Copyright: IMS-PRO Help File © 1995-1996 EUCS


Contents
Table of Contents

Introduction

Overview

Features

System Requirements

Mail Clients

Procedures

Configuration Checklist

Setting the Startup Configuration

Reference

Console Reference

DNS Overview

Known Problems

Troubleshooting Procedure

Frequently Asked Questions

Protocol Specifications

Index

Glossary


Overview

IMS is an Internet Mail Server for Windows NT.  It allows your computer to communicate with other mail servers on the Internet to send and receive e-mail

IMS is 100% compliant with Internet mail standards.  It implements the SMTP specification.

IMS provides mail routing capabilities.  It can act as a staging post for mail destined for another host.  This is useful for creating an e-mail proxy server.

IMS supports virtual domains.  You can configure a single IMS server to send and receive mail for multiple domains.

IMS consists of the following components:

•	SMTP Receiver Service

This component listens for incoming mail and stores it for processing by the Delivery Service.

•	SMTP Delivery Service

This is the core of IMS. It delivers mail addressed to local users into their incoming mailbox and sends other mail out onto the Internet. It uses MX records from your DNS server for routing mail. It also supports Aliases and Mail Lists.

•	Management Console

This program allows you to configure and manage the IMS server.


Features

•	RFC standard compliant Extended SMTP and POP3 servers.

•	Full support for 7-bit and 8-bit MIME messages.

•	Advanced Windows 32-bit architecture throughout.

•	Multi-threaded to take advantage of multi-processor platforms.

•	Full Multi-domain support for receiving mail.

•	Comprehensive logging for error detection.


System Requirements

The minimum system requirements for IMS are:

•	16M RAM.

•	Windows NT for Intel version 3.51 workstation or server, or

•	Windows NT for Intel version 4.0 workstation or server.

•	10mb Hard Disk space.

•	TCP/IP transport installed and working.

•	DNS client installed and working.


Mail Clients

IMS works with Industry Standard POP3 mail clients.  There are many POP3 mail clients on the market.  This section lists a few clients that work perfectly with IMS.

Eudora Light v1.4.4 for Windows

The original and basic Freeware POP3 mail client.  Eudora Light does not require any special settings for IMS.  Surprisingly, you can change your IMS password with it's Change Password support.

Eudora Pro v2.2 for Windows and Windows 95

The commercial version of Eudora Light.  Eudora Pro does not require any special settings for IMS.  It provides the most functionality of any POP3 client, including APOP and UIDL support together with Change Password capabilities.

Pegasus v2.4 for Windows 95 and Windows 3.1

A popular Freeware POP3 client from New Zealand.  Pegasus does not require any special settings for IMS.  It does not include Change Password support nor the APOP command.  It does support the UIDL command to leave mail on the server.

Microsoft Exchange v4.0 for Windows 95 & NT,

Microsoft Windows Messaging v4.0 for Windows 95 & NT

Now what was that called again?  Windows Messaging, formally known as Exchange Client, works very well with IMS.  You will need to install the Internet Mail connector.  This is automatically installed on Windows NT 4.0.  It is automatically installed if you install Microsoft Internet Explorer on Windows 95.  Alternatively, you can install it from the Windows 95 Plus Pack.

Microsoft Internet Explorer v3.0 for Windows 95 & NT

Another basic POP3 mail client is packaged with the Internet Explorer.  It is called Internet Mail.  This client supports UIDL but does not support APOP.  No special configuration is required for IMS.


Configuration Checklist

Go through the following checklist before attempting to send and receive mail through IMS:

Server Configuration

•	Do the mail directories exist and are the access rights correct on NT?

If Not:  Run the IMS Console program and select the Directories page.  Run File Manager or the Windows Explorer and check the Security Permissions for the root directory and for each subdirectory.

•	Are the services running?

If Not:  Run the IMS Console program and select the Services page.  Start all of the services.

•	Can you ping the name of your server from your mail client?

If Not:  Run the Control Panel and check the Network: TCP/IP settings.


Boot Configuration
Setting the Startup Configuration

The initial boot configuration for IMS is manual startup.  You can change this setting after installation through the Windows NT control panel:

Windows NT

Select the Control Panel icon, then the Services icon.  This will display the Services form:

IMS consists of two services; SMTP Delivery Agent and SMTP Receiver.   The Status column indicates the current status for each of the services.  The Startup column determines whether the service Automatically starts at boot or is started Manually after boot.  You can change the startup setting for each service by selecting the Startup button.


Connect Page
IMS Console Program

The IMS Console allows you to configure your IMS Engine.

The console is a dialog application which has a number of tabbed pages. Each page controls a different aspect of the IMS engine.

When you start this program the Directories page is displayed.

Directories Page

Logging Page

Domains Page

Aliases Page

Routing Page

Services Page

Retry Page


Directories Tab
IMS Console Program

The program displays several "tabbed" pages.  Each page allows you to enter related configuration information.  Click on the tab for the category that you wish to work with.

Directories Page

You can use this page to configure the working directories for IMS and to assign a postmaster.

When you have finished making changes to the configuration, click on the OK button. The changes will be saved and the new configuration will take effect the next time you start the services. If the services are already running, you must stop and restart them.

Mailbox Directory

Automatically Create Mailbox

Mail Spool Directory

Mail Log Directory

Postmaster


Mailbox Directory

Enter the directory template that you wish to use to spool incoming mail for each user.

The mailbox directory template defines the location of the directories for each mailbox.

A mailbox consists of two things:

•	Mailbox Information which is stored in the Registry, and which you manage using the configuration console through the Mailboxes dialog described later.

