2002.05_Caldera Volution-Professional Mail System.pdf

ON TEST

CALDERA VOLUTION

The complete email solution?

MESSAGING SERVER 1.0R

A n MTA (Mail Transfer Agent) alone rarely

There are now more

and more commercial

products joining the

already gigantic

range of Open

Source MTAs,

promising an

integrated solution

together with a Web

interface. Nico

Lumma investigates

just one example,

Caldera’s Volution

Messaging Server

comprises the complete mail infrastructure in

companies these days. There is usually an

IMAP server as well, and since the invention of the

Web as the all-beatifying Internet service, electronic

mail should as far as possible also be accessible via

the Web. The idea is that people who don’t want to

devote a great deal of time to assembling separate

software components will, conversely, rather spend

some money to get a total solution.

Caldera’s product for this target group is called the

Volution Messaging Server 1.0. As well as the

product CD, the manufacturer and Linux distributor

also supplies a somewhat slender manual, in which

installation and configuration are explained. Caldera

confidently insists that you use its own operating

system for the mail solution: Open Linux Server 3.1 or

Open Unix 8 must be installed on the prospective

mailserver. The Linux distribution is nevertheless also

available as an out of the box product by download.

Caldera Open Linux Server 3.1 was installed in

short order on the test server, which occurred very

rapidly and efficiently thanks to the multi-tasking

installation tool Lizard, which functions beautifully.

When the Messaging Server product CD is then

inserted in the drive, with the KDE desktop open, it is

automatically recognised and KDE merely enquires as

to whether autorun.sh should be started

automatically. If this is agreed to, the installation of

the necessary packages proceeds extremely briskly

(Figure 1) and, at the same time, completely free

from any configuration queries. Lastly, rpms are

installed with the graphic progress indicator keeping

the user informed about the activities of the installer.

Getting started

Since 4 January it has been possible to download the

Maintenance Pack 1.0.1 from the Caldera FTP site.

The user only has to unpack a tar archive and execute

install.sh – the rpms are then automatically refreshed.

The Maintenance Pack fixes security problems in MTA

Postfix, the Cyrus IMAP Server and the Web-mail

solution IMP.

It takes relatively little time to get Open Linux

Server 3.1 and the Messaging Server – including

updates – up and running. This is also speeded up by

the fact that the installation completely skips the

restarts, which are usual with other distributions. The

Messaging Server is then configured via a Web

interface, which can be found at

https://Hostname/msg . The Apache Web server is

automatically started on the Messaging Server and

can make SSL-encrypted connections in its basic

configuration.

The admin area is reached in the usual way with

the username-password combination admin / admin ,

which is why the first thing the system administrator

should do is change the password of this user. The

Web interface itself is very clear and divided into four

main points: Domains, Users, Aliases and System

(Figure 2).

In the test environment there is only the domain,

localhost, which is why it is a good idea to create at

least one proper domain first of all (Figure 3), to

which one can then add one or more users, who can

also be given aliases. Domains, users and aliases

which have been created can, of course, be changed

or deleted. The LDAP server stores all the data. For

both users and aliases, there is a search mask, with

the aid of which one can find the corresponding

entries quickly and easily.

The menu item System offers the Admin the

option of changing his password or getting an

overview of the current processes in the Messaging

Server. He can also grant users some access

options. These include changing the respective

password, adapting a user profile or making one’s

own aliases. If a more detailed Postfix configuration

is desired, though, the system administrator must

rely on an editor and modify the corresponding

configuration files.

The Web-based configuration menu is also available

to the individual user, although in this case it is only

Figure 1: Installation is done automatically

LINUX MAGAZINE

Issue 20 • 2002

ON TEST

Figure 2: The Admin area after logging in

the LDAP server of Messaging Server and via the

free/busy function you can make your schedule

available, but this extends only as far as showing

others in the LAN when you are busy or have some

time. The complete integration of the calendar

feature with the server does not, however, exist.

This would, for example, enable users to let other

people enter and/or delete an appointment or to

block times.

The Web-mail client IMP (version 2.2.7) which

comes as part of the package functions solidly,

though it is unfortunately not integrated in the

Messaging Server, but to be found at

https://Hostname/horde/imp . IMP (Figure 4) offers all

features one would expect of a Web-mail client: It

can cope with several folders and subscribe to various

IMAP folders, allows searches of the LDAP databank

and can send attachments.

However, it offers no option for filtering emails. It

would also make sense to be able to apply Procmail

or SIEVE rules actually on the server – here, too,

Messaging Server has to pass.

possible to change a few personal settings or to install

a vacation memo or a mail-forward. Options, such as

mail-filters or more complex vacation configuration

will, however, be sought in vain.

Outlook as the measure

of all things?

The item Client-Setup offers one very interesting

feature, which allows Outlook/Outlook Express (98,

2000, XP) to be configured automatically. A click on

Configure creates a Visual Basic script file with the

personal configuration data of the user, which is then

immediately executed and makes the corresponding

settings in Outlook and sets up an account. At this

point, there was an error message in the test, but

nevertheless the corresponding data was saved for

posterity in an Outlook account.

This is how users of this Windows mail client

obtain a completely configured email account and

fully installed access to the LDAP server at no great

expense. For other mail programs, the menu item

Client-Setup allows all important data to be seen at a

glance, in order then to enter it into the

configuration of the Mail User Agent.

Caldera explicitly points out that the Messaging

Server is compatible with Outlook. This is certainly

true, since Outlook speaks POP3, IMAP and SMTP

like any other good mail client. But this statement

suggests a range of functions similar to Microsoft’s

Exchange Server – and that’s promising far too

much. The Windows mail client can certainly call on

Figure 4: The inbox under the IMP Web-mail client

Conclusion

Even though Volution Messaging Server’s range of

functions is fairly slender, it does look attractive for

those who don’t want to configure this

functionality themselves. The installation, during

which only the required packages are installed,

works without a hitch and getting started is

equally smooth.

However, a Web browser admin will run aground

early on, doing everyday tasks such as entering a

relay mailserver – without a text editor and Postfix

know-how, nothing will work. Nor do the manual or

online help provide any assistance. One tasty morsel

is the automatic configuration script for Windows

users, but this should be expanded as a matter of

urgency for Linux users, too.

Lastly, the high price for not very much in the

way of functionality will play a part in the

implementation decision, especially in view of the

licensing policy, which, under the cheapest licence,

allows it to be used by only 25 clients.

Volution Messaging Server

Figure 3: The options for making a domai.

Supplier Caldera

Price $899 (plus $249 for Open Linux

Server 3.1.1)

Web http://www.caldera.com

For Easy to install and get started

Against Expensive, limited function

range

Issue 20 • 2002

LINUX MAGAZINE

rating

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: