Target Skills:

Ability to describe the basic features of Netscape Messaging Server 4.0
     
     

Messaging Server Description and Features

Netscape Messaging Server 4.0 is the fourth generation of a powerful, standards-based Internet mail server. Messaging Server is designed for high-capacity, reliable handling of the messaging needs of both enterprises and service providers of all sizes, from small to extremely large. 
 

Features

The server consists of several modular, independently configurable components with many powerful features.

Highly scalable with standard protocols:

  • Fast and reliable, multithreaded message transfer agent (MTA) that uses Internet-standard Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to handle both internal and Internet mail messages

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  • Extremely efficient, high-capacity, and fast multithreaded Internet Mail Access Protocol (IMAP4) service for mailbox delivery, supporting thousands of simultaneous users

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  • Full-featured, fast, multithreaded Post Office Protocol (POP3) service for mailbox delivery, providing complete support for the most widely used Internet mailbox protocol

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  • Centralized database for server configuration, based on the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)

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  • Centralized LDAP database for mail-user account storage, user authentication, and mail-routing control

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  • High scalability of services to support greatly increased usage over time
Flexible configuration and monitoring:
  • Flexible message store with fast indexed access, configurable partitions, quotas, and aging rules

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  • Highly configurable logging features with automated rollover

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  • Monitoring capabilities through Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

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  • Multiplexor service for providing mail users a single point of connection to many POP and IMAP mailbox servers

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  • Plug-in architecture for developing extensions to server capabilities

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  • Mailstone stress-testing utility for capacity planning and testing
Powerful security and access control:
  • Support for password login (to POP, IMAP, or SMTP) and certificate-based login

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  • Delegated administration through access-control instructions (ACIs)

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  • Client access filters (to POP, IMAP, or SMTP)

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  • Filtering of unsolicited bulk email (UBE)
Convenient Management Interface:
  • Graphical Netscape Console interface for managing multiple servers from a single location
  • End-user self-management of account information through HTML forms

Summary of New Features in Messaging Server 4.0

Configuration Management and Administration
All server configuration stored in Directory for easy bulk administration
New Java-based Graphical User Interface for Server Administration
Single seat administration of  network
Directory-based Access control over server tasks for easy delegation
Message Store Management
Single Copy Message Store using Hardlinks
Automatic Aging of messages by Size of message and age of message
Aging policies per folder and per user
Folder Sharing via IMAP 
Tools to report shared folder usage
Online capacity expansion by adding new partitions
Move user between partitions online
Move users between servers while server is online
Online full and incremental backup of user message folders
Online Restore of message folders 
Automatic cleanup of deleted messages
User level and message store level quotas
Configurable quota warning thresholds
Configurable 'grace period' for holding messages to quota-exceeded mailboxes
Quota usage reporting utility
MTA
Plugins at SMTP level to enable 
  • Restrict incoming messages by size per domain prior to accepting message
  • Restrict messages by #recipients per domain prior to accepting message
Defer messages to outgoing domains
Improved control of MTA parameters from GUI
View status of messages queued to outgoing domains
Single-step processing of Delete, Resend or Return all messages for a domain 
Rewrite message headers based on directory attributes
Configurable Address completion rules
'vanity' domain addressing
Security
TCP-connection level access control of incoming client connections for SMTP, POP, IMAP
Anti-relaying, anti-DNS spoofing prior to msg being accepted
IMAP over SSL
Password Policy enforcement
Certificate based authentication for SMTP, IMAP
Sever processes not required to run as root
Server Reliability, Availability and Monitoring
Online reconfiguration of server configuration
Online backup and restore of user folders
Online capacity expansion of message store
Support for failover configurations 
Heartbeat monitoring of server processes
Monitoring of disk and system CPU parameters
Monitoring of message traffic, queue depths
Monitoring of Message server logs for specific messages
Configurable thresholds and notification mechanism for all monitored conditions
Virtual Hosting Support
Ability to support full email addresses in directory and in MTA
Configurable delimiters between uid and domain
Configurable mapping between IP addresses and hosted domains

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