•	Mailbox Directory, whose location is determined by the mailbox directory template.

The name of a mailbox directory is formed by substituting the mailbox  name for the %USERNAME% keyword in the directory template.  For instance, if the mailbox directory template is C:\MAILBOX\%USERNAME%, then the mailbox directory for the mailbox called FRED will be C:\MAILBOX\FRED.

The mailbox directory contains a sub-directory called inbox in which incoming mail is stored.  This is referred to as the incoming mail directory for that mailbox.
Under Windows NT,  it is recommended that all mailbox directories are on an NTFS partition.

The default is:     C:\IMS\BOX\%USERNAME%


AutoCreate MailboxDir
Automatically Create Mailbox Directory

Set this field to control whether IMS will automatically create a user's mailbox directory.

If this feature is enabled, then:

•	If a local user does not have a mailbox, then when a message is received IMS will try to create one.

•	If user connects to the POP3 server but does not have a mailbox, IMS will try to create one.

If this feature is disabled, then:

•	If a local user does not have a mailbox, then when a message is received IMS will not deliver the message, and will generate a non-delivery report.

•	If user connects to the POP3 server but does not have a mailbox, IMS will report an error to the user.

It is enabled by default.

Further information on this feature can be found in the section titled How IMS Works.


Mail Spool Directory

Enter the name of a directory that you wish to use as the root of a directory tree which is used as a staging post for messages in transit through the system.

The default is: C:\IMS

IMS will create subdirectories under this directory. For further information refer to the section titled How IMS Works.

Note that it is highly recommended that this directory is on an NTFS partition for Windows NT systems.


Mail Log Directory

Enter the name of a directory that you wish to use to log all operations for IMS.

The default is: C:\IMS\LOGS


Postmaster

Enter the user name of the postmaster for this mail server.  IMS will forward unknown user and error messages to this mailbox.

The default is Administrator.


Logging Server Page
IMS Console Program

The program displays several "tabbed" pages.  Each page allows you to enter related configuration information.  Click on the tab for the category that you wish to work with.

Logging Page - Server Logging

You can use this page to enable and disable logging for different components of IMS.  You can log to the Event Log for some of the options if you are running Windows NT.

When you have finished making changes to the configuration, click on the OK button. The changes will be saved and the new configuration will take effect immediately.

Cycle Log Files

Category Operation Logging

Category Error Logging

Log File

Service Start and Stop

Retry all Domains

Change Configuration


Log Cycle
Cycle Log Files

Select the frequency that you want the server to automatically cycle the log files.   The server retains the old log files by incrementing the extension by one before the current log file is cycled.  For example, log files *.001 are renamed to *.002.


Logging Operation Page
IMS Console Program

The program displays several "tabbed" pages.  Each page allows you to enter related configuration information.  Click on the tab for the category that you wish to work with.

Logging Page - Operation Logging

You can use this page to enable and disable logging for different components of IMS.  You can log to the Event Log for some of the options if you are running Windows NT.

When you have finished making changes to the configuration, click on the OK button. The changes will be saved and the new configuration will take effect immediately.

Cycle Log Files

Category Server Logging

Category Error Logging

Log File

Protocol Exchanges

Received Message Data

Transmitted Message Data

Receive Transaction Summary

Transmit Transaction Summary

Network Connections

DNS Transactions


Logging Error Page
IMS Console Program

The program displays several "tabbed" pages.  Each page allows you to enter related configuration information.  Click on the tab for the category that you wish to work with.

Logging Page - Error Logging

You can use this page to enable and disable logging for different components of IMS.  You can log to the Event Log for some of the options if you are running Windows NT.

When you have finished making changes to the configuration, click on the OK button. The changes will be saved and the new configuration will take effect immediately.

Cycle Log Files

Category Server Logging

Category Operation Logging

Log File

Protocol Command Failures

Authentication Failures

Network I/O Failures

File I/O Failures

DNS Failures


Log File Name

Enter the file name that you wish to use to record data for this Log Category.  IMS will create a log file with this name in the Mail Log Directory.


Log Protocol Failure
Log Protocol Command Failures

Select this option to record SMTP and POP3 protocol failures.  We recommend you enable this option.


Log Authentication
Log Authentication Failures

Select this option to record POP3 user and password authentication failures.  We strongly recommend that you enable this option.


Log Network IO
Log Network I/O Failures

Select this option to record network communication failures.  We recommend you enable this option.


Log File IO
Log File I/O Failures

Select this option to record mail file access failures.  We recommend you enable this option.


Log DNS Failures

Select this option to record information about failed DNS operations.


Log Protocol Ex
Log Protocol Exchanges

Select this option to record all SMTP and POP3 protocol exchanges that IMS makes.  This option produces a large volume of information.  This option should be used to debug problems and has an impact on performance.


Log Receive Data
Log Received Message Data

Select this option to record all incoming SMTP data.  This option produces a large volume of information.  This option should be used to debug problems and has a significant impact on performance.


Log Transmit Data
Log Transmitted Message Data

Select this option to record all outgoing POP3 data.  This option produces a large volume of information.  This option should be used to debug problems and has a significant impact on performance.


Log Receive Summary
Log Receive Transaction Summary

Select this option to record header information for incoming SMTP messages.  This option has an impact on performance.


Log Transmit Summary
Log Transmit Transaction Summary

Select this option to record header information for all outgoing messages.  This option has an impact on performance.


Log Network Conn
Log Network Connections

Select this option to record all network connections made by IMS.  This option produces a large volume of information.  This option should be used to debug problems and has a significant impact on performance.


