Setting Up Digest Mode

---

Lists that receive a large volume of messages can be set up in digest mode. This gives subscribers the option of periodically receiving a digest rather than being interrupted every few minutes with a new message from a list.

The list server stores all messages sent to the list in a digest mailbox. The accumulated messages are then sent to digest subscribers as a single message.

You schedule the digest to be sent at a particular time (for example daily or weekly) or when the size of the digest reaches a specified number of bytes. When list users receive a digest, it will contain all the messages sent to the list since the last digest was sent.

The digest is written to a special mailbox that you define. List users can choose between receiving a digest and receiving all messages as they are sent. To receive the digest, list users must send mail to the list server (imailsrv@domain) and enter the following command in the body of the message: set mode digest listname

Where listname is the name of the list-server mailing list. A confirmation message will be sent to the user. To cancel digest mode, users can enter the following command in the body of the message:

set mode standard listname 

where listname is the name of the list-server mailing list.

To set up digest mode for a list-server mailing list:

To set up digest mode, do the following:

1. On the Advanced tab, select Enable Digest Mode.

   When Enable Digest Mode is selected, the Digest and Digest Schedule tabs appear.

2. Click the Digest tab. The options appear.
3. Digest Mailbox. Enter the name of the mailbox where postings get stored before the digest mailing is sent out.

   Copies of all postings are sent to:

   list_administrator-mailboxname@domain.com 
   
   

   After a posting is sent to the digest list, the Digest Mailbox is emptied and a copy is saved to a file named in the format:

   digestmailboxMMDD.mbx

   where digestmailbox is the name of the Digest Mailbox, MM is the month, and DD is the day of the posting.

   The list administrator can view the mailbox by using either Web Messaging or the Remote Administration utility. He or she can delete or add messages before the posting is sent, and can also view posted digests in the digestmailboxMMDD.mbx file described above.

4. Subject Line for Digest Postings. Enter the text that you want to appear as the Subject line on digest postings.
5. Include Headers/Trailers When Posting to Digest Mailbox. When selected, the messages posted in the digest include the header and or trailer messages. We recommend disabling this option as it will make the digest larger and the digest has its own header and trailer.
6. Strip Non-Text Attachments before Posting. When selected, strips attachments such as images and zipped files.
7. Enable Message Separators. Lets you enter lines or characters to automatically separate messages in the digest posting. When you select this option, the Edit button is selected. Click Edit and then enter the lines or characters you want to use as a separator.
8. Enable Digest Header/Enable Digest Trailer. When selected, displays text at the beginning or end of every digest posting. To enter header or trailer text, select Enable Digest Header/Trailer, click Edit, and then enter the text. (This text is entered in the digest_header.txt and/or digest_trailer.txt file.)

   For example, you can enter the subscribe/unsubscribe information for the digest and have it appear at the beginning or end of every digest.

9. Digest Subscribers. Click this button to edit the list of users (digest.lst) subscribed to the digest.
10. Click Apply to save your changes.
11. Set the scheduling method (and date/time, if necessary) to determine how often and when the digest will be posted.

Digest Scheduling

If you have completed the previous procedure, you can now schedule the digest:

1. Click the Digest Scheduling tab. The scheduling options appear.
2. From the Periodicity drop-down list, select how often you want to post the digest.
   • Daily. If you want to post the digest daily, select this and set the date and time to post the digest.
   • Weekly. If you want to post the digest weekly, select this and set the date and time to post the digest.
   • Bi-Weekly. If you want to post the digest every two weeks, select this and set the date and time to post the digest.
   • Monthly. If you want to post the digest monthly, select this and set the date and time to post the digest.
   • User-defined. If you want to post the digest every nn days, select this and enter the number of days. This affects both how often the digest is posted and how it is rescheduled for the next posting.
   • Size-Exceeds. To specify a size that causes the digest to be published, select this and enter the number of kilobytes. This affects both how often the digest is posted and how it is rescheduled for the next posting.
   • Manual. If you want the digest to be posted only when you click the Process/Send Now button, select this.
3. The Last Processing Date/Time shows the date and time of the last digest posting.
4. Next Processing Date/Time. If the next digest has been scheduled, the next date and time is shown. If date and time are blank, then enter the desired next processing date and time and these values will be updated after the next digest is posted.
5. Click Process/Send Now at any time to post the digest now and reschedule according to the selected periodicity.
6. Click Apply to save your settings.

Ipswitch, Inc. http://www.ipswitch.com

©Ipswitch 2001 IMail Server Support Center