Problems with Sun MX sendmail

[mb at rex.cs.tulane.edu]

I have recently observed some inconsistent behavior of sendmail on Suns
around our campus.  This is apparently related to interaction with a
Pyramid system (REX) which serves as the nameserver for most of the Suns
on campus.  REX does not run Yellow Pages, but is accessed by the Suns
because they have REX listed in their resolv.conf file.

Each Sun has the following line in their sendmail.cf file.

R$*<@$*$%y>$*           $#ether $@$3 $:$1@$2$3$4        user at this-host

The way I understand this line, it will recognize any host identified in
the Yellow Pages.  However, on our CS subnet, this line recognizes any
host listed in the YPs PLUS any host listed in REX's nameserver database
(i.e, any host actually loaded into the nameserver cache when named starts
up).  REX is on the CS subnet.

The Math subnet has a different YP server with a different set of hosts,
but also uses REX as its nameserver.  On that subnet, the sendmail line
above recognizes only those hosts listed in REX's nameserver database;  it
fails to recognize hosts listed only in the Math YPs.  However, for use
with utilities like rlogin, the YP information is found without any
problems, so I know that the hosts file is being accurately loaded into
the YPs.

Additional information:  the Suns involved all run SunOS 4.0.3 with the
Sun3 MX version of sendmail which is available at UUNET.

Any ideas why sendmail on the Suns on the Math subnet ignore their local YP?

Mark