Log DNS Transactions

Select this option to record all DNS requests made by (and responses received by) IMS.  This option produces a large volume of information.  This option should be used to debug problems and has a significant impact on performance.


Log Service
Log Service Start and Stop

Select this option to record when the mail services are started and stopped.  We recommend you select this option.


Log Retry
Log Retry all Domains

Select this option to make a record when IMS attempts to resend any outgoing mail.  We recommend you select this option.


Log Configuration
Log Configuration Changes

Select this option to record when changes are made to IMS configuration.  We recommend you select this option.


Miscellaneous Page
IMS Console Program

The program displays several "tabbed" pages.  Each page allows you to enter related configuration information.  Click on the tab for the category that you wish to work with.

Domains Page

You can use this page to configure Virtual Domains and miscellaneous items for IMS.

When you have finished making changes to the configuration, click on the OK button. The changes will be saved and the configuration will take effect immediately.

Virtual Domains

Max Message Size

Copy Local Failure Reports to Postmaster

Address Rewriting


Accept Mail For
Virtual Domains

This field allows you to specify a list of domains which IMS will consider to be local.  Thus, if abc.com is in this list, then incoming mail sent to someone@abc.com  will be delivered to local user someone.

Note that the DNS MX record must resolve abc.com  to the TCP/IP address of this server so that other SMTP mail hosts connect to the correct machine.  See the DNS Overview section and the section on Creating Virtual Domains for more information.


Max Message Size

Enter the maximum message size, in bytes, that the SMTP Receiver will accept.  The default is 0, which means that there is no size limit apart from memory and disk constraints.


Copy Postmaster
Copy local failure reports to postmaster

Check this box to copy any local failure reports to the postmaster in addition to the sender.


From Address Rewriting
Address Rewriting

Some mail agents don't send messages with correct From: or To: headers.   Typically, they send the user's name in the header, and expect the mail system to insert the appropriate @domain component.  You can configure IMS to correct this for the To:, From:, Reply-to: and Cc: headers using the radio buttons provided on this page.

None does not rewrite the address header.

The other two options configure IMS to rewrite invalid addresses in one of two styles.


Aliases Page
IMS Console Program

The program displays several "tabbed" pages.  Each page allows you to enter related configuration information.  Click on the tab for the category that you wish to work with.

Aliases Page

You can configure IMS to redirect mail using Aliases. When the server receives a message addressed to a user at one of the local domains, and the mailbox for this user is not defined the server checks the user name against this alias table. If a matching entry is found, the message will be sent instead to the replacement mailbox specified in the table.

When you have finished making changes to the configuration, click on the OK button. The changes will be saved and the new configuration will take effect immediately.

Alias

Address

Import Button

Export Button

Wildcard Aliases

Map Table Order


Alias Field
Alias

Type the Alias you wish to create for the mailbox.  For example; fred would redirect mail addressed to fred@abc.com to the corresponding mailbox Address.

The alias can be a simple user name, as described above, or can be a fully qualified Internet Mail Address.  This is especially useful if you have configured IMS to support multiple domains.   See the section on Creating Virtual Domains for more information.


Address Field
Address

Type the Address to which messages should be sent.  This address could be a local mailbox listed in the Mailboxes page (eg  fred), or it could be a remote user (for example  fred@abc.com).


Import Aliases

The Import button allows you to import aliases from a text file.  The button displays the File Open form:

Locate the text file containing the list of Aliases that you wish to import.  Click on the OK button to import the Aliases.

Each line of the text file should consist of the Alias, followed by a colon, followed by the Address, for example:

jgd: johnd
john*: johnd
jd: johnd
krg: keving
kev*: keving
kg: keving
gg: gregg
greg*: gregg
greg: gregg


Export Aliases

The Export button allows you to export aliases to a text file.  The button displays the File Open form:

Enter the name of text file for exporting the list of Aliases.  Click on the OK Button to export the Aliases.

Each line in the text file will consist of the Alias, followed by a colon, followed by the Address, for example:

jgd: johnd
john*: johnd
jd: johnd
krg: keving
kev*: keving
kg: keving
gg: gregg
greg*: gregg
greg: gregg


Wildcard Aliases

You can specify wildcards in the Alias field. This can be used to redirect mail for all names matching a pattern. For instance, specifying a user name of t*y would match Tony, Tiny, toby, terry, etc. (Note that matching is not case sensitive.)

You can also specify a single wildcard as the first character of the Address field. This will be replaced by the actual user name when the table entry is used. For instance, if the Alias string is f* and the corresponding Address string is *-blue@xyz.com, then a message for fred@abc.com will be redirected to fred-blue@xyz.com.

This feature can be used to redirect all mail for users at this machine to another machine, by specifying an Alias of * and an  Address string of *@tohost.xyz.com.


Map Table Order

The order of entries in the map table is significant. It is processed top-to-bottom, and the first matching entry is used. Thus, specific entries should be positioned near the top of the list, and less specific entries (containing wildcards) towards the end of the list. Use the Up and Down buttons to move entries around.


Routing Page
IMS Console Program

The program displays several "tabbed" pages.  Each page allows you to enter related configuration information.  Click on the tab for the category that you wish to work with.

Routing Page

Normally IMS uses MX records from DNS to decide which host to contact in order to deliver mail for a particular domain.  However, in some circumstances it may be necessary to augment or replace the use of the DNS by manual routing information.  This page allows you to set up a manual routing table.  Refer to the DNS Overview section for more information.

