PMDF System Manager's Guide
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qtop

Display the most frequently occurring envelope From:, Subject:, or message content fields found in message files in the channel queues.

Syntax

pmdf qtop [channel]

Command Qualifiers Defaults
-content=offset-specifier None
-database -database
-directory_tree -database
-env_from=offset-specifier None
-min_count=n -min_count=2
-subject=offset-specifier -subject=(START=1,LENGTH=2147483647)
-threads=n -nothreads
-top=n -top=20
-verbose -noverbose

restrictions

On UNIX, privileges sufficient to read files in the PMDF channel queue directory tree, as well as read the PMDF queue cache database, are required.

Parameters

channel

Optional parameter which specifies a specific PMDF channel area to be scanned for string frequencies. * or ? wildcard characters may be used in the channel specification.

Description

Display the most frequently occurring envelope From:, Subject:, or message content fields found in message files in the channel queues. By default, only Subject: fields are shown (-subject). Use -env_from to display frequent envelope From: fields or -content to display frequent message contents. Any combination of -content, -env_from, and -subject may be specified. However, only one of each may be used.

The optional channel parameter restricts the scan to message files in the specified channel. The channel parameter may use * and ? wild cards.

By default, the top 20 most frequently occurring fields are shown (-top=20) provided that they occur 2 or more times (-min_count=2). Use the -top and -min_count qualifiers to alter this behavior. Also by default, only message files identified by the queue cache database are scanned (-database). Use the -directory_tree qualifier to instead scan all message files actually present in the channel queue directory tree.

The -threads qualifier may be used to accelerate scanning on multiprocessor systems by dividing the work amongst multiple, simultaneously running threads. To run n simultaneous scanning threads, specify -threads=n. The value N must be in the range 1-8. The default is -nothreads.

The -content, -env_from, and -subject qualifiers accept the optional qualifiers start=n and length=n. These qualifiers indicate the starting offset and number of bytes in the field to consider. The defaults are

Use of these qualifiers is useful when, for example, trying to identify occurrences of a spam message which uses random text at the start of the Subject: line.

Command Qualifiers

-content[=of fset-specifier]

-env_from[=o ffset-specifier]

-subject[=of fset-specifier]

The -content, -env_from, and -subject qualifiers are used to specify which frequently occurring fields should be displayed. By default, only Subject: fields are shown (-subject). Use -env_from to display frequent envelope From: fields or -content to display frequent message contents. Any combination of -content, -env_from, and -subject may be specified. However, only one of each may be used. The -content, -env_from, and -subject qualifiers accept the optional qualifiers START=n and LENGTH=n. These qualifiers indicate the starting offset and number of bytes in the field to consider. The defaults are Use of these qualifiers is useful when, for example, trying to identify occurrences of a spam message which uses random text at the start of the Subject: line.

-database (default)

-directory_tree

The -database qualifier, the default, specifies that only message files identified by the queue cache database be searched. Use the -directory_tree qualifier to instead search all message files actually present in the channel queue directory tree.

-min_count=n

By default, a string must occur at least 2 times, -min_count=2, in order to be displayed.

-threads=n

-threads (default)

The -threads qualifier may be used to accelerate searching on multiprocessor systems by dividing the work amongst multiple, simultaneously running threads. To run n simultaneous searching threads, specify -threads=n. The value n must be an integer in the range 1-8. The default is -nothreads.

-top=n

By default, the top 20 most frequently occurring fields are shown, (-top=20).

-verbose

-noverbose (default)

The -verbose qualifier may be used to request that the utility print out information about what it is doing as it operates.

EXAMPLES

#1 

# pmdf qtop -subject -env_from
%QM-I-QCLISTING, building a list of message files to scan from 
                 the queue cache 
%QM-I-SCANNING, scanning 73 message files 
%QM-I-SCANNED, scanned 73 message files in 0.5600 seconds 
               (130.36 messages/second) 
Top 20 Envelope From: addresses which occur 2 or more times 
 Count  Envelope From: address 
======  ====================================================================== 
    27 
    10  owner-ex-list@example.com 
     2  owner-test-list@example.com 
 
Top 20 Subject: header lines which occur 2 or more times 
 Count  Subject 
======  ====================================================================== 
     6  Re: your ex-list posting 
     2  Test posting to test-list

The above UNIX example shows displaying the most frequently occurring Subject: and envelope From: addresses amongst messages in the PMDF queue area.

#2 

C:\> pmdf qtop -subject=START=12 -min_count=15
%QM-I-QCLISTING, building a list of message files to scan from 
                 the queue cache 
%QM-I-SCANNING, scanning 73 message files 
%QM-I-SCANNED, scanned 73 message files in 0.5600 seconds 
               (130.36 messages/second) 
Top 20 Subject: header lines which occur 15 or more times 
 Count  Subject 
======  ====================================================================== 
    25  ake money fast $$$

The above NT example shows displaying the most frequently occuring Subject: lines that occur 20 times or more, starting from 12 characters into the Subject: header value. This may be useful when trying to spot spam that inserts random characters at the beginning of the Subject: header value.

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