CHAPTER 3 |
Managing Channels |
This section describes how to add and delete channels, and how to configure the channels and the central directory.
For help at any time, click on the question mark above the Properties list, and then click the item you for which you want additional information.To return to the Admin Console home page at any time, click on the "Home" icon located next to the question mark.
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Creating a Channel |
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| 2. | Place the cursor in the Channel Name field and type an appropriate channel name. |
Channel names are not case-sensitive. As a result, you cannot use two channel names such as CCMAIL and CcMail. However, names such as CcMail1 and CCMAIL2can be used simultaneously.
Note - Do not use reserved characters or spaces in the channel name. For example, do not use names such as ccmail*,!ccmail, or "ccmail channel".
| 3. | Pull down the Channel Type cascading menu. Several channel types may be available. Drag the cursor to highlight the type of channel you want to create (in this case, cc:Mail) and release the mouse button. Click OK. |
Note - If you attempt to create a channel without first giving it a name, an error message will appear.
The windows are divided into left and right side columns. Clicking on the item in the left column moves you directly to the right hand column where that subject is displayed. You can also use the vertical scrollbar to move to the section you want to define.
Once you have created a channel, you will configure it so that your mail transactions occur smoothly between your server and client. If the configuration input doesn't match between the two, the connection will fail and no mail transaction can take place. Refer to Appendix A for a worksheet and information on the specific parameters that you need to configure.When configuring channels, you need to observe the following parameters:
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Character set options must be set correctly in all channels or errors in character mappings result. |
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For each mail system, the gateway postoffice used to create the first channel will be used in all subsequent channels of the same type. It cannot be changed without deleting all channels of the same type. For example, the gateway postoffice name you use to create your first cc:Mail channel must be used for all subsequent cc:Mail channels. |
If you are unsure about a particular option, leave the default values in the text field.
General settings for each channel are included in the Properties column of the IMTA Channel Property window. The General Settings include the following:
This checkbox automatically starts the channel on SMCS startup. If you do not select this option, you must manually start the channel from the Administration Console.
This checkbox controls the handling of processed queue messages. Messages are normally deleted from queues after they are delivered. Checking this parameter keeps a copy of each message in the queue even though it has been delivered. Retained messages have a status of DEL, and can be purged through Automated Nightly Maintenance.
This checkbox controls whether addresses in messages processed by this channel are looked up in the directory. Without directory lookups, all messages passing through this channel must contain fully-qualified addresses in order to be delivered.
This is the interval in minutes between mail checks. When the channel finishes processing mail, it sleeps for the Poll Interval before checking again for incoming mail. A sleeping channel wakes when either the Poll Interval expires, or a message is placed in the channel's queue by the router.
This field controls the format of the e-mail alias automatically generated when a new user is added to the directory. As shown in TABLE 3-1, the rule is formed using strings (taken literally) and variables which represent name attributes stored in the directory.
TABLE 3-1 Alias Username Format Variable
$g
$i
$s
$q
Attribute
Given Name
Initials
Surname
Generation Qualifier
Alias Username Format is a write-once field.
Note - Write-once means that you can't change the field without deleting the channel and recreating it.
The default rule for cc:Mail is $g $i $s $q, and a name like Stephen E. Bates III would have an alias of stephen e bates iii.When creating rules, the following guidelines apply:
| 1. | Each variable can appear only once in the rule. |
| 2. | Integers may be used to limit the size of a particular attribute, for example, $7s means seven characters or fewer of the surname attribute. |
Note - This parameter may only be set when the channel is created.
| 3. | A + symbol in front of an integer means that if other size-restricted attributes are empty, the size of this attribute can grow by the size limit of the empty attribute. This allows the total size of the alias to be controlled. For example, $+7s,$5g means "up to seven characters of the surname, followed by a comma and up to five characters of the given name"; however if the given name is blank, the surname can be up to 12 characters. |
| 4. | Other characters can be included. |
Controls the placement of headers within a message; whether at the top, bottom, both, or neither. Required headers are those the channel requires in order to properly process the message. All other headers are considered optional. The cc:Mail default header style is All at Top, None at Bottom.
Specifies the character set to be assigned to text bodyparts that does not contain character set information. For each channel, this should be set to match the character set used by the mail system supported by the channel. The Default Character Set is assigned to all inbound text bodyparts from the mail system.Indicate the name of the cc:Mailgateway posftoffice used by SMCS. The gateway postoffice used to create the first channel will be used in all subsequent channels of the same type. It cannot be changed without deleting all channels of the same type. For example, the gateway postoffice name you use to create your first cc:Mailchannel must be used for all subsequent cc:Mailchannels.