The manual routing table consists of an ordered list of entries which are shown in a scrolling list.  Each entry consists of a domain, a route and a preference.

When you have finished making changes to the configuration, click on the OK button. The changes will be saved and the configuration will take effect immediately.

Domain

Route

Option


Route Domain
Domain

Enter the name of the domain for which a route is being defined.  The domain may include one or more wildcards *, so that for instance a domain of *.abc.com  will match both user@one.abc.com and user@two.abc.com.

Do not use @ symbols in the domain - routing is done purely on the mail domain name not on the user name.


Route Override
Route

Enter the name of the host to which messages for the domain are sent.  This must be the full name of  a host machine, or an IP address.


Route Option

The final component of a routing table entry determines how the manual route relates to the information returned by the DNS.  It can have three values:

•	Force.  The DNS is ignored, and all messages for the domain are sent on the manual route.

•	Default.   The manual route will only be used if the DNS does not return any routing information for the domain.

•	Preference.  The manual route will be merged with the routes returned by the DNS.  You must supply a “preference value” - a positive number which fixes the relative position of the manual route within the list of routes returned by the DNS.

Refer to the DNS Overview section for more information.


Services Page
IMS Console Program

The program displays several "tabbed" pages.  Each page allows you to enter related configuration information.  Click on the tab for the category that you wish to work with.

Services Page

You can start or stop IMS using this page.  The program displays the current status of IMS.  You can start or stop each service by clicking on button next to the service name.  Alternatively you can change the status of all of the services by selecting the button next to All Services.

Stopping the SMTP Delivery Service or the SMTP Receiver Service will prevent IMS from sending and receiving mail.  Stopping the POP3 Service will prevent users from receiving any new mail.

The POP3 service is not available in this configuration.


Retry Page
IMS Console Program

The program displays several "tabbed" pages.  Each page allows you to enter related configuration information.  Click on the tab for the category that you wish to work with.

Retry Page

When the SMTP Delivery Agent attempts to deliver a message to a remote domain, it may encounter a number of problems.  For example, the mail host for that domain may be down or otherwise temporarily inaccessible, or the host may not have enough disk space for the message.

A temporary delay of this nature will not cause the message to be treated as undeliverable.  Instead, SMTPDS will store the message, and try again at some later time.  Eventually, if the message still cannot be transmitted after a reasonable time, it will be treated as undeliverable.

Retry Every X Hours

Warn After Y Days

Fail After Z Days

Retry Now Button


Retry Cycle
Retry Every X hours

A retry is a series of three attempts to contact the destination mail server, separated by 10 minutes.  This series of three attempts will be made every X hours.  (Default 2, min 1, max 24).


Retry Warn
Warn after Y days

If a message has not been delivered for this number of days, a message delayed warning will be sent to the sender. (Default: 2, min 1, max Z)


Retry Fail
Fail after Z days

If a message has not been delivered for this number of days, it is treated as undeliverable and is returned to sender.  (Default: 3, min 1, max 7)


Retry Button

The Retry Now button is useful if your connectivity to the Internet is intermittent - e.g. you are on a dial-up connection.  In such a case, it is unlikely that the dial-up connection will be active at the times convenient for the Retry Schedule.

The Retry Now button will attempt to deliver all queued messages immediately.  You can establish the dial-up link, and then click this button to send the queued mail.

Retries initiated by the Retry Now button don't count as tries for the purposes of the retry schedule.   In other words, the progress of the retry schedule is unaffected by this button.

Note that there is a single retry schedule for all destination domains, but each domain progresses through the schedule independently.


DNS Overview

The Internet is a global network of computers connected using the TCP/IP protocol.  Each computer has a unique numerical TCP/IP address that other computers use to communicate with it.

People find it easier to refer to computers by name.

Domain Name Service (DNS) takes care of this dilemma.  It's sole purpose in life is to translate (or resolve, in technical terminology) TCP/IP addresses to computer names (and  vice-versa).

DNS services run on many computers on the Internet.  DNS is designed so that if a computer is asked to resolve an address and does not know the answer, it will pass the request on to a higher level authority.

Your computer, as a DNS client, will submit resolution requests to DNS servers when you try to connect to Internet sites such as www.ibm.com.  The primary and secondary DNS servers for your computer are entered in numerical format in the Network TCP/IP Settings.

The DNS database on the server contains a number of different mappings of names to addresses, called record types.

The most common, CNAME, is the one that most people think of as DNS. CNAME records are the ones used for resolving WWW and FTP addresses. In general you will find one numeric address for a given host name. For example, the CNAME record for www.ibm.com is:

    165.87.194.133     www.ibm.com

There is a second record type is called Mail eXchange (MX) records.  These records are devoted to the delivery of mail. A MX record for a particular name will have several addresses and priorities. For example, to send e-mail to DEC, you need to use the name dec.com. DEC has the following MX records, each with a different priority number:

    16.1.0.22          inet-gw-2.pa.dec.com   70
    204.123.2.50       mail1.digital.com      80
    16.1.0.33          inet-gw-3.pa.dec.com   90
    16.1.0.23          inet-gw-2.pa.dec.com   100

These records tell mail software where to send the mail and what to do if the first machine is not available. If the mail server inet-gw-2.pa.dec.com is being rebooted, a mail server will send mail to mail1.digital.com or inet-gw-3.pa.dec.com (since these are the entries with the next higher priority in the MX record).

Many destinations do not have MX records. In this case, mail software will attempt to use the CNAME instead.  Mail will be held until it is possible forward if none of these machines are available.

