PMDF System Manager's Guide
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top

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

Syntax

top [channel]

Command Qualifiers Defaults
-content=offset-specifier None
-database See text
-directory_tree See text
-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

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. The message files scanned may be either all those present in the channel queue directory tree, or only those files with entries in the queue cache database. Use either the view command or the -directory_tree or -database qualifier to control which files are scanned.

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

-directory_tree

Controls whether the message files scanned are only those with entries in the queue cache database, -database, or all message files actually present in the channel queue directory tree, -directory_tree. When neither -database nor -directory_tree is specified, then the "view" selected with the view command will be used. If no view command has been issued, then -directory_tree is assumed.

-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 

qm.maint> top -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/secon 
d) 
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 

qm.maint> top -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/secon 
d) 
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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