Exchange Server - complete newcomer...

[craggus]

Hiya,
At work we have a number of stand-alone computers. We lease a domain name off a local ISP and each individual PC user can dial into it to retreive their own mail (via Outlook Express). What I would like to do is to set up a client/server network, and set up a system whereby the server would dial into the mail provider at regular intervals and download ALL of the mail, and then distribute it over the network to the correct user (i.e. no user would need to be able to dial out on their modem).

Is Microsoft Exchange Server the piece of software to do this for me? And taking it one stage further, is it possible to set up the software so that any outgoing email ending with OUR domain name would be sent internally via the network (without the need to dial-out) and all other mail would automatically be routed out??

I'm sure all this is blindingly obvious to all of you, but you have to start somewhere don't you??!

Cheers.

 

[fuego007]

Your best option would be to establish a DSL connection to your ISP that is always on. You could then set up an Exchange server that would receive your incoming mail directly, rather than using your ISPs mail server. Exchange would also process your outgoing mail. Your ISP would register your exchange server with the DNS. Part of accomplishing this with Exchange will be creating an Internet Mail Connector after performing the initial Exchange installation. Also, run the Exchange Optimizer after the install and let it move files where it believes they should go.

You should also get a good book on Exchange, such as Exchange Server 5.5 Unleashed from SAMS publishing. Read about using NT Backup for backing up the server. Something else you should read about is circular logging. The best setting for this is disabled, but ONLY if you perform regular backups.

Good Luck,
Bob

 

[craggus]

Thanks Bob.
If a permanent connection to the ISP was unavailable, would it be possible to set up via a dial-up connection (that connects every x minutes)? Or is this a path I really don't want to be going down??