloads/pflogsumm-1.1.3.tar.gz
```
Extract the downloaded file.
bash
```
$tar xvf pflogsumm-1.1.3.tar.gz
```
Navigate to the pflogsumm folder.
bash
```
$cd pflogsumm-*.*.*
```
Copy the pflogsumm.pl file to the path /usr/local/bin/pflogsumm :
bash
```
$sudo cp pflogsumm.pl  /usr/local/bin/pflogsumm
```

Configure NRI-Flex for Postfix

Flex comes bundled with the New Relic infrastructure agent. To create a flex configuration file follow these steps:

Create a file named postfix-flex-config.yml in this path:
bash
```
$/etc/newrelic-infra/integrations.d
```
Update the file postfix-flex-config.yml with these configurations:
- EVENT_TYPE: You can consider EVENT_TYPE as a New Relic database table that you can query using NRQL.
- COMMAND: This contains the command which is used to print metrics on the terminal.
Once your configuration file is updated, it will look like 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(.*.)

Forward your Postfix logs to New Relic

You can use our log forwarding to forward Postfix logs to New Relic.

On Linux machines, your log file named logging.yml should be present in this path:

bash

$/etc/newrelic-infra/logging.d/

After creating the log file, add the following script to the logging.yml file:

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

Restart the New Relic infrastructure agent

Before you can start reading your data, use the instructions in our infrastructure agent docs to restart your infrastructure agent.

bash

$sudo systemctl restart newrelic-infra.service

In couple of minutes, your application will send metrics to one.newrelic.com.

Monitor your application

You can choose our pre-built dashboard template named Postfix to monitor your Postfix application metrics. Follow these steps to use our pre-built dashboard template:

Go to one.newrelic.com and click on + Add data.
Click on the Dashboards tab.
In the search box, type Postfix.
When you see our pre-build dashboard, click on it to install it in your account.

Your Postfix dashboard is considered a custom dashboard and can be found in the Dashboards UI. For docs on using and editing dashboards, see our dashboard docs.

Here is a NRQL query to view your latest message record's status:

SELECT * 
FROM PostfixGrandTotals

Here is a NRQL query to view your per-hour message records:

SELECT * 
FROM PostfixMessagePerHourReport

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.

Install the infrastructure agent

Export Postfix data

Download `pflogsumm`

Run `pflogsumm` commands to get the Postfix metrics

Configure NRI-Flex for Postfix

Forward your Postfix logs to New Relic

Restart the New Relic infrastructure agent

Monitor your application

What's next?

Postfix integration

Install the infrastructure agent .css-21sua1{background:none;border:none;width:0;padding:0;}

Export Postfix data

Run pflogsumm commands to get the Postfix metrics

Configure NRI-Flex for Postfix

Forward your Postfix logs to New Relic

Restart the New Relic infrastructure agent

Monitor your application

What's next?

Install the infrastructure agent

Run `pflogsumm` commands to get the Postfix metrics