The following points should be noted:

•	It is wise to ask your provider to act as a secondary mail server for you in case your machine becomes unavailable.  For example, your disks could become full, your Internet connection could break, etc.

•	The MX records and CNAME record for the same name could be different (thus one machine receives mail and another machine receives all other traffic).

•	If MX records exist, they MUST be correct otherwise your domain will not receive mail.


Known Problems

Refer to the Release Notes for the latest information about known problems.


Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting Procedure

Whenever you experience problems with IMS we recommend that you follow this step by step procedure:

•	Check TCP/IP Connectivity.

Frequently the problem lies with the TCP/IP connection to the computer.  See the section on TCP/IP Debugging for more information.

•	Check the Server Log File or the Windows NT Event Log.

Look for incidents around the date and time when the problem occurred.  If the problem is associated with a specific mail message, search for the Message ID.

•	Reconfigure the Logging Options using the Logging Page.

Examine the on-line help to determine which logging options would provide relevent information to your problem and enable these options.

•	Reproduce the problem.

•	Re-examine the Server Log File or the Windows NT Event Log

Look for incidents around the date and time when the problem occurred.  If the problem is associated with a specific mail message, search for the Message ID.

•	Troubleshoot the server by following the Telnet Debugging procedure.

Debugging TCP/IP Connections

Debugging with Telnet


TCPIP Debug
Debugging TCP/IP Connections

Frequently the problem lies with the TCP/IP connection to the computer.  Follow this procedure to debug TCP/IP connections to the IMS server.  Use

Problems Receiving Mail

•	Resolve the IP Address

Log on to a remote computer and use the command nslookup to resolve the IP address.  If you log on to a UNIX computer then this command should be available.  If you log on to a NT computer then this command is not standard.  You can get a freeware version by searching the site www.shareware.com.

nslookup version xxxx
Server: 192.153.156.22
> rockliffe.com
> SET TYPE=MX
query type = MX
> rockliffe.com
rockliffe.com.
    0, mail.rockliffe.com.
rockliffe.com.
    10, nic.scruz.net.
> SET TYPE=CNAME
query type = CNAME
> mail.rockliffe.com
mail.rockliffe.com.
    204.147.233.1

In this case the host rockliffe.com does not have a CNAME (since the first query did not return any records.  However rockliffe.com does have two MX records, one of which points to the host mail.rockliffe.com.  A third query for the CNAME record for mail.rockliffe.com reveals that this host has IP address 204.147.233.1.

This is the procedure that external mail servers use to resolve mail addressed to users@rockliffe.com.

Substitute the name of your IMS server for rockliffe.com.

•	PING the Server

Once you have resolved the IP address for your IMS server, you can establish TCP/IP connectivity by pinging the host:

c:\> ping 204.147.233.1

Pinging 204.147.233.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 204.147.233.1: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=32
Reply from 204.147.233.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32
Reply from 204.147.233.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32
Reply from 204.147.233.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32

•	Telnet to the IMS Services

If all of the above steps work, then look at the section on Telnet Debugging for more information.

Problems Sending Mail

If IMS has problems sending mail to one or more remote domains, then follow the procedure above, except:

•	Do it from your IMS server, rather than from a remote computer.

•	Replace rockliffe.com with the name of the problematic domain.


Telnet Debug
Debugging with Telnet

Sometimes mail clients do not display very helpful error messages.  In these situations, it can be helpful to telnet to IMS to check whether the problem lies with the server or the client.

To troubleshoot the POP server from a client, execute the following command:

telnet host.domain 110

replacing host.domain with the name or IP address of the IMS server.
The Telnet window will open and a greeting from the server will appear.  Enter the following POP commands:

•	USER yourusername

•	PASS yourpassword

•	RETR 1

•	QUIT

To troubleshoot the SMTP server from a client, execute the following command:

telnet host.domain 25

replacing host.domain with the name or IP address of the IMS server.
The Telnet window will open and a greeting from the server will appear.  Enter the following SMTP commands:

•	HELO yourcomputername

•	RCPT TO: <yourusername>

•	DATA

•	type in the text of your message

•	.              (period <return> to end the data)

•	QUIT

There should be a new mail message waiting for yourusername.


Frequently Asked Questions

Configuration Problems

Mail to local users is not being delivered

Cannot determine IP address

Error 2140: An internal Windows NT error occurred

Error 2186: The service is not responding to the control function

General Questions

How do I receive mail to the TCP/IP numeric address?

What do I need from my Internet Service Provider?

Event Log Errors

Windows Sockets library function "bind" failed

Windows Sockets library function "accept" failed


No Local Mail
Mail to local users is not being delivered

This may occur if the domain name being used for local mail is not known to IMS. For example, you may send mail to fred@abc.com, expecting it to be delivered to Fred on the mail server mail.abc.com.  This will not work unless you add abc.com in the Virtual Domains field in the Domains page of the IMS Console program.  See the DNS Overview for more information.


No IP Address
Cannot determine IP address

You may encounter the message Cannot determine this computer's IP address when you use the -ipaddress command line option for any of the mail executables, or when the service attempts to start up.

This can be corrected by setting the hostname and domainname parameters in your TCP/IP configuration.  You can configure TCP/IP protocol by selecting Control Panel: Network: TCP/IP Protocol: Configure.  Refer to the Windows NT documentation for more information.

We have found that sometimes it is necessary to add an entry or entries corresponding to the IP address(es) and domain name(s) of your machine in the HOSTS file. This helps IMS to get the correct information.


