Setting Up Web Messaging

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1. Determine the Web address for your Web Messaging server
2. Set up the SSL capability to provide secure communications between the server and users' browsers. (Optional) (see "Using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)")
3. Configure the Web Messaging server
4. Set user access to Web Messaging

Web Address for the Web Messaging Server

By default, the Web Messaging server is assigned a Web address consisting of the host name of the IMail Server host and a Web server port number. The default port number is 8383. If your mail host had a name of mailhost1.ipswitch.com, then the address is:
http://imail.ipswitch.com:8383

Your mail users can start Web Messaging by entering the address in their browser's address field.

If you are not running another Web server on the same host, you can set the port number to the normal HTTP (Web) server port of 80. In this case, users do not have to specify the port with the Web address. For example, you could enter: http://imail.ipswitch.com

Note that some firewalls may block the 8383 port, so you must change the port number. To change the port number, see "Configuring the Web Server".

Multiple Mail Hosts

If you have multiple mail hosts on your IMail Server system, the Web address is determined by whether the mail host has an IP address or uses a virtual IP address. For information on virtual hosts, see "IMail Configuration".

If each host has an IP address, you will have a different Web address for each host. For example, if you have the following hosts:

mail.marcel.com 	156.21.50.78 
mail.magnolia.net	156.21.50.80 

the Web address for the respective hosts is:

mail.marcel.com:8383 
mail.magnolia.net:8383 

If a mail host does not have an IP address, it has the same Web address as the primary mail host. For example, if you have the following hosts:

mail.marcel.com 	156.21.50.78 
mail.magnolia.net	<$virtual IP> 

the Web address for both hosts is:

mail.marcel.com:8383 

The host mail.magnolia.net can still have its own set of users, but users on this host must identify the host when they enter their logon user ID. For example, the user fred on mail.magnolia.net would enter the Web address mail.marcel.com:8383 to open the Logon page, then would enter fred@mail.magnolia.net as his user ID.

Configuring the Web Server

The Web Messaging server is installed on the host where IMail Server is installed. You can change the default port number and Web directory, set SSL options, set other Web server options, and start and stop the Web server. (Some of these options can be set in the iwebmsg.ini file in the winnt folder).

1. Expand the Services folder in the left panel and select Web Messaging. Then select the Web Messaging Server tab.

2. Change any of the Web server properties. See the previous sections for information about the Web server port and SSL.

Log to. This is where Web server information is stored. Select from:

W#YYMMDD.log	No Log
App Log	Log Server

Web Server Port. The port on which the Web Messaging server operates. If you change the port, the Web Messaging server must be stopped and restarted

Note: If you use a non-standard port number (anything other than 80), users must specify the port in the logon Web address. For more information, see "Web Address for the Web Messaging Server".

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Web Files Directory. This directory contains the files used to create Web pages for Web Messaging. If you change this directory, you must stop and restart the Web server.

Max Concurrent Users. This is the maximum number of users that can be logged into Web Messaging simultaneously. The default is 1024, but can be set to any value greater than 0. If you enter 0, this option defaults to the value set for Max Connections. If Max Connections is also set to 0, this option defaults to 256.

Max Connections. The maximum number of connections that Web Messaging allows at once. The default is 256, but can be set to 0 or any positive number. If 0 is entered, the number of connections is unlimited.

Session Timeout. The length of time, in minutes, that a session can be inactive before it is terminated. The default is 12, but can be set to any value greater than 0. The server checks, every 30 seconds, for any sessions that have been inactive for longer than the timeout value. Any sessions exceeding the value, will have their cached information deleted. When the user resumes activity, they are sent back to the Login screen

Notes: · Because IMail checks every 30 seconds, a value of 5 minutes, could actually be between 5 minutes and 5 minutes 30 seconds. · Do not set the Session Timeout value too high. Users who do not logout (i.e. just close the window), count toward the number of concurrent users. Therefore, a single user can be counted multiple times. Keeping this value low, terminates the abandoned sessions after the time specified for the timeout value.

Max Attachment Size. This controls the maximum size (in kilobytes) allowed for attachments. The default is 10240.

