Checking Configuration of the Primary Host

---

After installing IMail Server, you have a single mail host configured (the primary mail host). Check the following items in the primary mail host configuration:

• This primary mail host must have the same name as the host on which you installed IMail Server. This is the official host name that you see when you expand the localhost folder in the left panel.

If you do not want to use the official host name of your server as the name of the primary mail host, you can create an alias for the primary mail host. See "Setting Up an Alias for a Host" for information.

• The domain name for the local network must be set in your Windows configuration.

To check the domain name for your local network (in Windows), double-click the Network icon in the Control Panel, select the Protocols tab, then select TCP/IP Protocol in the list, and click Properties. The "Microsoft TCP/IP Properties" dialog box appears. Click the DNS tab to view domain information.

To check the DNS information (on Windows 2000), double click the System icon in the Control Panel, select the Network Identification tab, then click Properties. The Identification Changes dialog box appears which displays the domain information.

• The DNS server for the local network must appear on the IMail Administrator SMTP tab. To check the DNS server setting, click the SMTP tab. In the Domain Name Server address box, you should see the IP address of your DNS server.

  Note: You can see your own DNS records (and those of any host) with the Lookup utility in Ipswitch's WS_Ping ProPack, a network information tool. An evaluation version of WS_Ping ProPack is included on the IMail Server CD, and is available on the Ipswitch website: www.ipswitch.com.

Checking the DNS Configuration for the Primary Host

For background information about DNS records, see "Appendix A: Mail Servers and the DNS" in the IMail Server Getting Started Guide.

Setting Up DNS for the Primary Host

Verify or create the following entries for your primary mail host in your DNS:

• An MX record for the mail domain (for example, domain.com). The MX record identifies the host name of the computer running the mail server (the IMail Server computer).
• An A record for the host name of the computer running IMail Server. The A record maps a host name to an IP address.
• A PTR record for the IP address of the computer running IMail Server. The PTR record maps an IP address to the host name and is used for reverse lookups.

Example: The DNS entries for a host with an official host name of mail.domain.com would look like:

SOA 
$ORIGIN 
... 
domain.com 
     IN MX 10 mail.domain.com		(MX record) 
     mail IN A 156.21.50.5		(A record) 

5.50.21.156.in-addr.arpa.,type = PTR
host = mail.domain.com (PTR record)

A DNS lookup for mail sent to user@domain.com would find that the mail must be sent to the host mail.domain.com.

Setting Up DNS for Multiple Mail Hosts

For a virtual host with an IP address, you must make the following entries in your DNS:

• An MX record for the mail domain (i.e. mail.domain2.com). The MX record identifies the host name of the virtual host.
• An A record for the host name of the virtual host. The A record maps a host name to an IP address.
• A PTR record for the IP address of the virtual host. The PTR record maps an IP address to the host name and is used for reverse lookups.

Example: The DNS entries for a virtual host with a host name of mail.domain2.com would look like:

SOA 
$ORIGIN 
... 
domain2.com 
     IN MX 10 mail.domain2.com		(MX record) 
     mail IN A 156.21.50.10		(A record)  

5.50.21.156.in-addr.arpa.,type = PTR
host = mail.domain.com (PTR record)

A DNS lookup for mail sent to user@domain2.com would find that the mail must be sent to the host mail.domain2.com.

For a virtual host without an IP address, you must make only one entry in your DNS: an MX record for the mail domain (i.e. mail.domain3.com). This MX record identifies the host name of the primary mail host. As an example, the DNS entries for a virtual host without IP address for which the host name is mail.domain3.com would look like:

SOA 
$ORIGIN 
... 
domain3.com 
     IN MX 10 mail.domain.com  

A DNS lookup for mail sent to user@domain3.com would find that the mail needs to be sent to the host mail.domain.com.

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

©Ipswitch 2004