Error 2140
Error 2140: Could not start the Service

This usually means that there is a problem with the installation of the service.  Further information describing the problem will be recorded in the Event Log.  Review the information in the Event Log and reinstall IMS if necessary.


Error 2186
Error 2186: The service is not responding

The problem is that the service is asking the DNS server for information during startup, and if DNS takes a while to respond, then the Service Control Manager times out and displays a message.  If you wait a minute or so and check the list of running services, you will probably find that the service has started and you can ignore the error.


Using TCPIP Addresses
How do I receive mail to the TCP/IP numeric address?

Add the numeric TCP/IP address in the Virtual Domains field on the Domains page of the IMS Console program.


Service Provider Needs
What do I need from my service provider?

You will need your service provider to set up an MX record to point to the machine that will receive all your mail. You should also ask them to act as a backup mail server in case you loose your connection (for example, the line goes down, or you have a dial up connection).  If you have a dialup connection, you will also need to find out how to collect mail from your service provider. There are several possible ways to do this:

•	Some providers will automatically start sending you your mail via SMTP as soon as you connect. In this case, you do not need to do any more since IMS will accept the mail and deliver it as expected.

•	You may need to trigger your provider to start them sending you your mail. For example, you may have to send them a mail message.


WinSock Bind Failure
Windows Sockets library function "Bind" failed.

The address or port is already in use.

One of the following situations may give rise to this error:

•	The TCP/IP port you have specified for the IMS SMTP or POP3 ports is conflicting with another application.

•	The IP address is incorrect for your computer.  Check the TCP/IP configuration in the Network Control Panel Settings.


WinSock Accept Failure
Windows Sockets library function "accept" failed.

This indicates that the service terminated abnormally for some reason.  Restart the service.


Protocol Specifications

SMTP Receiver

The SMTP Receiver Service implements the extended SMTP protocol (ESMTP) defined in RFC 821, RFC 1123, RFC 1651, RFC 1652 and RFC 1653.  The following SMTP commands are supported by this version:

      HELO       DATA
      EHLO       RSET
      QUIT       NOOP
      MAIL       VRFY
      RCPT       HELP

The following Extended SMTP commands are supported:

      SIZE       8BITMIME

POP3 Server

The POP3 Service implements the POP3 protocol defined in RFC 1725.  The following POP3 commands are supported by this version:

      USER name
      PASS string
      APOP string
      STAT
      LIST [msg]
      RETR msg
      DELE msg
      NOOP
      RSET
      TOP msg n
      UIDL [msg]
      QUIT

The POP3 Service also supports the informally-documented protocol used on port 106 by some clients to change the user's password.  The protocol is very simple, and is best documented by example.  Here S is the server, C is the client:

S: 200 HELLO
C: USER yourloginname
S: 300 Please send your password now
C: PASS yourcurrentpassword
S: 200 Ok
C: NEWPASS yournewpassword
S: 200 Ok
C: QUIT
S: 200 Bye-bye\r\n
S: <closes connection>
C: <closes connection>


