IIS and email

wduty · Jul 28, 2000

Is it possible to have email accounts on an IIS 4.0 server? suppose the server is mapped to "<A HREF="

http://www.myserver.com&quot"

TARGET="_new">

http://www.myserver.com&quot</A>;.

Can you set up accounts so that people can get email through accounts like <A HREF="mailto:jack@myserver.com">jack@myserver.com</A>, <A HREF="mailto:billy@myserver.com">billy@myserver.com</A>, etc.? I read through a rather longish explanation at MSDN about this and it was mentioned that IIS does not provide POP3 service which is what is necessary for actual mailboxes and that the best you can do is use CDO to have an asp page that allows someone to see a list of emails which have been sent to the default smtp domain. Can anyone explain what the scoop is on this because I have a client which we have set up on a dedicated IIS server and they are asking me if I can set up email "accounts" for them. --Will Duty <a href=mailto:wduty@radicalfringe.com>wduty@radicalfringe.com</a> <a href= > </a>

BadDog · Jul 30, 2000

My understanding is that you can only do outgoing mail with IIS 4.0 and you'll need to set up Exchange Server or a similar product in order to do incoming mail.  I found some free email server packages around the net but haven't really worked with them so I can't be of much help.  I also read the lengthy docs on IIS and email and they aren't the model of clarity.  

wduty · Jul 31, 2000

But did you see the part about CDONTS? It seems like the SMTP server should at least be able to receive emails even if you can't access them through a conventional POP account. And then you should be able to create a CDONTS session and sort through the emails that way. Any thoughts? The server I'm working on does send ok. Whether it receives or not I haven't figured out because I'm not sure what address to send the mail to. Also the domain name (which is therefore also the name of the SMTP server) hasn't been mapped yet - it's just an IP address so that seems like it wouldn't show up in the DNS lookup that a sending server would do. (I hope that made some sense...) --Will Duty <a href=mailto:wduty@radicalfringe.com>wduty@radicalfringe.com</a> <a href= > </a>

Cranberry · Aug 1, 2000

You can receive mails on an iis server and it is pop3 compatible, but it is designed to support basic smtp services.  It can act as a relay - so in one sense it can 'receive' emails - but you can't set-up and manage pop3 accounts, that requires exchange. Regards Cranberry

wduty · Aug 1, 2000

Right. It has no POP3 service built in. But it does have SMTP service and that is enough for what I need - In fact it's better because I want to be able to organize the emails in a custom way (tables with custom management links etc). The thing is, I can't figure out where to send an email to so that the SMTP service can receive it. What is confusing me is that there are two names in question here: 1.the domain name of the server 2.the domain name of the SMTP server within the server. The client is real picky about disclosing information about the site until it is live (though I dont' care but they're paying) so let's say the site will be "<A HREF="

http://www.theserver.com&quot"

TARGET="_new">

http://www.theserver.com&quot</A>; The

IIS server itself is not mapped to "theserver" yet - it's just an IP address let's say 234.53.133.67. But if you look in the server's IIS management console, the SMTP default domain name right now is "theserver.theserver.com" My impression is that since the SMTP server's domain is "theserver.theserver.com", you  would send mail to "<A HREF="mailto:theserver@theserver.com">theserver@theserver.com</A>". I have tried that and many other variations on this address but nothing ever appears in any of the d:\mailroot directories. (I think it would appear in the "\drop" folder if it got there). However, the SMTP is working and sends because if I put a properly formatted email document in the d:\mailroot\pickup folder it immediately disappears and the email appears in my local Outlook inbox. Also CDONTS.send works ok. So my question is: Does the main server have to have the name (ie "theserver&quot

mapped in order for the SMTP server to receive email at its domain. (i.e. for other SMTP server's to find it in a DNS lookup). I obviously don't know much about this stuff so if anyone has the patience to read through all this and comment I would greatly appreciate it. --Will Duty <a href=mailto:wduty@radicalfringe.com>wduty@radicalfringe.com</a> <a href= > </a>

