The idea is this:

- Linux server already installed (Gentoo dist, upto date) – if necessary we prefer not to change this as our admins are already familiar with the environment.
- Web/MySQL servers running to run the PHP Mailer software backend.
- Mailer software can be configured to use sendmail style calls or SMTP calls for mail sending.
- What we need:
o Configure an MTA (we don't have a preference at this point. We have some experience with qmail, but are not fanatics we just want the best send performance).
o Optimize the machine for sending speed.
o We need a way to measure the throughput as well as indicate bottlenecks in memory, cpu, network, etc.
o Optimize MTA settings for DNS, SPF, SenderID, DomainKeys and DKIM on server for efficient sending to all major email servers such as Yahoo, hotmail, AOL, etc
o This server will handle multiple domains as we occasionally send for clients. What is required? Add a reference to our mail server on clients DNS MX? Etc…
- Finally, we would like a script/guide to follow in order to configure other future servers.
- This server does not receive any e-mail, it only sends out mailing lists for our clients...


Current performance is about 15-20 emails/second on out-of-the-box configs with minimal tweaks. We are looking for something significant over this. This is on modern hardware with lots of bandwidth. Hopefully with the rporting that will be setup any bottlenecks can be pinpointed easily.

Access will be given to the machine by SSH to the person who will do the job. You must access through a VPN (web based client for Windows or OSX Leopard or downloadable client - fyi it is a checkpoint vpn)

Please read carefully the job description and send us an idea of your past experiences and how you plan on tackling each of the items in the listing (eg: what dist are you planning on keeping/installing? What MTA - if possible with main reasons for choice? etc, etc).

Some ppl have asked, we are currently using ActiveCampaign's 12All e-mail marketing system, although if there is something much better we are willing to look into it. We might end up scrapping it all and using our own in-house system which was developped over the last 3 years, but nonetheless still stumbles on the same sending limit of the MTA...

We also have a timelimit for this and would like it to be done within the next 10 days or so, so please bid only if you can deliver this relatively quickly. thanks
PLEASE NOTE:
WE DO NOT WANT EMAIL HARVESTING, PLEASE DO NOT OFFER SUCH SERVICES!!!!! Also, we need to have a tune-up of the MTA system, not a suggestion of other e-mail marketing systems, this will not solve the problem with is the underslying sending mechanism of the OS.

Using a third party relay is not an option due to cost, we have bandwidth and machine to do our own sends, please only respond if you have experience configuring and tuning linux e-mail servers. Other platforms (such as windows) is not an option!