Index

#

2140

2186

A

Accept Mail For

accept

No Local Mail

WinSock Accept Failure

account

Address Field

action

Add Button

Address Field

address

DNS Overview

Export Aliases

Import Aliases

No IP Address

Using TCPIP Addresses

admin

Directories Tab

administrator

Alias Field

alias

Alias Field

Aliases Page

Export Aliases

Import Aliases

Map Table Order

Wildcard Aliases

Aliases Page

answer

Apply Button

attempt

Retry Cycle

Retry Warn

authentication

Log Authentication

AutoCreate MailboxDir

automatic

AutoCreate MailboxDir

Boot Configuration

B

bind

Boot Configuration

boot

C

Cancel Button

changes

checklist

client

Mail Clients

CNAME

DNS Overview

TCPIP Debug

Column Sort Button

column

Configuration Checklist

configuration

configure

Configuration Checklist

Directories Tab

connect

Log Network Conn

contents

Contents

control

Boot Configuration

Services Page

Copy Postmaster

create

AutoCreate MailboxDir

cycle

Log Cycle

D

data

Log Receive Data

Log Transmit Data

database

day

Log Cycle

Retry Fail

debug

TCPIP Debug

Telnet Debug

Delete Button

delivery

No Local Mail

diagnosis

Directories Tab

directory

AutoCreate MailboxDir

Directories Tab

Mail Log Directory

Mail Spool Directory

Mailbox Directory

USERNAME

disk

DNS Overview

DNS

Accept Mail For

DNS Overview

TCPIP Debug

domain

Accept Mail For

Features

Log Retry

Miscellaneous Page

No Local Mail

Using TCPIP Addresses

Down Button

E

Error 2140

Error 2186

error

Copy Postmaster

Error 2140

Error 2186

Log File IO

Log Network Conn

Log Protocol Failure

Logging Error Page

No IP Address

No Local Mail

Postmaster

eudora

event

Error 2140

Error 2186

exchange

Log Protocol Ex

Mail Clients

Exit Button

Export Aliases

export

Export Aliases

F

fail

Retry Fail

failure

Copy Postmaster

Log Authentication

Log File IO

Log Network IO

Log Protocol Failure

Miscellaneous Page

No Local Mail

WinSock Accept Failure

WinSock Bind Failure

FAQ

Features

file

Log Cycle

Log File IO

Log File Name

Mail Log Directory

Mail Spool Directory

Mailbox Directory

frequent

Frequently Asked Questions

From Address Rewriting

G

gateway

Miscellaneous Page

glossary

Glossary

H

header

Log Receive Summary

Log Transmit Summary

Help Button

home

host

Accept Mail For

Miscellaneous Page

hostname

hours

Retry Cycle

Retry Warn

I

Import Aliases

import

Import Aliases

initial

input

Log File IO

Log Network IO

install

Boot Configuration

Configuration Checklist

Error 2140

internet

Protocol Specifications

Service Provider Needs

introduction

IP

No IP Address

K

Known Problems

known

L

Large Ordered Button

List Ordered Button

list

Features

Sort Buttons

Log Authentication

Log Configuration

Log Cycle

Log DNS Failures

Log DNS Transactions

Log File IO

Log File Name

Log Network Conn

Log Network IO

Log Protocol Ex

Log Protocol Failure

Log Receive Data

Log Receive Summary

Log Retry

Log Service

Log Transmit Data

Log Transmit Summary

log

Error 2140

Error 2186

Log Authentication

Log Configuration

Log Cycle

Log File IO

Log File Name

Log Network Conn

Log Network IO

Log Protocol Ex

Log Protocol Failure

Log Receive Data

Log Receive Summary

Log Retry

Log Service

Log Transmit Data

Log Transmit Summary

Logging Error Page

Logging Operation Page

Logging Server Page

Mail Log Directory

Logging Error Page

Logging Operation Page

Logging Server Page

M

Mail Clients

Mail Log Directory

Mail Spool Directory

mail

Directories Tab

Mail Clients

Mail Log Directory

Mail Spool Directory

Mailbox Directory

Miscellaneous Page

No Local Mail

Postmaster

USERNAME

Mailbox Directory

mailbox

Aliases Page

Mail Spool Directory

Map Table Order

map

Address Field

DNS Overview

Map Table Order

match

Max Message Size

memory

MIME

misc

Miscellaneous Page

missing

month

MX

Accept Mail For

DNS Overview

TCPIP Debug

N

name

Accept Mail For

Aliases Page

DNS Overview

Log File Name

needs

network

Log Network Conn

Log Network IO

No IP Address

No Local Mail

nslookup

NT

Features

System Requirements

O

object

OK Button

OK Button

OK Button

operation

Logging Operation Page

outgoing

output

Log File IO

Log Network IO

overview

Overview

P

panel

password

Log Authentication

pattern

pegasus

ping

POP

Features

Protocol Specifications

POP3

postmaster

Copy Postmaster

Directories Tab

Miscellaneous Page

Postmaster

Postmaster

problem

Known Problems

TCPIP Debug

Troubleshooting

procedure

Protocol Specifications

protocol

Log Protocol Ex

Log Protocol Failure

Protocol Specifications

provider

DNS Overview

Service Provider Needs

Q

question

Frequently Asked Questions

R

RAM

receive

Log Receive Data

Log Receive Summary

TCPIP Debug

Using TCPIP Addresses

reference

Refresh Button

requirements

resize

resolve

Retry Button

Retry Cycle

Retry Fail

Retry Page

Retry Warn

retry

Log Retry

Retry Cycle

Retry Fail

Retry Warn

return

RFC

Features

Protocol Specifications

Route Domain

Route Option

Route Override

Routing Page

S

Save Button

send

TCPIP Debug

sender

Retry Fail

Retry Warn

server

Boot Configuration

Logging Server Page

Services Page

Service Provider Needs

service

Boot Configuration

Error 2140

Error 2186

Log Service

Service Provider Needs

Services Page

setting

settings

Logging Operation Page

Logging Server Page

setup

Service Provider Needs

Small Ordered Button

Small Random Button

SMTP

Features

Protocol Specifications

socket

WinSock Accept Failure

WinSock Bind Failure

Sort Buttons

sort

specification

spool

Directories Tab

Mail Spool Directory

Mailbox Directory

USERNAME

standard

Features

Protocol Specifications

start

Boot Configuration

Error 2186

Log Service

Services Page

Stop Start Button

stop

Log Service

Services Page

subdomain

summary

Log Receive Summary

Log Transmit Summary

Overview

System Requirements

T

table

TCPIP Debug

TCPIP

DNS Overview

No IP Address

TCPIP Debug

tcpip

Telnet Debug

telnet

template

thread

Features

translate

transmit

Log Transmit Data

Log Transmit Summary

troubleshoot

TCPIP Debug

Telnet Debug

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

U

unknown

Up Button

user

Address Field

Alias Field

Aliases Page

Log Authentication

Map Table Order

No Local Mail

username

Mailbox Directory

USERNAME

USERNAME

Using TCPIP Addresses

V

version

System Requirements

view

W

warn

week

Wildcard Aliases

wildcard

windows

WinSock Accept Failure

WinSock Bind Failure

WinSock Accept Failure

WinSock Bind Failure

wizard


Glossary

D

DNS

E

Event Log

H

HOSTS

HTML

HTTP

I

Internet Mail Address

Internet

L

LAN

M

MIME

P

Ping

POP

R

RAS

Registry

RFC

S

SMTP

T

TCP/IP

W

Windows 95

Windows NT


Add Button

Select the Add button to add this entry to the list.


Apply Button

Select the Apply button to update the running services with these changes.


Browse Button

Select the Browse button to select a computer from your Network Neighborhood.


Cancel Button

Select the Cancel button to close this form without saving any changes.


Column Sort Button
Sort Buttons

Select any title button to sort the list view by this column.


Connect Button

Select the Connect button to connect to the selected mail server.


Delete Button

Select the Delete button to delete this entry from the list.


Down Button

Select the Down button to move this entry down in the list.


Exit Button
Exit

Select the Exit button to exit from the current form.  Any changes you have made are not saved.


