OpenVMS server can be configured as Mail Server

[Mahmoud_1]

Dear All,
In fact I have a problem in one of my customers site; which is the mail server attacked by viruses all the time so can we configure the OpenVMS server to be Mail Server.
If yes how can we configure it?

Regards.

[Kris Clippeleyr · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Have a look at the doc at:
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/732final/6526/6526pro_contents_005.html#toc_chapter_19
Regards,
Kris (aka Qkcl)

[Martin Vorlaender]

Mahmoud,

yes, you can configure a VMS system to be a mail server.

The details depend on which TCP/IP software and which version your customer has. If it's HP's TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS, see http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/tcpip55.html .

There are also some third-party mail servers, e.g. MadGoat's MX, see http://www.madgoat.com/mx.html .

HTH,
Martin

[comarow]

Yes, during your configuration process you can configure it as a pop server.

There are also third party tools that scan for viruses so they won't pass them on to your pc's but you VMS system is safe.

One thing to watch out for are the directories used for temporary files can grow large, and should be recreated from time to time, and watch the version number for files don't grow over 32,xxx and change.

Large directories, though improved will slow down performance.

Using your VMS server is a great way to protect your server.


Just rename and purge.

[Craig A Berry]

You can certainly configure SMTP, POP, and IMAP using the documentation that comes with your TCP/IP stack. There are also commercial products from Process Software (PMDF, www.process.com), MadGoat Software (MX, www.madgoat.com) and Stalker Software (Communigate Pro, www.stalker.com) that would very likely give you more features with less hassle.

[Geoff Bryant]

I tripped over this thread a little late. Somoene mentioned our PMDF product for mail services.

The original question also asked about viruses. You may wish to look at our PreciseMail product which will take care of viruses and spam (runs on VMS and other platforms).

www.process.com

[Uwe Zessin]

I've tried to use a VMS system with TCP/IP services as an IMAP store. When I did a copy of some mail messages with Mozilla, the result was :

- a flood of newmail broadcasts

- all coming from user _ZESSIN

- the messages in the mailbox were unusable, because the original From: and Date: information was not retained

I have not checked if there is still a limit of 255/256 characters per line, because this behaviour make the system unusable for me.

[Ian Miller.]

see also product from Sophos for virus scanning.
I've not used either.

[Willem Grooters]

Mine is :-) - even set up as a relay host but you need to take precaustions to prevent abuse. Luckily, that's easy: Look for the template, it resides in SYS$SPECIFIC:[TCPIP$SMTP]. Copy it to .COM and adjust, I _think_ I posted it in the forum previously (and it hasn't changed afterwards either - no need to do so). It may be needed to make changes to SMTP SYSTARTUP as well, see documentation.

For retrieval, I use POP and have setup some logicals as wel to prevent messages be deleted when using POP (default) - they will be moved to the MAIL folder instead.
However, give TCPIP$POP more quota than originally set up. I found the default setting too low.

You could scan mail on your VMS box (indeed: Sophos) and even spam removal (SpamAssassin has been ported to VMS) but that does not remove the need for a PC-based "solution".

[Willem Grooters]

Mine is :-) - even set up as a relay host but you need to take precaustions to prevent abuse. Luckily, that's easy: Look for the template, it resides in SYS$SPECIFIC:[TCPIP$SMTP]. Copy it to .COM and adjust, I _think_ I posted it in the forum previously (and it hasn't changed afterwards either - no need to do so). It may be needed to make changes to SMTP SYSTARTUP as well, see documentation.

For retrieval, I use POP and have setup some logicals as wel to prevent messages be deleted when using POP (default) - they will be moved to the MAIL folder instead. Give TCPIP$POP more quota than originally set up. I found the default setting too low.

You could scan mail on your VMS box for virusses (indeed: Sophos) and even spam removal (SpamAssassin has been ported to VMS) but that does not remove the need for a PC-based "solution".

Another solution, it has been talked about for some time, is HP's "secure mailserver" - VMS based, inclusing mail- and webserver, and Sophos anti-virus, as a package. (may contain Communigate). But I'm not sure of it's current status.