Windows NT Super Tune-Up Kit

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Text File | 1996-08-16 | 62KB | 1,364 lines

WHAT'S NEW IN POST.OFFICE VERSION 2.0 ----------------------------- This document includes: - An Introduction to Post.Office 2.0 - Instructions for Obtaining the New Software - Instructions for Updating Your System - A Discussion of Changes to Post.Office Forms - Detailed Descriptions of New Features - Additional Information on Features Implemented in Interim Releases - A List of Bug Fixes and Minor Enhancements 1. INTRODUCING POST.OFFICE 2.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post.Office version 2.0 offers extended functionality and improved ease of use. To take full advantage of the systemÆs current capabilities please refer to the supplemental information contained in this document. Discussions included here expand on topics previously covered in the manual and describe the following new features: - Administrator controlled limits on message size and POP3 mailbox size to prevent users from acquiring an inappropriate share of system resources - Convenient display of current and maximum POP3 mailbox size for all accounts with POP3 delivery allowing quick recognition of potential overlimit conditions - Designation of minimum free disk space guarantees that a specified amount of unused space will be reserved - Enhanced explanations for mail queuing include the reason (or reasons) delivery was prevented - Ability to route outgoing mail to a port other than the standard SMTP port (port 25) for added flexibility in system configurations involving gateways - Independent controls to define the maximum number of POP3 client connections, incoming SMTP connections, and outgoing SMTP connections - Revised Web forms that simplify the entry and editing of account information - Automatic re-display of new Account Data forms for faster account entry - Option to disable automatic delivery of a greeting message upon creation of new accounts - Z-POP support for users with Z-Mail client software - NT version only - Integration of NT user passwords and Post.Office passwords simplifies system administration - NT version only - The Simple Online Support (SOS) tool is included for assistance in installing Post.Office on Windows NT Note: Post.Office version 2.0 requires Windows NT 3.51 with Service Pack 2 or higher. As of this release Windows NT 3.50 is no longer supported. 2. OBTAINING POST.OFFICE VERSION 2.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The same software is used for installing Post.Office version 2.0, upgrading from an earlier version, or upgrading your 2.0 license to accommodate additional accounts/mailboxes. The program checks to see if Post.Office already exists, then self-adjusts to perform the necessary installation or upgrade procedure. To download the software directly from our web site: 1. Point your web browser to http://www.software.com 2. Click on the "Product Guide" button. 3. Follow the Post.Office link associated with the appropriate operating system (NT or UNIX) 4. Download the recommended items selecting them one by one. A dialog box will appear each time you choose to download a file. Indicate the location in which the file should be stored and click on the OK button. 5. Exit the web site and open a local text editor. 6. Locate and open the README file. 7. Follow the instructions in the README file to install or upgrade your software. Pay careful attention to any pre-installation instructions or related cautions. Those instructions must be observed in order to preserve the integrity of any customized forms you may have created and prevent the introduction of an invalid license number. To obtain the software via ftp: 1. From the command line change directory to the location where you wish to store the downloaded file (typically a temporary directory). 2. Type ftp ftp.software.com at the prompt. 3. Log in as anonymous; enter any password. 4. Type cd ftp/public/software/PO20 5. List the contents of the directory. 6. Change directory to the operating system in which you are interested. 7. List the contents of the directory to see all the available platform directories. 8. Change directory to the platform in which you are interested. 9. List the contents of the directory. 10. Make sure you are in binary mode by typing: binary 11. Obtain both the desired package and the associated README file by typing: get "package name" - and - get "Read Me file name". 12. Exit the ftp site and open a local text editor. 13. Locate and open the README file. 14. Follow the instructions in the README file to install or upgrade your software. Pay careful attention to any pre-installation instructions or related cautions. Those instructions must be observed in order to preserve the integrity of any customized forms you may have created and prevent the introduction of an invalid license number. If you would prefer to have the software delivered to you on CD, please contact our sales department at Sales@Software.com 3. UPGRADING YOUR SYSTEM TO POST.OFFICE VERSION 2.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE POST.OFFICE UPGRADE OPERATION IS PERFORMING TASKS OF CONSIDERABLE COMPLEXITY INCLUDING DATABASE REGENERATION. TO ENSURE SUCCESS YOU MUST BACKUP YOUR SYSTEM PRIOR TO UPGRADING AND ALLOW ADEQUATE TIME TO COMPLETE THE POST.OFFICE UPGRADE OPERATION. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE PROCESS RUN TO COMPLETION WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. The time required to execute the upgrade process will vary based on the amount of memory, processing speed, and the number of installed accounts. Internal benchmarking conducted on a machine with 32 mb of RAM and a Pentium 100 processor running Windows NT 3.51 with Service Pack 3 produced the following upgrade times. Number Number of Upgrade Time of Users Addresses per User (Min:Sec) 500 10 2:20 2000 3 3:24 2000 10 7:35 Tests run in the UNIX environment indicate approximate upgrade times of one minute per thousand users. Please compare your system's statistics to those provided above and plan accordingly. BACK UP YOUR EXISTING SYSTEM In the interest of safety and good software practices, existing users of Post.Office should back up their system before upgrading to version 2.0. Upgrading is a nondestructive process which retains all mail, and account and configuration information; however, if the upgrade operation is interrupted, recovery is required. Instructions on restoring your mail system are provided in the Backup & Restore section of the FAQ (available at http://www.software.com/tech/faq/FAQ_Contents.html), but those instructions presume existence of the necessary backup files. To assist you in completing this essential operation, backup instructions are included as part of all upgrade instructions that follow. UPDATE ANY CUSTOMIZED FORMS Because Post.Office forms were significantly modified in version 2.0, users working with customized versions of the Post.Office forms need to perform the following steps when upgrading their system to version 2.0. 