Help Button

Select the Help button to display this context sensitive help information for the current form.


Large Ordered Button
Large Icons

Select this button to display the objects using large icons in the list view window.


List Ordered Button
Tabular List

Select this button to display the objects using a tabular list in the list view window.


OK Button

Select the OK button to save any changes to the registry and close this form.


OK Button
Properties Button

Select the Properties button to open the properties for the object that is selected.


Refresh Button

Select the Refresh button to refresh the values in the list box.


Save Button

Select the Save button to save all changes in the NT registry and signal the running services to update their configuration from the registry.


Small Ordered Button
Small Ordered Icons

Select this button to display the objects using small icons in the list view window.


Small Random Button
Small Random Icons

Select this button to display the objects using small unordered icons in the list view window.


Sort Buttons

The objects in a Tabular List view can be sorted by any column.  To do this select the column title button.  This will resort the objects in the list by this column.  These buttons can also be used to automatically resize the width of any column.  Do this by double-clicking on the column title button.


Stop Start Button
Stop/Start Button

The Stop/Start buttons are used to stop or start one or more services.  If the service is running, then clicking on the Stop button will stop it.  If the service is not running, then clicking on the Start button will start it.


Up Button

Select the Up button to move this entry up in the list.


USERNAME
%USERNAME% Template

This mailbox directory template specifies that IMS create directories for each mailbox under the root subdirectory.  For example, if the template is:

C:\IMS\%USERNAME%

then IMS will create directories under C:\IMS with the same name as the Mailbox as incoming mail arrives for that mailbox.

The mailbox directory contains a sub-directory called inbox in which incoming mail is stored.  This is referred to as the incoming mail directory for that mailbox.

Under Windows NT,  it is recommended that all mailbox directories are on an NTFS partition.


DNS

Domain Name Service (DNS) is a name lookup service that translates familiar internet names (such as ibm.com) into numeric TCPIP addresses (such as 129.34.139.30) that computers understand.


Event Log

The Windows NT Event Log records operating system errors, events and incidents.  You can use the Event Viewer to review the entries in the event log.  The Event Viewer can open event logs on remote computers.


HOSTS

The HOSTS table is used to maintain a local list of TCPIP names and addresses.  On Windows NT the HOSTS table can be found in:  %WINDIR%\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC\HOSTS.
On Windows 95 the HOSTS table can be found in: %WINDIR%.
The file is in ASCII format and can be edited using NOTEPAD.  Any changes will take effect immediately.


HTML

HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language.  HTML is the language of the World Wide Web.  HTML is often used to present entry forms for users to enter and update information from their Web browser.


HTTP

HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol.  This is the communication language of the World Wide Web.  All Web clients and Web servers communicate using this protocol.


Internet Mail Address

The standard format for an Internet Mail Address is:
          user@host.domain,
Where 'user' is the user account on the host that the mail message will be delivered to, 'host' is the name of the mail host and 'domain' is the name of the internet domain.  This address standard is defined in RFC822.  See the DNS Overview for more information on internet domain naming.


Internet

The internet is the global network of computers that communicate using the standard TCPIP protocol.  All mail on the internet is delivered using the standard SMTP protocol.


LAN

Abbreviation for Local Area Network.  This is the computer network internal to your organization.


MIME

MIME stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions.  MIME is an Internet standard defined in RFC1521.  MIME defines the method by which multimedia object types, such as picture files, can be embedded in standard SMTP mail messages.


Ping

Ping is a command line utility used to verify and diagnose TCPIP operations.  You can use Ping to verify network connectivity to another computer by entering:  'ping hostname' on the command line.  Ping will attempt to resolve the hostname to a TCPIP address by connecting to the DNS server specified in the Control Panel: Network: TCP/IP configuration.


POP

POP stands for Post Office Protocol.  POP is an internet standard defined in RFC 1725.  POP defines the language that computers use when transferring incoming mail messages from a mail server to a mail client over a TCPIP network.  The mail server has implemented this standard in the POP3S Service.


RAS

Remote Access Service (RAS) provides network connectivity for an NT machine over the serial (modem) port.  The capability of this connection nearly matches the capability of a direct network connection using an ethernet board, for example.  The main difference is that some event needs to make and break the RAS connection; whereas an ethernet connection is always available.


Registry

The Registry contains all of the information related to the hardware and software configuration of your computer.  The mail server makes several entries in the Registry to record information about the mail services, the mail configuration and the mail users.  The Registry entries are created during installation and maintained through the Server Admin program.  Do not make any direct changes to the registry unless instructed to do so by technical support.


RFC

Request For Comment (RFC) is the term for the standards setting process used by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).  Each internet standard has a unique RFC number.  For example, the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) standard is described in RFC 821.


SMTP

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.  SMTP is an Internet standard defined in RFC 821.

SMTP is an application level network protocol that runs on top of TCPIP.  It defines the language that computers use when transferring mail messages between machines over a network.  The mail server has implemented this standard in the SMTPRS Service.


TCP/IP

TCP/IP is the acronym given to the suite of networking protocols that define the communication language between computers.  The protocols originated in the UNIX world and have been ported to the Personal Computer, Minicomputer and Mainframe worlds.


Windows 95

Windows 95 from Microsoft Corporation is a 32 bit multi-tasking operating system designed for desktop computer users.  The mail server is designed to run efficiently on Windows 95.


Windows NT

Windows NT from Microsoft Corporation is a multi-tasking and muti-processing operating system.  NT comes in two packages; a workstation version and a server version.  Either package can be used to run the mail server.