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Configuring General Settings |
| 1. | Check the Restart automatically box if you want the channel to start from the SMCS startup. |
| 2. | Check the Retained processed messages box if you want to keep a copy of each message in the queue after delivery. |
| 3. | Check the Lookup addresses in the directory box if you want the addresses from messages processed by this channel to be looked up in the directory. |
| 4. | Choose the poll interval, entering your value in minutes. |
| 5. | Enter the desired Alias user name format in the text box, using a space between each variable. |
| 6. | Choose the header style. To view different values click on the box right next to the Header Style label. The cc:Mail default style is All at Top, None at Bottom. |
| 7. | Choose the default character set value. To view the available character sets, click on the box next to the Default character set label. |
| 8. | Select the Gateway postoffice name used by SMCS. This parameter must match the Gateway Postoffice on the client side. Check with the cc:Mail system administrator to find out the name of the post office. |
| If you are the system administrator, you will have to create a cc:Mail `P' entry (a temporary repository/postoffice) for use by SMCS. |
| 9. | If you are using the Transport default and not configuring dirsync, you can click OK at this point. If you want to change any settings, click Cancel and select the settings that you want. |
This type of transport provides an Ethernet-based method for transferring messages with a PC-based SPX client program. This type of transport communicates directly with the cc:Mail client for message transfer. You must specify the following parameters:
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Server Name: The name of the SPX server for this channel. |
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Client Name: The SPX name of the PC. |
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Server Address: The hexadecimal socket number used by the SPX service. |
This type of transport moves messages between the UNIX operating system and the PC running a client through a shared file system available to both platforms. When a channel is configured to use file sharing transport, you must specify the shared directory to use for the file exchange.This directory must be accessible for read and write by the cc:Mail client PC using file sharing.
Note - The cc:Mail client returns a nondelivery report for all recipients, even valid ones, if there are one or more bad recipients. If you receive a nondelivery report when sending mail from an SMTP/MIME user to a cc:Mail user, the nondelivery reason for the good recipients is "unknown," and a diagnostic code is not indicated.
Subdirectories are created as needed beneath this shared directory by the SIMS administrator. The cc:Mail channel uses two directories beneath the selected directory, /in and /out, to exchange messages with the cc:Mail client.
The Admin Console will create directories and set permissions correctly so you do not have to manually set them.File sharing requires that both the channel and the PC client have read, write, and delete privileges in the shared directories. The channel is owned by root, but executes as inetmail.
In UNIX system terms these privileges are equivalent to a permissions set of 660, where the user ID that owns the file (either the channel or the PC client) has read, write, and execute privileges for the file, and the inetmail group (either the channel, the PC client, or the channel or site administrator) has read, write, and execute privileges on the file. These permissions limit file access to only the channel, the PC client, and the site and channel administrators, preserving the security of the messages in transit.
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Configuring the Transport for SPX |
The SPX Transport program listens for connections from a PC client program; connections are always established by a "call" from the PC client. The client establishes an active connection to the SPX Transport program. The programs then exchange any queued messages and attachments, deleting the local copies after successful delivery to the corresponding directories on the other system. When all messages are transferred, the client program drops the SPX connection.
| 1. | Type the server name in the Server name text box. This parameter can contain from one to eight alphanumeric characters, and must match the SPX server name provided on the PC side of the link. |
The default value for this parameter is SPXSRV. Any or all channels can use the same server name, so you should not need to change this parameter.
| 2. | Type the client name in the Client name text box.This parameter can contain from one to eight alphanumeric characters, and must match the client name on the PC side of the link. |
| The default value for this parameter is CCMAICLI. This name must be unique within your configuration, so choose another name (such as CCMAICL2) if you have more than one cc:Mail channel. |
| 3. | Type the server address in the Server address text box. |
| The default SPX socket number is 8000; valid ranges are 0001-0BB8 and 8000-FFFF. In almost all circumstances, the default will suffice. In rare cases, other software on the Ethernet may be using SPX socket 8000, in which case you should choose another value. If you change the server address from the default, you must also specify the new socket number using the SERVERSOCKETADDRESS parameter in the client configuration. |
If Sun's NWServ is installed, opt/SUNWefps/sbin/ipxstat-i will show the address for SunNet PC. If TotalNet Advanced Server is installed, /opt/totalbin/bin/tnistat -i will show you the address.
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Configuring the Transport for File Sharing |
Enter the name of the directory to be used for the file exchange between the server and the PC client. The cc:Mail client allows one to eight characters for filenames and directory names.
Directory synchronization (dirsync) is the process by which directories that operate independently of each other are updated so the information within them is consistent. Dirsync ensures that when a change is made in one directory, corresponding directories are updated as well.Refer to the Sun Internet Mail Administrator's Guide for additional information on dirsync.