1. Obtain copies of the standard forms for Post.Office version 2.0 by sending a request to Support@Software.com 2. Revise the standard forms as desired. 3. Follow the detailed instructions presented on the pages that follow to backup your system and upgrade the Post.Office software. 4. Once the upgrade process is complete, re-submit your revised versions of the standard 2.0 forms for use with the upgraded system. Note: Upgrade instructions apply to current users of the Post.Office software. If you are installing Post.Office for the first time, refer to the instructions found in the READ ME file delivered with your software or in Chapter 3 of the Post.Office Manual. TRIAL USERS ONLY Because of changes in our licensing system, upgrading to Post.Office 2.0 from a TRIAL VERSION of Post.Office 1.9.x yields an INVALID LICENSE. Please note that all users upgrading to Post.Office 2.0 from a TRIAL VERSION of Post.Office 1.9.x (current or expired) need to purchase a valid license from Sales@Software.com. 3.1 Windows NT Upgrade Instructions ------------------------------------ The size of the Registry expands during upgrade. If insufficient space is available the upgrade will fail and recovery will be required. Although the exact amount of space required depends on a variety of factors including the number of Post.Office accounts currently established, a good rule of thumb is that Maximum Registry Size should be at least twice Current Registry Size. To verify that sufficient size is available do the following: 1.) From the Program Manager double click on the Main\Control Panel\System icons in the order indicated. 2.) Click on the Virtual Memory button in the System window. 3.) In the Vitual Memory window check the values in the fields titled Current Registry Size and Maximum Registry Size. The maximum size should be at least twice the current size. If it is not, make the necessary correction and click on the OK button. Registry size should now be sufficient to complete the upgrade successfully. -------------------------------------- To permit recovery if the upgrade process is accidentally interrupted, backup instructions are included as the initial steps in the upgrade process. DO NOT omit these important first steps. 1. Back up the required Registry information by launching the Registry Editor, (REGEDT32.EXE), locating the following keys, and saving each one independently (by selecting the desired key, pulling down the Registry menu, and then choosing the Save Key command). a) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Software.com\Post.Office (suggested name & location: anotherhost\temp\Post.OfficeRegKey1.9.3) b) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Software.com\Post.Office\MTA-Accounts (suggested name & location: anotherhost\temp\MTA-AccountsRegKey1.9.3) 2. Back up the required file system information. The exact location of the required directories can be found via the Program Manager by double clicking on the Main\Control Panel\Post.Office icons in the order indicated. When the Post.Office applet window appears look at the bottom to determine the locations of the following items: a) The Post.Office Directory containing configuration information (suggested name & location: anotherhost\temp\Post.Office1.9.3config) b) the Program Directory containing Post.Office executables (suggested name & location: anotherhost\temp\Post.Office1.9.3execs) c) the Mailbox Directory containing your mailbox information (suggested name & location: anotherhost\temp\Post.Office1.9.3mailbox) Back up those directories in addition to the registry keys mentioned in Step 1 above. Note: If you aren't already doing so, you should be backing up these items on a regular basis. 3. Locate the Post.Office package either on the CD on which it was delivered, or in the directory in which you stored a downloaded version. 4. If you obtained the software from our web or ftp site you will need to extract the Post.Office package. The Intel package will self extract if you "run" it from the command line or double-click on the file from within the File Manager. All other versions require use of an extraction utility (UNZIP.exe for mips, ICOMP.exe for DEC Alpha and Power PC) which can be downloaded from the same directory in which you found the Post.Office package. Place the entire contents of the package into a NEW temp directory since there are no guarantees that existing older versions will be overwritten during extraction. (When installation is complete you can remove the temporary directory.) 5. Verify that you are logged on properly. If you are on a workstation or backup domain server you must be logged on as the Administrator of your host machine before running Setup.exe. Only if you are on a primary domain controller can you log in as the Administrator of your domain. 6. Run Setup.exe Note: The Setup program occupies only half your screen to allow for simultaneous display of Simple Online Support (SOS). SOS is intended for use as a guide during initial installation, however it contains supplemental information that may also be of interest to people upgrading their software. To access SOS, launch your browser and point it to: http://www.software.com/tech/sos/po-install.htm 7. The Installshield GUI will prompt you to choose one of three options: Remove, Update, or Set License Number. Choose Update and click on the Next button. This installs all the new software and configuration files, retaining the values of any parameters you have customized and all information in your accounts database. When it's finished, the Setup program will re-start Post.Office for you. 3.2 UNIX Upgrade Instructions -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note that Program Delivery is turned off by the upgrade process. A reminder to re-enable Program Delivery is included in the instructions for those users to whom this feature applies. Instructions for upgrading the UNIX version of Post.Office vary slightly from platform to platform. Refer to the appropriate section below for directions on upgrading your specific installation. 3.2.1 Solaris Upgrade Instructions ----------------------------------- To permit recovery if the upgrade process is accidentally interrupted, backup instructions are included as the initial steps in the upgrade process. DO NOT omit these important first steps. The following upgrade instructions assume that you have installed Post.Office in the default locations which are /opt/post.office (program executables) and /var/spool/post.office (the spooling directories). If you selected other locations you will need to adjust the instructions accordingly. To determine the current locations of your Post.Office, Program, and Mailbox directories list the contents of the /etc/post.office.conf file. 1. Log on as root. 2. Back up the contents of the following items: a) /opt/post.office (the Post.Office executables) b) /var/spool/post.office (the configuration information) c) /var/spool/mailbox (the mailbox information) d) /etc/post.office.conf (your configuration file) Note: If you aren't already doing so, you should be backing up these directories regularly. 