Ignore source address in security check. Before displaying a page, the Web server checks the IP address that requested the page against the IP address from which the user logged on. If this option is selected, the Web server does not check the IP address. This is useful with some firewalls and service providers that use dynamic IP addresses (such as America Online).

Enable Keep Alive. Select this to create a persistent TCP connection between the Web Messaging server and a browser (if the browser supports it). Normally, the connection between a browser and a Web server is only valid for a single request/response pair. If the option is cleared, the server closes the TCP connection after each response. Clearing this option improves performance by reducing overhead per request, but it also means that fewer resources are available for other processes.

Note: If you select Enable Keep Alive and Enable Thread Pooling, the number of simultaneous connections allowed to the server equals the Max Work Threads. Thus, you are limiting the number of connections allowed.

Enable Statistics. Collects statistical information about the system to be viewed through Web Messaging.

Auto Restart Server on Apply. If this is selected, the Web server is stopped and restarted when you click Apply. We recommend that you select this option.

3. Click Apply to save your changes.
4. Stop and restart the Web Messaging service to save your changes.

Advanced Tab

On the Advanced tab, you can set Spell Checking, SSL, thread pooling and user login suspend properties. The options on this tab are not required for the server to function.

1. Set Spell Checking Options.

Web Spell Checking Port. The port on which the spell checker's java applet runs. By default the port is 8385, but is configurable.

Maximum Number of Spelling Suggestions. The maximum number of spelling suggestions that are given for a misspelled word.

For information about setting up dictionaries, see "Spell Checker".

2. Set SSL options. For information about SSL, see "Using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)".

Enable SSL. Select this option if you are using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) utility to encrypt communications with the Web Messaging client. This sets the Web Messaging server to accept SSL connections in addition to normal connections.

Web SSL Port. The TCP port on which Web Messaging listens for an SSL-based HTTP request. If you used the default Web Server Port for Web Messaging (8383), you can assign any TCP port number here, the default is 8384. The standard SSL port is 443.

Note: If you use a non-standard port number (anything other than 443), users must specify the SSL port in the logon Web address.

Force SSL. Select this option if you want the Web Messaging server to accept only SSL-based HTTP connections; normal HTTP connections are not accepted.

3. Set Thread Pooling options.

Web Messaging can create a thread pool for handling HTTP requests on this TCP port. Using thread pooling reduces the overhead involved in creating and closing threads. However, if all threads in the pool are in use (your server is seeing heavy use), then an additional HTTP request is denied. Also, threads reserved for use by Web Messaging are not available to other processes running on your server. You must determine if thread pooling is appropriate for your needs.

Enable Thread Pooling. Select this to create a thread pool for handling HTTP requests from clients. Web Messaging creates up to the number entered for Max Work Threads (default is 64) to process requests. If this is cleared, Web Messaging creates a thread to handle each request (either persistent or normal) and after handling that request, destroys the thread.

Max Work Threads. Enable this to constrain the load on your Web server. This value sets the maximum number of work threads that can be used simultaneously by Web Messaging. If an HTTP request requires a work thread and the maximum has already been reached, Web Messaging returns a "server not available" message. This option requires that Enable Thread Pooling be enabled. The default value for this option is 64.

Thread Exit. Select this to close a thread after the HTTP request is processed. Web Messaging creates a replacement for closed threads on next poll time, (set in Thread Check Time). Clear this option if you want to keep the thread open and available for another request. This option is used only when Enable Thread Pooling is selected.

Thread Check Time. This is the interval (in seconds) used to check the status of the thread pool. If the number of work threads is less than the Max Work Threads option, new threads are created. This option is used only when Enable Thread Pooling is selected. The default value is 10 seconds.

4. Set suspend user options

Enable User Login Suspend. Select this to activate automatic suspension of user accounts. This occurs when an account has met the criteria listed by the administrator.

Maximum Number of Tries before Suspend. The maximum number of times a user can attempt to logon before their account is suspended.

Suspend Duration. The amount of time (in seconds), that a user account is suspended.