Cranberry · Aug 1, 2000

Hi Will. As long as you are simply using the smtp service to resolve the mx headers you are creating it shouldn't matter. Your fqdn has to be registered with a dns server which should have an smtp server record, which is then gonna get you where you want to go. The smtp service in IIS creates a default domain when it is installed.  That is your server.  In the options your server exists as the name of your server plus the domain it is in. Any messages that are being sent within this default domain are resolved by your server, if it can, and sent on their merry way. in regards to the sending of your mail to the address like <A HREF="mailto:theserver@theserver.com">theserver@theserver.com</A> - the answer is no.  That requires pop3 which iis doesn't support - as far as I know.  That needs exchange.  The only thing iis4 does is support the generation (through asp's for instance) or relaying of messages. Regards Cranberry

wduty · Aug 1, 2000

Ok so you said: "In the options your server exists as the name of your server plus the domain it is in" The domain doesn't exist yet. There isn't a domain mapped to the name "theserver.com" right now so does that mean the SMTP server "theserver.theserver.com" wouldn't be able to receive email? Also, if the server can't receive emails in the form of a conventional @-sign email address, then how would it receive mail from outiside its domain, i.e. from another SMTP server? What would the headers look like? If my questions don't make any sense please explain why (if you want) Thanks a bunch. --Will Duty <a href=mailto:wduty@radicalfringe.com>wduty@radicalfringe.com</a> <a href= > </a>

Cranberry · Aug 3, 2000

Hi Will. Sorry if that first message seemed a little vague. I think I can see what you are asking and I don't think you are going to achieve it using just iis4 and its smtp services The first bit.. your server exists with as the name of your server (host name) + whatever domain you have set in your tcp-ip settings, iis always creates a default domain based on these settings. about setting dns entries: Yes you do have to have an entry, I think with an mx record in the dns, if you want your server to act as a relay for smtp messages - from remote domains In regards to setting up user mailboxes. You cannot create a mailbox for your client using iis, you have to use a package that will support pop3 and host multiple mailboxes and resolve them to individual users.  IIS can relove mx headers, but it isn't a mail server. Is this anymore helpful? Regards Cranberry.

wduty · Aug 3, 2000

When you say relay do you mean relay OUT or IN AND OUT? I understand the part about not being able to have accounts but I was hoping to use CDONTS to read through received emails. (I know I'm slow but I'm a developer not a sys admin and I've been sort of thrown into handling this server by accident.) --Will Duty <a href=mailto:wduty@radicalfringe.com>wduty@radicalfringe.com</a> <a href= > </a>

Cranberry · Aug 7, 2000

Hi. Sorry for taking a while to reply, Yes it relays mail from other servers and handles asp generated mail and forwards it. So both - in and out. Cranberry

Nazo · Feb 23, 2001

Hi,
As you will guess from the following lines, I am a beginner and I am having a problem which might be very simple for you guys out there. I have an SMTP server running in IIS in our company network. I can relay messages succesfully. However, I can only send messages to an IP address ( someone@159.65.746.76) as opposed to someone@server.com. If I try to send the mail to someone@server.com, I have an error message saying IP adress not found. I've also tried to send the mail to the name of the mail server using someone@theserver.nt.group but no avail.
Any idea?
Thanks
Naz.

peterve · Feb 28, 2001

is there a MX record set up in the DNS for that domain ? Peter Van Eeckhoutte
peter.ve@pandora.be

quackers · Mar 6, 2001

buy an nt or 2000 mail server such as mdaemon form deerfield and this will allow you all the e-mail facilities you need even web mail it will also run on an nt box alongside iis perfectly it even has imap facilities and facilities to run multiple domains of one ip address.

Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!

Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!

IIS and email

wduty

Programmer

BadDog

MIS

wduty

Programmer

Cranberry

Technical User

wduty

Programmer

Cranberry

Technical User

wduty

Programmer

Cranberry

Technical User

wduty

Programmer

Cranberry

Technical User

Nazo

Programmer

peterve

IS-IT--Management

quackers

MIS

Similar threads

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor