return_job and the difference between imsimta view database | directory

I have a large disparity in the number of messages my mta reports it has 
to deliver.  tcp_local thinks that
the oldest mail on the filesystem has an internal date of Sep 15.  
However, the database says everything is current.
Sometimes, I can do a read on these old files, other times the messages 
do not exist on the filesystem.

This leads me to believe return_job is not doing its job, but after 
turning on RETURN_DEBUG=1 in the option.dat
file I get:
Inquiring job_controller for messages requiring notification...
All messages requiring notification at this time processed.

The defaults for all my channels include:
!
! part II : channel blocks
!
defaults logging notices 1 2 3 4 nowarnpost nosendpost postheadonly 
noswitchchannel immnonurgent maxjobs 7

So I should have no mail older than 4 days.  Out of my 30+ mtas's only 3 
of my heavy duty mta's "appear" to keep get rid of all mail and bounces 
after 4 days.  The rest need manual intervention.


It is believed these "nonexistent" and "undying" messages affect the 
performance of my mta's regardless of what the database believes it has 
to work with.  Which view is telling the truth and why doesn't 
return_job kill the seemingly old files?  Any ideas would be greatly 
appreciated.

Donald Richardson
Verizon Messaging

./imsimta version
Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 6.2-6.01 (built Apr  3 2006)
libimta.so 6.2-6.01 (built 11:20:35, Apr  3 2006)
SunOS vms169121 5.9 Generic_118558-39 sun4u sparc SUNW,Sun-Fire-V890

Below is a summary command for view directory, then view database, after 
a complete restart of the system.

qm.maint> sum
                                               Messages
                        Channel  Queued   Size (Kb)   Oldest
-------------------------------- -------- ----------- -----------------
                      tcp_yahoo      11      119.63   15 Oct, 18:55:56
                   tcp_netscape       0        0.00
                        tcp_msn       0        0.00
                      tcp_local   73701   2879407.01   15 Sep, 05:27:24
               tcp_lmtp_resst9v       0        0.00
              tcp_lmtp_resst91v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst8v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst5v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst4v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst3v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst2v       0        0.00
             tcp_lmtp_resst236v       1        2.66   17 Oct, 11:06:04
               tcp_lmtp_resst1v       0        0.00
             tcp_lmtp_resst190v       5       32.11   17 Oct, 11:06:04
             tcp_lmtp_resst189v       3      335.44   17 Oct, 11:06:04
             tcp_lmtp_resst188v       5       40.51   17 Oct, 11:06:04
             tcp_lmtp_resst187v       0        0.00
             tcp_lmtp_resst186v       2       33.36   17 Oct, 11:06:04
             tcp_lmtp_resst185v       3     1269.22   17 Oct, 11:06:04
          tcp_lmtp_resst168063v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168061v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168025v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168023v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168021v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168019v       1        2.94   17 Oct, 11:06:04
          tcp_lmtp_resst168015v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168013v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168011v       3       36.18   17 Oct, 11:06:04
          tcp_lmtp_resst168009v       0        0.00
             tcp_lmtp_resst166v       3       30.18   17 Oct, 11:06:04
             tcp_lmtp_resst165v       0        0.00
              tcp_lmtp_resst12v       0        0.00
              tcp_lmtp_resst11v       0        0.00
              tcp_lmtp_resst10v       0        0.00
                   tcp_intranet       2       13.44   17 Oct, 10:21:00
                    tcp_hotmail       0        0.00
                      tcp_gmail       0        0.00
                  tcp_earthlink       4      445.10   14 Oct, 05:23:48
                        tcp_aol       0        0.00
                      reprocess     182    17904.18   12 Oct, 01:30:20
                        process      15       97.53   17 Oct, 11:06:00
                           hold       0        0.00
-------------------------------- -------- ----------- -----------------
                         Totals   73941   2899769.50
qm.maint> view database
View set to database
qm.maint> sum
                                               Messages
                        Channel  Queued   Size (Kb)   Oldest
-------------------------------- -------- ----------- -----------------
                      tcp_yahoo       3       27.00   17 Oct, 11:05:03
                   tcp_netscape       0        0.00
                        tcp_msn       0        0.00
                      tcp_local   13851   340221.00   17 Oct, 09:32:56
               tcp_lmtp_resst9v       0        0.00
              tcp_lmtp_resst91v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst8v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst5v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst4v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst3v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst2v       0        0.00
             tcp_lmtp_resst236v       0        0.00
               tcp_lmtp_resst1v       0        0.00
             tcp_lmtp_resst190v       5       58.00   17 Oct, 11:07:05
             tcp_lmtp_resst189v       0        0.00
             tcp_lmtp_resst188v       2      271.00   17 Oct, 11:07:04
             tcp_lmtp_resst187v       1        6.00   17 Oct, 11:07:04
             tcp_lmtp_resst186v       8      116.00   17 Oct, 11:07:04
             tcp_lmtp_resst185v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168063v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168061v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168025v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168023v       1        7.00   17 Oct, 11:07:05
          tcp_lmtp_resst168021v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168019v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168015v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168013v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168011v       0        0.00
          tcp_lmtp_resst168009v       0        0.00
             tcp_lmtp_resst166v       1      990.00   17 Oct, 11:07:05
             tcp_lmtp_resst165v      18      508.00   17 Oct, 11:07:04
              tcp_lmtp_resst12v       0        0.00
              tcp_lmtp_resst11v       0        0.00
              tcp_lmtp_resst10v       0        0.00
                   tcp_intranet       0        0.00
                    tcp_hotmail       1       39.00   17 Oct, 11:07:04
                      tcp_gmail       0        0.00
                  tcp_earthlink       0        0.00
                        tcp_aol       0        0.00
                      reprocess       0        0.00
                        process       6      115.00   17 Oct, 11:06:55
                           hold       0        0.00
-------------------------------- -------- ----------- -----------------
                         Totals   13897   342358.00
qm.maint>