Time Suspend Info Remains in the Registry. The amount of time (in seconds) that information about suspended accounts is stored.

Maximum Number of Suspends Before Lockout. The maximum number of unsuccessful logon attempts allowed for a user before they are locked out of the system.

5. Click Apply to save your changes.

Setting Access to Web Messaging Features

Web Messaging provides access to mail functions based on the user permissions granted in the IMail Administrator. Permissions can be assigned for each mail account or for all users on a mail host. A user can be granted some or all of the following permissions:

Allow Web Access. Allows the user access to their account via Web Messaging.

Host Administrator. Allows the user to add, modify, or delete users and aliases and set rules on their mail host. Allow Web Access must also be selected.

List Administrator. Allows the user to remotely manage IMail Server mailing lists on their mail host. Allow Web Access must also be selected.

IMail System Administrator. Allows the user to manage all mail hosts, view the spool directory and logs, set rules, and edit the messages displayed when users log on to Web Messaging. If the system administrater also has Host Administrator permissions, he can manage user accounts and aliases on all mail hosts that he has host administrator rights to. If the system administrator has List Administrator permission, he can manage lists on all mail hosts that he has host administrator rights to. Allow Web Access must also be selected.

To set access to Web Messaging for an individual user mail account:

1. In IMail Administrator, expand the mail host, and select the Users folder. Select a user ID to see the user's properties in the right panel.
2. Select Allow Web Access and click Apply.
3. Optionally, select Host Administrator, List Administrator or IMail System Administrator to allow the user access to the extended menu options.

To set Allow Web Access as the default for all new users:

1. Expand the mail host, and select the Users folder.
2. Select Allow Web Access and click Apply.

To set Allow Web Access as the default for all existing users:

1. Expand the mail host, and select the Users folder to see the default settings in the right panel.
2. Select Global User Changes.
3. Select Allow Web Access and click Change ALL Accounts.

Using Remote Administration Features

An extended menu containing administration functions is available if your mail account has Host Administrator, List Administrator or IMail System Administrator permissions. See "Setting Access to Web Messaging Features" for how to provide user administrator permissions. These options allow you to perform administrative tasks using Web Messaging, even if you are at a remote location.

User Administration

User Administrators can add, modify, and delete user mail accounts for a mail host. If you also have IMail System Administrator permissions, you can add, modify, and delete user mail accounts for any mail host.

Alias Administration

Alias Administrators can add, modify, and delete aliases for a mail host. If you also have IMail System Administrator permissions, you can add, modify, and delete aliases for any mail host. See "User Mail Accounts" for a description of the alias properties.

List Administration

List Administrators can add, modify, delete and moderate lists for a mail host. If you also have IMail System Administrator permissions, you can add, modify, delete and moderate lists for any mail host.

Viewing Monitor Logs and the Spool Directory

If you have System Administrator permissions, you can view the following log files.

• Monitor Access Log - shows each access attempt to the Web Messaging server and to the IMonitor Web server.
• Monitor System Log - shows logons to the mail server and to the IMonitor Web server and shows the status of services.
• IMail System Log - shows IMail Server send and receive mail transactions. This shows the contents of syslog.txt.
• IMail Syslog Log - records transaction and debug information when enabled in each of the servers (for example, POP3 and SMTP). This shows the contents of lognnnn.txt, the System Log Service file.
• Spool directory - shows all IMail Server send and receive mail transactions that are in process. Click View Spool Directory to display the spool information.

For more information on the log files and spool directory, see "Log Files".

Managing Virtual Hosts

If you have IMail System Administrator permissions, you can add, modify, and delete virtual hosts.

Managing Mailing Lists

If you have List Administrator permissions, you can create, modify, and delete list server mailing lists.

Creating Delivery Rules

If you have Host Administrator permissions, you can set rules for the mail host. If you also have IMail System Administrator permissions, you can set rules for any mail hosts. Regular users can set rules for their own mail account.

Editing the News of the Day and Welcome Messages

If you have System Administrator permissions, you can add, delete, or modify the News of the Day and the Welcome messages directly from Web Messaging.

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