3. Shutdown Post.Office by typing: /opt/post.office/post.office shutdown 4a. If your software was delivered on CD: mount the CD on your computer and change directory to the location containing the Post.Office files for your particular operating system/platform. 4b. If you downloaded the software from our ftp or web site: uncompress the file you downloaded into a temporary directory and expand the resulting archive file to create the Post.Office package (SCOM-MTA) by typing: cd /var/tmp uncompress PO20-solaris2.tar.Z tar xvpf PO20-solaris2.tar 5. Remove the old package (the Solaris packaging facility will not let you overwrite an old package with a newer version) by typing: pkgrm SCOM-MTA Note: This will not remove your current configuration files or change your existing accounts in any way. 6. Install the new package by typing: pkgadd -d . SCOM-MTA This will "remember" where you had installed everything, and give you the option of skipping the typical installation Q&A. CAUTION: The upgrade program will ask if you wish to change configuration information. You should answer "no". Only under exceptional circumstances while assisted by support personnel should you modify configuration information while upgrading. 7. If you are currently using Program Delivery you will need to re-enable that feature by typing: chmod u+s /opt/post.office/local/Program-Deliver rm /opt/post.office/trusted/NO-PROGRAM-DELIVERIES CAUTION: There are security issues associated with the use of Program Delivery. Please read Appendix G of the Post.Office manual to ensure you understand those issues before enabling this feature. 8. Run the Post.Office configuration program: /opt/post.office/Setup This process configures the new software, allowing retention of all pre-existing configuration parameters. All account information is maintained through this process. When the Setup program is finished, it will re-start Post.Office for you. 3.2.2 AIX3/HPUX9/HPUX10 Upgrade Instructions --------------------------------------------- To permit recovery if the upgrade process is accidentally interrupted, backup instructions are included as the initial steps in the upgrade process. DO NOT omit these important first steps. The following upgrade instructions assume that you have installed Post.Office in the default locations which are /usr/local/post.office (program executables) and /usr/spool/post.office (the spooling directories). If you selected other locations you will need to adjust the instructions accordingly. To determine the current locations of your Post.Office, Program, and Mailbox directories list the contents of the /etc/post.office.conf file. 1. Log on as root. 2. Back up the contents of the following items: a) /usr/local/post.office (the Post.Office executables) b) /usr/spool/post.office (the configuration information) c) /usr/spool/mailbox (the mailbox information) d) /etc/post.office.conf (your configuration file) Note: If you aren't already doing so, you should be backing up these directories regularly. 3. Shutdown Post.Office by typing: /usr/local/post.office/post.office shutdown 4a. If your software was delivered on CD: mount the CD on your computer, change directory to the location containing the archive file for the appropriate UNIX platform, copy that archive into a temporary directory, and expand it by typing: cp XXX.tar* /usr/tmp cd /usr/tmp tar xvpf XXX.tar* (where XXX represents your platform type) 4b. If you downloaded the software from our ftp or web site: uncompress the file you downloaded into the temporary directory and expand the resulting archive file by typing: cd /usr/tmp uncompress PO20-XXX.tar.Z tar xvpf PO20-XXX.tar (where XXX represents your platform type) 5. Change to the newly created directory and install Post.Office version 2.0. cd Post.Office ./installpo The install script will "remember" where you had installed everything, and give you the option of skipping the Q&A. This procedure will not remove your current configuration files or change your existing accounts in any way. When the installation program is finished, it will re-start Post.Office for you. CAUTION: The upgrade program will ask if you wish to change configuration information. You should answer "no". Only under exceptional circumstances while assisted by support personnel should you modify configuration information while upgrading. 6. If you are currently using Program Delivery you will need to re-enable that feature by typing: chmod u+s /usr/local/post.office/local/Program-Deliver rm /usr/local/post.office/trusted/NO-PROGRAM-DELIVERIES Caution: There are security issues associated with the use of Program Delivery. Please read Appendix G of the Post.Office manual to ensure you understand those issues before enabling this feature. 3.2.3 Upgrade Instructions for All Other UNIX Platforms -------------------------------------------------------- To permit recovery if the upgrade process is accidentally interrupted, backup instructions are included as the initial steps in the upgrade process. DO NOT omit these important first steps. The following upgrade instructions assume that you have installed Post.Office in the default locations which are /usr/local/post.office (program executables) and /var/spool/post.office (the spooling directories). If you selected other locations you will need to adjust the instructions accordingly. To determine the current locations of your Post.Office, Program, and Mailbox directories list the contents of the /etc/post.office.conf file. 1. Log on as root. 2. Back up the contents of the following items: a) /usr/local/post.office (the Post.Office executables) b) /var/spool/post.office (the configuration information) c) /var/spool/mailbox (the mailbox information) d) /etc/post.office.conf (your configuration file) Note: If you aren't already doing so, you should be backing up these directories regularly. 3. Shutdown Post.Office by typing: /usr/local/post.office/post.office shutdown. 