Directory synchronization occurs in cycles. As a result, changes that occur in one secondary directory (SD) between cycles are not reflected immediately in other SDs until the next cycle is complete. The time between synchronization cycles is scheduled by adding and deleting schedule entries. The directory synchronization is done in three phases:
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Client export |
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Server update |
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Client import |
During this phase, changes are issued to each secondary directory to reflect revisions that have occurred elsewhere. Unauthorized changes are undone. It is recommended that the Client Export phase occurs one half hour before the Server Update.
Updates from each of the secondary directories are filtered and mapped into the format of the central directory. The update should be scheduled one half-hour after the client export phase.
During this phase, changes that have occurred since the last synchronization cycle are resolved by comparing each secondary directory to its state at the end of the previous synchronization cycle. Client import phases for different e-mail systems should be scheduled one half hour after the Server Update phase.
The Dirsync window is located at the bottom of the IMTA Property Book (see FIGURE 3-6).
The Directory Synchronization window includes the following fields:
The channel can perform the following types of directory synchronization:
| - | Full: The channel synchronizes all local and foreign entries. This option should be used the first time a channel is synchronized. Thereafter, full synchronization should be used once per week for configurations. |
| - | Full-Foreign: The channel synchronizes all foreign entries only. Full-foreign synchronization should be used once per week for configurations. |
| - | Incremental: The channel receives only additions, deletions, and changes to local and foreign entries. Incremental synchronization should be scheduled daily. |
| - | None: The channel does not participate in directory synchronization. |
This is the email address of the dirsync client. This address corresponds to the account that is sending updates to the Central Directory. For each channel that is participating in dirsync, you will have to refer to the client setup to get the information required. This address will be of the form:cc:Mailadmin@postoffice.channelname.machinename.domain
where the local host name is fully qualified. The postoffice in the address is the local postoffice, and not the gateway postoffice.
Note - If you don't know what the correct address should be, run an export on your client and watch the logs on the server. The server logs who it got a message from and who it expected the message from. Change your configuration so that the client address matches the actual sender. If the SMCS administrator's name in cc:Mail has a space, use "" to enclose the name. For example, "\"SMCS Admin\" @postoffice.channelname.localhostname".
When the directories are synchronized, both parameters specify how the propagation of new or deleted entries flow to and from the directory. To select an option, click on the box next to propagation label. Retain the default values if you are unsure.
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To Central Directory (CD): This enables you to copy any new or deleted directory information from the channel directories (also known as the subordinate or slave directories) to the central directory. |
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From Central Directory: This enables you to copy any new or deleted directory information from the central directory to the channel directories (also known as the subordinate or slave directories). |
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Bi-directional: Changes made to either the central or the channel directories are propagated to and from both directories. |
When the directories are synchronized, this parameter specifies how the propagation of modified entries flow to and from the directory. To select an option, click on the box next to propagation label. Retain the default values if you are unsure.
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To Central Directory (CD): This enables you to copy any modified directory information from the channel directories (also known as the subordinate or slave directories) to the central directory (also known as the LDAP directory). |
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From Central Directory: This enables you to copy any modified directory information from the central directory (also known as the LDAP directory) to the channel directories (also known as the subordinate or slave directories). |
The LDAP server schedule is set in the following screen (see FIGURE 3-7).
| 1. | Click on the SUN Directory Services icon in the Admin Console home page. |
| 2. | Select SMCS Directory Sync. |
| 3. | To set the schedule, click on the Active box. |
| 4. | Set the day or days that you want to update the directory. |
| 5. | Set the time for the update, including whether you want it to occur in the AM or PM. |
| 6. | If you want to repeat the update, choose how often to repeat it. |
| 7. | Click the Apply button. |
When you delete a channel, all user entries for that channel are deleted in the central directory. Adding a channel with the same name does not undelete the entries. For dirsync channels. when you delete a channel and then add that channel name back, the next dirsync cycle deletes all user entries from the synchronized directory.
Note - To prevent deleting all user entries when deleting a dirsync channel, set the synchronized directory as the owner of the user objects. When you delete a channel, you need to delete the LAN subdirectories as well
To delete a channel:
| 1. | Select the channel you want to delete from the IMTA Property Book page. |
| 2. | Choose the Selected drop-down menu and choose Delete. |
For Internet Message Transfer Agent (IMTA) to exchange mail with cc:Mail via SPX, the proper application must be running. Client applications can be started manually or via a batch file. Some client applications might be run continuously, using a batch file. The following cc:Mail client application exchanges messages between email systems and cc:Mail:
Note - To run on a DOS machine, use cclient -1.