Many mail systems require you to use and maintain a dedicated server. A dedicated server is simply a computer that is devoted to the task of receiving mail from one computer and then sending it off to another. Dedicated servers almost always tie up at least one of the Macs in your office and require that a “system administrator” spend a good portion of his or her time setting it up and keeping it running. Another drawback of using dedicated-server technology is that every piece of mail you send is first sent to the server and then sent to its final destination–a process that can take twice the time and produce twice the network traffic of point-to-point delivery.
Many offices do not need any form of server to use e-mail effectively. With Snap Mail, as long as computers in the office are on, mail will be sent directly from the sending computer to the receiving computer. If the receiving computer is not on, the mail will be held until the receiver does turn on. This method is efficient and does not require dedicated hardware.
Although dedicated servers have many drawbacks, they have one main advantage: servers allow mail to be delivered even if the sending computer has been shut off. One of the ways Snap Mail distinguishes itself from other e-mail systems is by the flexibility and ease with which it handles mail servers. In SnapMail, a server is simply a computer that volunteers to hold outgoing mail for computers that have shut down.
• Allow This Computer to Function as a Server
Check this preference if you want your Mac to be a server. It is possible to have many Macs acting as servers, or none at all. If a server is available, a Mac that is being shut down can forward its pending mail to the server for delivery when the destination computers are turned on. If your Mac is set to be a server and you shut it down, an attempt will be made to send any pending mail off to another available server. Note that if there is no other server available, any mail being held by your computer will be stranded until you turn it back on again.
When using Snap Mail with remote users connecting via modem and ARA, it is a good idea to check this preference on one of the Macs on the network (preferably the same Mac that is the ARA server). Without a server, mail from the remote user cannot be sent to Macs that are shut down, nor can mail from those Macs be forwarded to the remote user.
Note: This preference should not be checked on any remote Macs. If a remote Mac is set to function as a server, mail for other people may get stranded on it.
If there is no individual using Snap Mail from a Mac that is acting as a server, it may be desirable not to list that computer as a potential recipient of mail. By checking the “Hide Server” checkbox, you can prevent the server computer from being listed on other users’ User Lists.
• Send Pending Mail to Server at Shutdown
If you would like your undelivered outgoing mail to be sent to a server when your Mac shuts down, check this preference. Once your mail and alerts have been sent off to a server, they can no longer be “unsent.” The default for this preference is to allow mail to be sent to a server. If more than one Mac is set to function as a server on a network, then all servers should have this preference checked. This way if a server is shut down, any mail on that server will be sent to another server.
• Send All Mail Directly to Server
If you would like every piece of mail that you send to go directly to a server, then check this preference. All users who connect to a network with AppleTalk Remote Access should set this preference. If it is not set, a remote user cannot send mail to a computer on the network that is turned off or otherwise unavailable.