4a. If your software was delivered on CD: mount the CD on your computer and change directory to the location containing files for your particular operating system/platform. Digital UNIX Note: The default options used to mount a CD may not be appropriate. Be sure to specify "cdfs" as the file system type and include the Rock Ridge Interchange Protocol option "rrip". For example, if your CD ROM device is assigned a SCSI-ID of 6 and you want to access the CD ROM from the directory /CDROM, you would use the following command: mount -r -t cdfs -o ro,rrip /dev/rz6c /CDROM SunOS Note: The default options used to mount a CD may not be appropriate. Be sure to specify "hsfs" as the file system type. 4b. If you downloaded the software from our ftp or web site: uncompress the file you downloaded into a temporary directory, expand the resulting archive file, and then change to the newly created directory by typing: cd /var/tmp uncompress PO20-<platform>.tar.Z tar xvpf PO20-<platform>.tar cd Post.Office 5. Install the new version of Post.Office. ./installpo The install script will "remember" where you had installed everything, and give you the option of skipping the Q&A. This procedure will not remove your current configuration files or change your existing accounts in any way. When the installation program is finished, it will re-start Post.Office for you. CAUTION: The upgrade program will ask if you wish to change configuration information. You should answer "no". Only under exceptional circumstances while assisted by support personnel should you modify configuration information while upgrading. 6. If you are currently using Program Delivery you will need to re-enable that feature by typing: chmod u+s /usr/local/post.office/local/Program-Deliver rm /usr/local/post.office/trusted/NO-PROGRAM-DELIVERIES CAUTION: There are security issues associated with the use of Program Delivery. Please read Appendix G of the Post.Office manual to ensure you understand those issues before enabling this feature. 4. CHANGES IN THE APPEARANCE OF POST.OFFICE FORMS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Users familiar with earlier versions of Post.Office will notice a change in the forms for version 2.0. Some differences will be obvious, such as the addition of color and graphics to the Web forms. Other changes are more subtle and are noted here for your review. Note: Many changes reflect the introduction of additional functionality. Detailed discussions of those new features appear in the next section of this document. 4.1 New Terminology ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Terminology has been simplified to reduce confusion and make completion of Post.Office forms quick and easy. As always, help text is offered to eliminate any uncertainty over the meaning of a particular term or the use of a particular field. Note: Changes in terminology do not affect the functionality of Post.Office in any way. 4.2 Reorganization of Web Form Content -------------------------------------- The forms used to administer Post.Office via the Worldwide Web have been modified. Input instructions have been emphasized and explanatory text repositioned to appear immediately before actual entry fields. Significant changes in specific forms, including the appearance of additional entry fields, are noted below. Detailed instructions on the use of new fields can be found in the New Features section that follows. Note: The structure of E-mail forms remains the same except for the addition of those fields required for the implementation of new features. MAIN MENU - Forms have been grouped into two categories: Account Management and System Management. - The SMTP Aliases form and the List of Queued Messages are now included in the System Management group. - Separate entry fields allow distinct identification of the name or e-mail address associated with an Account Data Form or User-Editable Information Form. LIST OF ACCOUNTS - Accounts have been grouped into three categories: Administrative Accounts, General Accounts, and Special Accounts. The Administrative Accounts group includes the Postmaster Account (a reserved account) and the individual accounts for all users with Postmaster privileges. The General Accounts group includes the Default account (another reserved account) and the individual accounts for all users with standard privileges. The Special Accounts group contains the remaining reserved accounts. - A link to a blank new account form has been added. - Current mailbox size and maximum mailbox size are identified for those accounts with restrictions on their POP3 delivery. (Mailbox size limits do not apply to other delivery methods.) INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNT INFORMATION - A checkbox allowing use of the NT logon password instead of the Post.Office password has been added. (Refer to the related discussion in the New Features section for detailed instructions on the specific system configuration required for proper implementation of this feature.) - An entry field for identification of the appropriate NT Username (from which to obtain the NT logon password) has been added. - Current mailbox size and maximum mailbox size are identified for those accounts with restrictions on their POP3 delivery. (Mailbox limits do not apply to other delivery methods.) - The display of Internet addresses has been divided into Primary Internet Address and Additional Internet Addresses (if any) to assist users in recognizing the address that will be used if From Address Rewriting is selected. - The entry field used to limit access for account configuration and message retrieval has been retitled General Access Restrictions. - A link has been added for easy return to the Main Menu. ACCOUNT DATA FORM - A checkbox allowing use of the NT logon password instead of the Post.Office password has been added. - An entry field for identification of the appropriate NT Username\Domain Name (from which to obtain the NT logon password) has been added. Please note that this feature will NOT work unless certain, special user rights have been assigned. Please see the discussion of this feature in section 5.11 for details. - The text box used to enter finger information has been moved to the bottom of the form. - Current mailbox size and maximum mailbox size are identified for those accounts with restrictions on their POP3 delivery. (Mailbox size limits do not apply to other delivery methods.) - The display of Internet addresses has been divided into Primary Internet Address and Additional Internet Addresses (if any) to assist users in recognizing the address that will be used if From Address Rewriting is selected. - The entry field used to limit access for account configuration and POP3 message retrieval has been retitled General Access Restrictions. - The entry field used to limit access for finger inquires has been retitled Finger Access Restrictions. - A link has been added for easy return to the Main Menu. SYSTEM CONFIGURATION - Automatic delivery of a Greeting form to all new accounts can be turned off (and back on) via two newly added radio buttons. - An entry field for identification of desired minimum free disk space has been added. - An entry field has been added allowing definition of maximum message size. - An entry field allowing definition of the default maximum mailbox size has been added. CAUTION: Users should refer to the account list for information on current mailbox sizes before implementing this feature. - Entry fields have been added to allow independent definition of the maximum number of concurrent network connections for POP3 clients and for incoming SMTP transactions. - An entry field has been added to allow independent definition of the maximum number of concurrent outgoing SMTP connections. LIST OF QUEUED MAIL - Entries identifying queued mail include the reason (or reasons) for queuing. 