Path: utzoo!utstat!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen
From: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr)
Newsgroups: news.software.b
Subject: Re: Dynamic "smart" expiration?
Message-ID: <334@sixhub.UUCP>
Date: 28 Dec 89 04:00:29 GMT
References: <1989Dec27.033817.9953@smsc.sony.com>
Reply-To: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen)
Organization: *IX Public Access UNIX, Schenectady NY
Lines: 32


  I set my threshold quite high and leave a good bit of space when I
stop uncompressing news. On a regular basis I check the space in the
spool partition and if it is getting tight enter a loop like so:

	read the expiration (-e) time for high volume and
	low usefulness groups

	read the names of the groups in these categories

	while `not enough space' and `expiration > 0'

	  expire the high volume groups

	  expire the high noise groups (ie. alt.flame, etc)

	  decrease the expiration time by one day

	  check the space again

	# end loop

  Since this doesn't happen very often, and the expire can make space
faster than news can come in (this is the trick), I have no problems.
The check usually runs about 700ms of CPU when all is normal, so I hit
it every half hour. It's inefficient when it starts working, but once or
twice a month I can stand it.
-- 
	bill davidsen - sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX
davidsen@sixhub.uucp		...!uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen

"Getting old is bad, but it beats the hell out of the alternative" -anon