qmail and Exchange

[ManagerJay]

I have been asked to explore the possibility of leaving Exchange and using qmail exclusively for my company's e-mail.

Overall, in my opinion, this is extremely easy to do, and I have almost everything in place. However, I have a question which I am not finding a clear answer to and I am hoping someone can clear this up for me.

I will be interfacing with a Windows 200X Exchange server for tranferring mail within the organization. Can someone explain to me what a bridgehead server is and if any special configuration will be need to allow qmail to work with the server?

Thanks,



Jay

 

[thedaver]

Typically leaving Exchange for qmail forfeits "groupware" stuff like calendaring and the GAL. There are linux/open source groupware products that can be Exchange-like in this regard. Do your homework.

I assume you are asking if qmail can be a bridgehead server to the Internet in front of your Exchange server? (and not the other way around). Absolutely, this is dead easy!

In fact, many organizations create MX record instances of qmail (or any MTA) throughout the Internet to receive and relay email (often after scanning for virii or invalid users) into the corporate network.

qmail's method is to allow for receipt of specific domains yet specify to relay all email for those domains to another mail (Exchange) server.

in /var/qmail/control you'll modify
rcpthosts
and
smtproutes

We can talk specifics when the time comes, but it's really a 20 second effort to implement this form of gateway server.

D.E.R. Management - IT Project Management Consulting

http://www.dermanagement.com/

 

[ManagerJay]

Thank you for the reply. We have been debating this quite extensively and the majority of the employees would rather have a web based calendar they can use (not OWA) so they can access it from any computer.

I have done some expirementing with LDAP and Exchange, but not enough to know if I like the way they interface or not.

I have been using bridgehead servers and way just calling them mail relay servers. I am using qmail exactly the way you described to scan e-mail for SPAM, viruses, etc. before it is delivered to the Exchange server.

Thank you for all your help.



Jay

 

[thedaver]

Suse has a product I believe called "OpenExchange" or something to that effect. It's been well received, I know little about it.

D.E.R. Management - IT Project Management Consulting

http://www.dermanagement.com/