5. NEW FEATURES ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Previous sections described the enhancements offered in Post.Office version 2.0 in general terms. The comments that follow discuss each new feature in detail including intended use, specific operating instructions, and relevant cautions. 5.1 Limits on Mailbox Size --------------------------- Mailbox size limits allow you to control system resources and prevent users from acquiring more than their share of disk space. Messages that would increase the size of a userÆs POP3 mailbox beyond the established limit are not accepted; instead they are returned to their sender with a message like the one below indicating that the intended recipientÆs mailbox is full. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | This Message was undeliverable due to the following reason: | | | | One or more of the recipients of your message did not receive it | | because they would have exceeded their mailbox size limit. It | | may be possible for you to successfully send your message again | | at a later time; however, if it is large, it is recommended that | | you first contact the recipients to confirm that the space will be | | available for your message when you send it. | | | | No storage space available in mailbox for Jane.Doe@Software.com | | | | The following recipients haven't received this message: | | | | Jane.Doe@Software.com | | | | Please reply to Postmaster@Software.com if you feel this message to | | be in error. | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Warning message returned to sender when a message cannot be delivered because the intended recipientÆs mailbox is full. An additional warning message is generated and sent to the Postmaster identifying the account for which mail was refused. (See example below). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | The mail system on Software.com encountered the following error: | | | | One or more of the recipients of your message did not receive it | | because they would have exceeded their mailbox size limit. It | | may be possible for you to successfully send your message again | | at a later time; however, if it is large, it is recommended that | | you first contact the recipients to confirm that the space will | | be available for your message when you send it. | | | | No storage space available in mailbox for Jane.Doe@Software.com | | | | The following recipients haven't received this message: | | | | Jane.Doe@Software.com | | | | The original mail envelope addresses are: | | | | User-From: SMTP<John.Smith@Acme.com> | | Recipient: [Jane.Doe@Software.com] | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Warning message sent to the Postmaster when a message cannot be delivered because the intended recipientÆs mailbox is full. Mailbox size limits apply to only those accounts with POP3 delivery. Limits can be established globally via the System Configuration form (which allows definition of the default maximum mailbox size for all accounts with POP3 delivery), or on an account by account basis via the Account Data form. Individual limits set at the account level override the default limit established at the global level (except as noted below). For ease of maintenance it is recommended that maximum POP3 mailbox size be established at the global level and passed to all individual accounts by default. Only exceptions to the global default should be entered at the level of an individual account. Note: If a default value for maximum mailbox size is established at the global level, you cannot allow an individual user to have a mailbox of unlimited size (leaving the Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size field blank will result in assumption of the default value). 5.1.1 Setting the Default Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size The field used to establish Default Maximum Mailbox Size appears on the System Configuration form. The entry in this field is used as the Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size for any user that does not have a size limit explicitly set in their account. If a default limit is desired, the appropriate maximum size (in kilobytes) should be entered in this field. Acceptable values are from 100 to 1,000,000 kilobytes. If this field is left blank (the default option) no limit will be enforced and mailboxes can grow to any size. Similarly, if the contents of this field are deleted the system is reset to allow mailboxes of limitless capacity. CAUTION: To avoid unintentional rejection of incoming mail, you should check current mailbox sizes before establishing the Default Maximum Mailbox size. Current mailbox size appears on the List of Accounts immediately to the right of the Internet address for each account with POP3 delivery. 5.1.2 Setting the Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size for a Specific Account The field used to establish maximum POP3 mailbox size for a particular account appears on the Account Data form for that account. The entry made in the Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size field indicates the maximum allowable size for this userÆs mailbox (in kilobytes). Acceptable values are from 100 to 1,000,000 kilobytes. The limit established in the Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size overrides the limit set in the Default Maximum Mailbox Size. To set an individual limit type the appropriate value in the Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size field. To remove the limit previously established for an account, delete the contents of this field. If the Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size field is left blank, the Default Maximum Mailbox Size (found on the System Configuration Form) will be used. If that field is also blank, no limit will be enforced and the mailbox can grow to any size. Note: If a Default Maximum Mailbox Size has been established at the global level, you cannot allow an individual user to have a mailbox of unlimited size (leaving the Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size field blank will result in assumption of the default value). Instead, assign the privileged user the maximum allowable size limit (1,000,000K). CAUTION: To avoid unintentional rejection of incoming mail, you should check current mailbox size before establishing the maximum POP3 mailbox size. Current mailbox size appears on the Account Data Form immediately below the entry field for Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size. 5.2 Ability to Determine Current Mailbox Size ---------------------------------------------- In systems where mailbox size limits have been established it is important for both users and Postmasters to be aware of current mailbox sizes. As the current size of a mailbox approaches maximum size action should be taken to prevent the rejection of new mail. Either the size of the mailbox should be reduced or the limit on mailbox size increased. Current mailbox size is calculated/recalculated on an account by account basis every time mail is delivered to or removed from a POP3 mailbox. It is also adjusted upon submission of the related Account Data form or upon system upgrade. CAUTION: It is the responsibility of the Postmaster and the individual users to check mailbox levels. Post.Office does not send warning messages regarding impending overflow conditions (although it does notify the Postmaster when mail is rejected). Postmasters can check the current status of all POP3 mailboxes in a single operation by referring to the List of Accounts. The current POP3 mailbox size appears in the list immediately to the right of the Internet address for each account with POP3 delivery (see example below). