Create Domino SMTP Server

It depends on the total infrastructure you set up. Are those servers in different locations? Adding a mail-relay server won't help much, I think, because in the end the final server will have to handle the mail after all. You have to run an investigation through all servers. Maybe you'd better have one mail-server and one applications server. Or, just for the relay and firewall, you set up a separate Linux-server with SMTP and the lot. I'd need more info before I can properly answer your question. And even then...

Ah, sorry, one cluster... Better to separate mail and other applications. Why the cluster?

http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/ls-Predict_Cluster_Performance/

Hi Bosman,

We use cluster for all our manager emails as a failover incase serverA is out of service. Can you advice how can we setup another domino server that would act as our smtp server?


Regards

What would be gained with another server? Where would the mail databases be, both on the new server and on serverA?

Hi lordfc,
You'd have to change the MX records to point to server3, and on that server turn on the SMTP listener task, and give it a lower value than a secondary server (in case server3 goes down).

Then you'd have to open port 25 for that server on your firewall.

Then you'd have to configure that server to listen, by turning on the SMTP listener task in the Server document, and smtp routing in your local domain.

Please see the steps in Administration help under: Configuring Domino to send and receive mail over SMTP  

I had it set up this way in the last place I worked.  All incoming went through a separate server, but we let the domino servers send smtp mail.  Cut down significantly on spam processing.



Regards!

A whole new Domino server, just for SPAM? That's an expensive solution. It's far better to set up a Linux server as a relay server, with some SPAM-killing software.

true.. :)

We wanted to put up additional domino server that would act as smtp because we wanted to off-load our primary mail Server A..

So that the new Domino SMTP server will be the one responsible for routing mails, thus freeing up performance resources on ServerA. Currently only our ServerA is the one who routes mail, if the user is on ServrB, serverA will routes the mail to serverB.


Please advice

Like I said, we did it this way with a separate server routing SMTP mail, and it did free up the resources on the mail mail servers.

But if your users will still use the main mail server to access their mail databases, AND you have to replicate very often to get mail from the new mail server to the main mail server, what would be the effect??

Build a case, write down the positive and negative effects, calculate and report to your manager. It depends on the amount of SPAM you get.

No difference at all, sjef.. the spam software was on the 3rd box, along with the Notes Exchange connector.  In fact , it wasn't even a robust mail server.  The two mail servers with mail databases weren't going down every two hours, and weren't affecting users when they went down - (you know how that is, mail server goes down, you can't work).  Meanwhile, if the smtp server went down, it didn't affect anyone... we'd fix and reboot and mail resumed.

Exactly what problem are you having with the suggestion or implementation?

lordfc, on which server(s) do you want the mailfiles to reside?

Hi Sjef,

All the user mail files will resides on the two Clustered server. NO mail files on SMTP server.


I think Abelv's suggestions would do the trick..
Copy Abelv, Is this what i would be creating?
1. SMTP Server Connection Document
2. Foreign SMTP Domain Document


Please extend more help.

Thanks

I see. So it will be a relay server only? What Abelv describes is how to set up an additional SMTP server, indeed. Just to be sure: do some performance measuring on the server before you set up the new SMTP-server, and after.

I still fail to see the real gain. I suppose the Internet connection you have isn't very high-speed, compared to the internal network. But I'm always open to learn...

Follow up Questions:
Copy, Abelv,


SMTP Server:
1. Create SMTP Server Connection Document
      a. Destination Server:  “ * “ or “ ANYHOST “
      b. Destination Domain: “ THEINTERNET “
      c. SMTP MTA Relay Host:  ?

Question:
- Under Destination Server, is it okey if we put " * " (asterisk)  instead of ANYHOST?
- Do we need to put SMTP MTA Relay Host?


MAIL Server:
1. Create Foreign SMTP Domain Document
    a. Restrictions / Allow Mail only from domains:  ?
    b. Routing / Internet Domain:  *.*
    c. Routing / Domain name: THEINTERNET

Question:
- Under Allow Mail only from domains, is it okey if we put " * " (asterisk)?


Also, on the MAIL Server, do we need to disable the "SMTP Mail routing task" and the "SMTP Listener task"? Since all of the Incoming/Outgoing will be redirected to SMTP Server... Only the "Mail Routing Task" is enabled.


Also, do we need to put anything on the Configuration Documents ; Router/SMTP ; Relay host for messages leaving the local internet domain: on the SMTP server or on the MAil Server?

Please Advice,

Hi sjef,


If we are to put the smtp task on our current mail server, we experience poor server performance because we have 2,000 mail users.. That's why we need to isolate the smtp server, the anti-virus from the Mail server to off-load the mail server.

The SMTP server will now be the entry point of all incoming mails, the SMTP server will route mails intended either to Mail1 or Mail2 server.


Please advice,

Regards

Hey lordfc,

you will see gains from moving all your smtp tasks from your current mail server to a standalone smtp relay or relays, that coupled with blacklists and white lists it will ehlp you reduce spam and also allow you to do beautiful mail journaling(everything that user A gets and everything user A sends, make me a copy...or every excel sheet that goes out...make me a copy)...so yes you will see a performance gain on your mail server and you will also be able to use your smtp servers to do other things...like maybe domain monitoring...which is very cool.  ANyway your questions

1)  I have mine set to 'ANYHOST' I am assuming '*' would do the trick.  You can try this and see what happens at worst youll dirsupt mail flow for a fraction of time.
The SMTP MTA relay host should be left as is...BLANK...this was old school 4.6 stuff for backwards compatibility
2) Dont worry about the RESTRICTIONS TAB under the Foreign Domain doc...thats old school 4.6...it might work with the *.*...but its like an oxymoron...Mail ONLY from everyone...just leave it blank...hey best of luck....

Journalling, Message Tracking, SPAM checking, yes indeed, but they are "fringe benefits", as they weren't part of the question. But you're absolutely right...

(Poor defence, Sjef!   Yeah, I know...)

Lordfc, if you open the Domino Administration Help to:
>>>>>>>Configuring Domino to send and receive mail over SMTP  
Then you will get step-by-step instructions.

Prepare your system for sending messages to the Internet by testing your Internet connection and verifying that DNS is set up properly.
Enable the SMTP Listener task in the Server document of each server you want to receive mail over SMTP
Enable SMTP routing within the local Internet domain so that servers can send mail over SMTP within the local Internet domain.  
Enable SMTP to be used to send messages outside the local Internet domain.
Specify the relay host, if any, to be used when sending mail outside the local Internet domain. Configure a relay host for SMTP servers that do not have direct access to the Internet.
Set up inbound and outbound mail restrictions to protect against misuse of the mail infrastructure.
To allow POP3 or IMAP users who connect to Domino from an external network to send mail to external Internet domains, specify exceptions to inbound relay enforcement for authenticated users.