6.8 Modifying SMTP virtual server parameters | Monitoring and Managing Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server (HP Technologies)

Chapter 6 - Managing E-Mail Connectivity
Monitoring and Managing Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server
by Mike Daugherty
Digital Press 2001

6.10 Creating an SMTP Connector

An SMTP Connector can be used to connect two Exchange 2000 servers, to connect an Exchange 2000 server to other SMTP-compatible messaging systems such as the Internets SMTP servers, or to Exchange servers in other organizations. You can create an SMTP Connector using the following procedure:

Start the System Manager from the Windows 2000 Start menu by selecting Programs Microsoft Exchange System Manager.

Note

By default, administrative groups and routing groups are not displayed. If you have not already enabled these, right-click on the Exchange organization and select Properties to display the organization properties. Select the Display administrative groups check box to allow the administrative groups to be displayed and select the Display routing groups check box to display the routing groups. You must restart the Exchange System Manager after enabling display of administrative groups and routing groups.

Expand the Administrative Groups section.
Expand the administrative group (e.g., First Administrative Group) that contains the routing group where you want to add a connector.
Expand the Routing Groups section.
Expand the routing group where you want to add the connector.
Right-click on the Connectors section, and select New SMTP Connector.
On the General tab (Figure 6.18), enter a name for the new SMTP Connector.

Figure 6.18: The General tab
If you want to send e-mail directly to the recipients server, select Use DNS to route to each address space on this connector . The SMTP connector then routes messages based on the Domain Name Service (DNS) mail exchanger (MX) record for the recipients mail environment.
If you want to route all e-mail to another system, select Forward all mail through this connector to the following smart host and enter the name or IP address of the server through which you want to route messages. If you enter an IP address, it must be enclosed in brackets. This value overrides the smart host setting on the Delivery tab of the SMTP virtual server properties.
Select the Add button to specify one or more local bridgehead servers from the list of servers in the routing group.
Select the Do not allow public folder referrals check box to prevent public folder referrals through the connector. By default, public folder affinity is transitive, meaning that public folder referrals are available to all other servers in the connected routing group. Selecting this check box will disable this.
Select the Content Restrictions tab to specify the priority and types of messages that can be delivered through this connector (Figure 6.19).

Figure 6.19: The Content Restrictions tab
Select any combination of the High , Normal , or Low check boxes to specify priorities for outgoing messages that can be delivered through this connector. By default, all priorities can be delivered. If you clear one of the check boxes, no messages with that priority will be delivered through the connector.
Select any combination of System messages or Non-system messages to specify the types of outgoing messages that can be delivered through this connector. System messages are messages generated by Exchange or Windows (e.g., directory replication messages, public folder replication messages, delivery reports, nondelivery reports ), rather than interpersonal messages from users.
Select the Only messages less than (KB) check box and use the associated field to specify a maximum size for outgoing messages delivered through this connector. By default, there is no message size limit.
Select the Delivery Options tab to specify a connection schedule for the connector (Figure 6.20).

Figure 6.20: The Delivery Options tab
Use the Connection time drop-down list to select the time when messages will be delivered through this connector. You can accept one of the intervals on the drop-down list or select Customize to display the Schedule dialog box where you can specify the desired schedule.
Select the Use different delivery times for oversize messages check box if you want a different delivery schedule for large messages.
- In the Oversize messages are greater than (KB) field, enter the message size that you want to be considered as oversize.
- Use the Connection time drop-down list to select the time when oversize messages will be delivered through this connector. You can accept one of the intervals on the drop-down list or select Customize to display the Schedule dialog box where you can specify the desired schedule.
Select Queue messages for remote triggered delivery to hold mail for clients that connect periodically to download messages. The SMTP Connector will send messages to the client domain when the client issues an ETRN or TURN command.
If you are holding mail for clients that periodically connect, select Add to specify the accounts that will be allowed to trigger delivery in this domain.
Select the Advanced tab (Figure 6.21) to configure the connector to use Extended SMTP commands and how clients de-queue messages waiting on the server. Since not all mail servers support Extended SMTP, these options cannot be used in all cases.

Figure 6.21: The Advanced tab
Select the Send HELO instead of EHLO check box to send the standard SMTP HELO command to start a message instead of the Extended SMTP EHLO command. If you do not select this option, Exchange will start messages by sending ELHO. If the target system does not recognize the ELHO command, then Exchange will send HELO as a second command to continue communicating.
Select the Outbound Security button to configure outbound security and provide the authentication credentials required by the remote domain. The available options are:
- Anonymous access . No user name or password is sent to the remote domain. This is the default setting, but is only useful if the remote domain requires no authentication.
- Basic authentication . The account name and password is sent to the remote domain in clear text.
- Integrated Windows authentication . This option requires a Windows account name. Authentication will be negotiated by the Windows operating system.
- Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption . TLS is a privacy protocol that uses a smart card or certificate.
Some mail servers can be configured to hold e-mail for clients that are only periodically connected to the server. To retrieve the queued mail, the client sends either a TURN or ETRN command to the server. Select Do not send ETRN/TURN to prevent requests from clients requesting servers to process the mail in their queues.
Select Request ETRN/TURN when sending messages to specify that dequeuing requests be sent with the message. If you choose this option, you can also request dequeuing at certain times by selecting the Additionally request mail at specified times check box.
Select Request ETRN/TURN from different server to request dequeuing from a server other than the one to which the message is being sent. Enter the server name or IP address in the Server field. The IP address must be enclosed in brackets.
If you have not disabled ETRN/TURN, you can use the Connection time drop-down list to select the time when message dequeuing should be done. You can accept one of the times on the drop-down list or select Customize to display the Schedule dialog box where you can specify the desired schedule.
If you have not disabled ETRN/TURN, use the Issue ETRN or Issue TURN options to specify that the client send the ETRN or TURN command for de-queuing. Select the Domains button to specify the domains for which ETRN should be used. Since ETRN is an Extended SMTP command, it may not be supported by all remote systems.
Select the Details tab.
Use the Administrative note field on the Details tab to enter additional information about the SMTP Connector.
Select the Address Space tab to define the SMTP domains that this connector can reach (Figure 6.22).

Figure 6.22: The Address Space tab
Exchange uses address spaces and recipient address information to route messages. An address space defines the types of mail addresses that can be handled by the SMTP Connector. Select the Add button to create a new address space entry.
- The Add Address Space dialog box will be displayed. Select the type of address space you want to create. The available choices are SMTP, X.400, Microsoft Mail, Lotus cc:Mail, Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise, and Other. An Address Space Properties dialog box will be displayed when you select OK.
- The fields and options available in the Address Space Properties dialog box will vary depending upon the type of address space you are creating. For example, the Internet Address Space Properties dialog box contains fields for the e-mail domain and cost. In the E-mail domain field, enter the e-mail domain for the target routing group or e-mail system. The e-mail domain name is composed of a host name and an Internet domain name (e.g., compaq.com).
- In the Cost field, enter a value between 1 and 100, indicating the relative cost of using this connector to send messages. If there are multiple routes to the same address space, Exchange will compare the costs to determine the preferred route. You can assign the same cost value to multiple routes to balance the message load across multiple connectors.
The Connector scope controls which servers in your organization can send messages through this SMTP connector. For example, if you have an Internet connection in North America and another for Europe, you probably do not want your European servers routing their Internet traffic through the North American server. Select Entire organization to make the SMTP Connector available to all servers in your organization. Select Routing group to make the connector available to only those servers in the same Exchange 2000 routing group.
The rapid increase of unsolicited commercial e-mail is such a common problem that many companies block or filter e-mail from the Internet domains where this type of electronic junk mail is known to originate. To circumvent these filters, this type of e-mail is often relayed through other unsuspecting SMTP servers to hide the actual source of the e-mail. Select the Allow messages to be relayed to these domains check box only if you want to allow unauthenticated users and computers to relay messages through your system. This is not recommended in most cases, especially if your server is connected to the Internet. However, if you have an existing production system that has relaying enabled, you should proceed with caution before disabling the relay capability. Some internal application developers may be using this SMTP service to mail enable applications.
Select the Connected Routing Groups tab (Figure 6.23) to identify one or more routing groups that can be reached through this SMTP connection. You must configure either a connected routing group on this tab or an address space on the Address Space tab.

Figure 6.23: The Connected Routing Groups tab
Select the Add button to create a new connected routing group entry.
- The Properties dialog box will be displayed. The Properties dialog box has a General tab and a Routing Address tab. Each connected routing group is identified using its administrative group name and routing group name. On the General tab, use the Routing group drop-down list to select the connected routing group. The routing groups in the drop-down list are identified using a combination of their routing group name and associated administrative group name (e.g., First Administrative Group/First Routing Group ). All connected routing groups must be in the same Exchange organization, so the Organization field cannot be changed.
- On the Routing Address tab, use the E-mail domain field to enter the e-mail domain for the target routing group (e.g., compaq.com). In the Cost field, enter a value between 1 and 100, indicating the relative cost of using this connector to send messages. If there are multiple routes to the same routing group, Exchange will compare the costs to determine the preferred route. You can assign the same cost value to multiple routes to balance the message load across multiple connectors.
Select the Delivery Restrictions tab (Figure 6.24). You can use the options on this tab to accept or reject messages from any sender listed in the directory.

Figure 6.24: The Delivery Restrictions tab
Under By default, messages from everyone are , select either Accepted or Rejected . By default, messages from all senders are accepted.
- If you select Accepted , all messages will be accepted, except for messages from senders you specify in the Reject messages from list.
- If you select Rejected , all messages will be rejected, except for messages from senders you specify in the Accept messages from list.
If you selected Rejected , use the Add button under Accept messages from to select specific senders from whom mail will be accepted. You can add users, contacts, or groups.
If you selected Accepted , use the Add button under Reject messages from to select specific users, contacts, or groups from whom mail will be rejected. If a sender's name is in the Reject messages from list, messages from that sender will be returned to the sender.
Select OK when finished.