Target Skill:

Make sure this course is right for you, and that you meet the basic requirements for the rest of this course.

 

Warning!

This course will not teach you everything you need to know before deploying the Messaging Server in a mission-critical role.

 
 

  Note:

If you've ever installed one of Netscape's servers you probably meet the prerequisites for this course.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Should You Take This Course?

What this course covers

Course Prerequisites

System Requirements

Taking This Course Offline


What This Course Covers

Basic Installation And Configuration

The main goal of this course is to teach you how to install Netscape's Messaging Server version 4.0 in a sandbox environment.   The term "sandbox environment" refers to a test system functioning in a non-critical role.  Your sandbox environment should be an actual working system that you can afford to make mistakes on.  This could be your own personal desktop system or a machine in an testing lab or classroom. 

General Concepts

The other goal of this course is to provide you with a high level overview of messaging services in general and Netscape's Messaging Server version 4.0 in particular.  Hopefully you'll achieve some level of conversational familiarity with this type of software and be able to speak intelligently about Netscape's entry in this category.

Routine Server Administration

We'll cover some of the common administrative tasks associated with the Server such as making backups.  Some of these tasks fall under the category of System Administration; others are more like "content management" tasks or database administration.

This course does not cover Analysis & Planning or Integration with Certificate Services

Actual implementation of a messaging service is a complex undertaking which requires substantial planning.  There are significant issues in the deployment process which are beyond the scope of this course, including integration with Certificate Services.  These topics are covered in great detail in follow-up courses offered by Netscape Learning, Messaging Services: Analysis & Planning, and Security: Analysis & Planning.
 

Course Prerequisites


This course assumes you have the equivalent knowledge of the following....

Directory Server 4.x Web-Based Training Course

Before you start this course, you need to know the basics of how to use the Netscape Directory Server. 

Basic Knowledge Of The Target OS

Before you start this course you should be familiar with the target operating system (OS): Solaris 2.51 or higher.  You should already know how to perform common tasks such as... 
  • stopping and restarting the OS
  • managing files and directories (copy, rename, move, delete) 
  • editing text files 
  • Basic Web-Based Skills

    You should feel comfortable using a standard web browser such as Netscape's Navigator.  You should already know how and when to use navigational mechanisms built into all browsers such as the "Back" button and the "Go" menu.  You should know what a URL is and how to go to a specific web page given a particular web address. 

    Note that the Navigation Frame at the top of all pages in this course is designed for use with Netscape's Navigator version 4.05 and beyond.

    System Administration Experience

    If you plan to install the Server in a working environment you should have substantial prior experience doing system administration tasks such as installing software, adding new users, trouble-shooting errors, etc.  On the other hand, if your primary expectation from this course is to get an overview of directory services you'll only need the basic web skills described above.

    System Requirements

    To successfully complete the course and perform all the exercises, you will need the following:
  • Solaris 2.6 with recommended patches 
  • 250 MB+ free disk space for the installation
  • Communicator 4.x, with javascript and style-sheets enabled.
  • A Directory Server 3.x or later
  • To view video clips, RealVideo Player
  • Taking This Course Offline

    If you would like to take this course offline, you can download the whole course from either of the following links, depending on which compressed version you prefer:
    Zip version - msg4wbt.zip
    Tar version - msg4wbt.tar


    If you are working offline, you may also want to download the supplemental materials referred to in this course, such as the online Administrator's Guide, Release Notes, and Installation Instructions, available at: 

    http://home.netscape.com/eng/server/messaging/4.0/


    For the server software itself, see the section "Where to get the server software".

     


    Produced By Netscape Learning.  Copyright © 1999 Netscape Communications Corporation