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | Amy Baker - Amy.Baker@Software.com - (370k/1000k) | | Andrew Jones - Andrew.Jones@Software.com - (512k/no limit) | | Anne Smith - Anne.Smith@Software.com | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample List of Accounts for: a user with a 1000k limit on their POP3 mailbox, a user with no limit on their POP3 mailbox (the system default), and a user without POP3 delivery to whom mailbox size limits do not apply. Users can check the size of their personal POP3 mailbox by requesting the Individual Information form for their account. Current POP3 mailbox size information appears immediately below maximum POP3 mailbox size information in the Incoming Mail Delivery section of that form (see example below). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | Maximum POP3 Mailbox Size: 60000 Kilobytes | | Current POP3 Mailbox Size is: 5128 Kilobytes | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.3 Limits on Message Size --------------------------- By default, Post.Office will accept a message of any length as long as there is enough disk space available in its spool area. (If the intended recipient has POP3 delivery one further condition applies - they must have space available in their mailbox.) If you wish to limit the size of messages handled by your system you can establish a maximum message size. Incoming messages that exceed the established limit are not accepted; instead they are returned to their sender with notification that the original message was too large (see below). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | This Message was undeliverable due to the following reason: | | | | Your message is larger than the destination computer is willing to | | accept, so it was returned. The error message below indicates the | | size of your message and the maximum size allowed by the receiving | | E-mail system. You may be able to split your message into several | | smaller pieces and have them delivered separately. | | | | Size of this message: 116683 bytes | | Server maximum size: 65536 bytes | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- It's important to understand that the message size limit applies to the total message including any attachments. This condition is further complicated by the fact that the conversion operation associated with attachments results in four characters being transmitted for every three in the original text (so that a file that was originally 300k in size will add 400k when attached). 5.3.1 Setting the Maximum Message Size The field used to establish maximum message size appears on the System Configuration form. The entry made in the Maximum Message Size field indicates the maximum allowable message size (in kilobytes) including attachments. Acceptable values are from 64 to 1,000,000 kilobytes. If this field is left blank no limit will be enforced and messages of any size can be handled. Note: The limit on message size applies to all messages handled through your mail server whether or not they are intended for local delivery. 5.4 Option to Reserve Minimum Free Disk Space ---------------------------------------------- Post.Office tries to use all available disk space in its spool area for the processing of messages -- new mail will be accepted as long as it fits on the disk. If you would like Post.Office to leave some of the disk empty, youÆll need to specify the minimum amount of free disk space to be reserved. When Minimum Free Disk Space is specified, any incoming messages that, if received, would cause free disk space to drop below the reserved minimum are refused by the SMTP server until enough space becomes available. Messages refused in this manner are not returned to sender; they are queued by the sending system for a later attempt. If the Post.Office directory (the spool directory) and the mailboxes do not reside on the same disk, the check for minimum free disk space may be performed more than once for each message. First, the SMTP server will check the disk where the incoming spool directory resides. If this check fails the message will be queued by the sending system for a later attempt. If the initial check succeeds the message is accepted by Post.Office. A second check is made when delivering a message to a user's POP3 mailbox. This check is run on the disk where the mailboxes reside. If it succeeds the mail is delivered to the appropriate mailbox. If the check fails, the mail is queued internally for a subsequent attempt at mailbox delivery. 5.4.1 Setting Minimum Free Disk Space The field used to establish Minimum Free Disk Space is found on the System Configuration form. Enter the desired space to be reserved (in kilobytes) in this field. Acceptable values are from zero to 1,000,000 kilobytes. If this field is left blank (the default option) no free disk space is reserved. Similarly, if the contents of this field are deleted the reservation is set aside and Post.Office will continue receiving mail as long as it fits on the disk. 5.5 Explanations for Mail Queuing ---------------------------------- As in prior versions, queued mail is available for review by the Postmaster. The Queued Messages List presents the mail in groups organized by destination host. In version 2.0 the reason for queuing is also displayed preceded by the number of messages to which a particular explanation applies. The list that follows identifies the possible reasons for mail queuing: - The "Always Defer Delivery" option is enabled - This option appears on the SMTP Configuration form and is typically selected for sites with intermittent Internet access. - CouldnÆt establish SMTP connection on Port #____. - Indicates that the system was successful in looking up the desired host name but was unable to connect. Possible causes include a network problem or an improper response (no greeting, for example). - Server timed out - This explanation results when Post.Office is talking to another server, requests something, and never receives a response. - Server failed - Indicates a temporary deferral. - Server closed SMTP connection - Indicates a deliberate break in the connection. 5.6 Option to Disable Delivery of the Greeting Form ---------------------------------------------------- By default a Greeting message is sent to all new users when their E-mail account is created. The Greeting message provides users with details about their account and includes instructions for accessing user-editable account information. If desired, the Postmaster can disable this feature. The Yes and No radio buttons which control delivery of the Greeting message appear on the System Configuration form. If the Yes button is selected the Greeting message will be sent. If the No button is selected this feature will be suspended. To resume automatic delivery of the Greeting message once it has been turned off, simply return to the System Configuration form, click on the Yes button, and submit the change. All accounts created after the change has been accepted will receive the Greeting message automatically. 5.7 Z-POP Integration ---------------------- Post.Office version 2.0 supports the Z-POP protocol for users with Z-Mail clients. Z-POP support provides these users with folder synchronization, the ability to store messages directly in their POP mailbox, and the ability to store changes to client preferences at the server level thereby propagating them to all related clients. 5.8 Independent Limits for Concurrent Processing ------------------------------------------------- New fields on the System Configuration form allow default values to be overridden and independent values established for the maximum number of concurrent POP3 client connections, incoming SMTP connections, and outgoing SMTP connections. This feature provides Postmasters with the flexibility required to fine tune their system for improved performance. These parameters control the mail systemÆs use of processor time to either limit the mail systemÆs impact on systems heavily loaded with other concurrent application programs or to ensure sufficient processor allocation to the mail system as necessitated by the number of users served by this Post.Office installation. With regard to limits on concurrent processes, it is generally recommended that default values be set low and individual limits increased as required. 5.8.1 Setting Default Limits for Local/Network Processes To set default limits on concurrent processes, access the System Configuration form and enter values in the fields titled Default Maximum Number of Concurrent Network Servers and Default Maximum Number of Concurrent Local Processes. These default values will apply to all network and local processes, respectively, unless overridden by specific entries in the fields labeled Maximum Number of Concurrent POP3 Client Connections, Maximum Number of Concurrent Incoming SMTP Connections, and Maximum Number of Concurrent SMTP Connections. Network processes allow communication between Post.Office and the outside world. They include: the Finger-Server, the Password-Server, the POP3-Server, SMTP-Accept, and the WWW-Server. Local processes are internal to the Post.Office environment. They are as follows: - Account-Manager - AutoReply-Handler - Configuration-Manager - Error-Handler - Mailbox-Deliver - SMTP-Deliver It is important to understand that the default limit on concurrent processes applies to each process independently. If the default limit on local processes is five (the recommended value), then five instances of each local process can be run at the same time (not a total of five local processes). 5.8.2 Setting Limits for Specific Local/Network Processes To set a limit on the maximum number of concurrent POP3 client connections, incoming SMTP connections, or outgoing SMTP connections, access the System Configuration form and enter the desired value in the appropriate field. Note: If the entry field associated with Maximum Number of Concurrent POP3 Client Connections, Maximum Number of Concurrent Incoming SMTP Connections, or Maximum Number of Concurrent SMTP Connections is blank (or says default) the default value will be applied to this process. 5.9 Re-Display of New Account Form ----------------------------------- To assist in the repetitive entry of new accounts, submission of a new Account Data form results in the automatic display of another empty, new Account Data form. This feature reduces the interruption of workflow and allows Postmasters to establish a series of accounts in less time. Once account creation is complete Postmasters follow a link back to the Main Menu for easy access to all Post.Office functions. 5.10 Improved Error Renotification Messages -------------------------------------------- The second notice error message has been modified to better identify error conditions that remain unresolved despite previous notification. It is now clearly labeled with the word RENOTIFICATION in the subject line. Failure to respond to an initial error message results in delivery of a Renotification error (after three days), but failure to respond to a Renotification does not produce any further warnings. The importance of prompt response to error conditions cannot be overemphasized. It is one of the primary responsibilities of the designated Postmaster. Remember, when a message is held for error correction, neither the sender nor the recipient is informed that the transaction remains incomplete. 5.11 NT version only - Integration of NT User/Post.Office Passwords -------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 2.0 of Post.Office offers NT users the ability to use their NT logon password instead of their standard Post.Office password when accessing the Post.Office system to configure their account or retrieve their mail. Their Post.Office password still exists and is maintained independent of the NT password, but it is not used by the Post.Office system if this feature is selected. Instead, Post.Office always verifies and then utilizes the userÆs NT Username Logon Password as the userÆs Post.Office Account Password. Note: Installations which take advantage of this feature frequently define the userÆs NT Logon Name to be the same as their Post.Office POP3 Logon Name. CAUTION: This feature requires that special rights be assigned to the NT user responsible for running Post.Office (the one you created at installation) and to those NT users who wish to use their NT logon password as their Post.Office password. Password integration will NOT work unless these required rights have been assigned (see instructions below). Windows NT 3.51 with Service Pack 2 or higher is also required. 5.11.1 Linking an NT user password to a Post.Office account Use of this feature is activated by accessing the Account Data Form for a particular user, selecting the checkbox which appears beside the phrase "Use the Logon Password assigned to the following NT Username:", and then typing an entry in the text box beneath it. If the desired NT user is a Domain User, you should enter Domain\Username (e.g., sales\joe). If the user is a Local User, you should enter Username only. Additional Requirements In order for this feature to function as designed the following additional conditions must be met. 1. The user must have "Log on locally" rights on the Post.Office host for verification to occur. You can assign a user this right by entering "User Manager" in NT, selecting the user in question, choosing Policies->User Rights, and selecting "Log on locally" from the "Right" field. 2. You will need to add some additional Windows NT Rights to the NT User that you created at installation to run your Post.Office Service (i.e. Post.Office-user). They include: - Act as part of Operating System - Increase quotas - Replace process level token To define (or check) these settings for your <Post.Office-user>: Open your User Manager; Select Policies -> User Rights Click on the "Show Advanced User Rights" Button. Pull down the list labeled "Right:". Select "Act as part of Operating System". Your Post.Office-user needs to be in the Grant To: list. If it is not... Select the Add Button Select the Show User's Button Highlight your post.office-user Select the Add Button to add the user Select the OK Button. Your user has now been granted the "Act as part of Operating System" right. Repeat the steps outlined above for the "Increase quotas" and "Replace process level token" rights. Now reboot your system. The new permissions for your Post.Office-user will then take affect for your Post.Office MTA service. Note: Post.Office version 2.0 also allows access to the integrated NT passwords feature when using perl scripts. If you batch load your NT users with their NT logon names as their POP3 account names, you can also synchronize their Post.Office passwords to be the same as their NT passwords. For additional information on this topic contact Support@Software.com. 5.12 NT version only - SOS Installation Guide ---------------------------------------------- To assist NT users in the installation of Post.Office, a Simple Online Support (SOS) tool has been developed. SOS provides supplemental information which allows the user to properly prepare for installation and guides them through the Setup process. SOS should be launched prior to installation and can be accessed by pointing a browser at the location: http://www.software.com/tech/sos/.po-install The SOS screens list all pre-installation requirements for Post.Office and provide detailed instructions to assist users in meeting those requirements. Once all pre-installation conditions have been met, the SOS display can be positioned to one side of the screen and the Setup installation program launched. The two programs (SOS and Setup) are designed to be used simultaneously with information in one explaining entry fields in the other. Note: SOS is currently available for NT users only. 6. FEATURES IMPLEMENTED IN INTERIM RELEASES --------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTGOING MAIL may be routed to a port other than Port 25 for added flexibility. This is particularly useful in gateway configurations where the gateway is capable of listening to a port other than Port 25. THE POSTMAIL UTILITY was originally implemented in Post.Office version 1.9.1. It is available in the NT version of Post.Office and acts as a "command line mailer" program that allows you to send mail to any SMTP host. The most common uses of postmail are: - Inclusion in .bat files to notify users of errors or results - Inclusion in cgi scripts integrated in web servers - Mailer scripts For additional details on the postmail utility please refer to the Post.Office manual. THE POST.OFFICE CONTROL PANEL APPLET was introduced in version 1.9.3. This applet allows interaction with the Post.Office server via a GUI. To access the applet, open the Control Panel and double click on the Post.Office icon. Information about your particular Post.Office configuration appears at the bottom of the subsequent window. Clicking on the Status button provides information on the current state of the Post.Office service. Clicking on the Startup and Shutdown buttons allow you to start and stop that service. POSTOFFICE PASSWORDS CAN BE CHANGED VIA THE EUDORA MAIL CLIENT if you are running version 1.9.3 or greater of the Post.Office software on an NT system. This feature, however, affects the Post.Office password only and will have no apparent effect on access privileges if you have selected to use NT Logon passwords instead of the standard Post.Office passwords (see Section 4.11). 7. OTHER IMPROVEMENTS (BUG FIXES AND MINOR ENHANCEMENTS) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Removed Fully Qualified Domain Name resolution requirement from HTML Forms. - Fixed functionality of the Default Auto-Reply feature to check for non-white spaces. - Allow submission of the Default Account Form with all fields blank (to remove any default values previously set). - Modified error message to indicate that an Account cannot be deleted while it is active - previously this was reported as a missing range error. - Confirmed restoration of mail routing tables after UNIX upgrades so no information is lost. - Modified UNIX installation to facilitate the automatic creation of accounts: 1. Read User Names from a custom password file instead of just the yp map or /etc/passwd 2. Allow selection of default delivery type - POP or UNIX 3. Select whether to give UNIX users default usernames 4. Allow optional assignment of default POP usernames to each user 5. Convert mail from UNIX mail to the POP mailbox format. - Fixed the password encryption problem for users switching over from sendmail. - Set correct UNIX permissions for local UNIX mailboxes. - Set the default value of the address completion domain at installation with host.domainname. - No longer set an access domain default during UNIX installation. - Accommodate the use of other browsers such as Mosaic or Lynx to configure Post.Office by parsing input for lf and converting to cr-lf. - SMTP Router Channel Alias resolver no longer sends messages out to SMTP deliver without first checking for local accounts. SMTP channel aliases are resolved recursively. - Messages that are intended for Local Delivery but cannot be delivered (typically due to permissions problems) are no longer directed to the Error-Handler; instead they are queued internally. The Postmaster is notified, providing him or her with an opportunity to remedy the situation before the next attempted delivery. - Modified the handling of incoming mail to prevent rejection of messages with improper addressing in the Mail From: field. If the user name is invalid, the name "postmaster" will be substituted. If the domain name is invalid, the domain name will be stripped off and standard routing techniques including address completion will be applied. If no part of the original address is salvageable, Post.Office will replace it with "<>".