Chapter 1. Introducing the Volution Messaging Server

Table of Contents

Features
New Features in This Release
Architectural Overview
Licensing

Caldera Volution Messaging Server is a secure, robust, and easy-to-use messaging server delivering superior application compatibility for small-to-medium sized businesses. Based on open standards for mail and directory services, the Messaging Server supports Microsoft® Outlook products, messaging components of Netscape® and Internet Explorer browsers, and other popular mail clients. In addition, it interoperates with popular anti-virus, backup, and fax server software. The Messaging Server is compatible with other Caldera products and solutions; it supports Caldera OpenLinux Server and Open UNIX 8 operating systems, Reliant®HA clustering, and Volution Manager system administration.

This chapter describes the Messaging Server's:

See also the Late News document for up-to-date information on Messaging Server features and compatible third-party solutions:

http://www.caldera.com/support/docs/volution/msg

Features

Caldera Volution Messaging Server features include:

  • Pre-tuned support for up to 2500 simultaneous users on standard hardware.

  • Support for multiple and virtual domains.

  • Integration with anti-spam, anti-virus, enterprise calendaring, and fax solutions.

  • Interoperability with Caldera Volution Manager and Caldera Volution Online.

  • Support for Microsoft Outlook and other Messaging and Collaboration clients.

  • One-button configuration for Outlook clients.

  • Graphical installation with sufficient tools to completely set up and configure a fully functional mail server.

  • Graphical and command line administrative utilities.

New Features in This Release

The 1.1 release contains these new features:

  • Upgrade detection, supporting both full product and update installation.

  • Optional non-graphical installation.

  • Integration with Steltor CorporateTime, providing global address books and web calendaring.

  • Default POP-Before-SMTP support with the Dynamic Relay Authentication Control (DRAC) server.

  • Single-byte internationalization (UTF-8).

  • Graphical and command line interface support for French, German, and Spanish.

  • Enhanced graphical administration for junk mail filtering, user quotas and mail forwarding.

  • Improved graphical administration for alias management.

  • More extensive administrative control of user privileges.

  • Ability to change default domain name.

  • Utilities to migrate existing IMAP mailboxes to Messaging Server (imapcp(8)) and migrate a Messaging Server LDAP directory to iPlanet (msgiplanetmigrate(8)).

Architectural Overview

The Messaging Server is a messaging server product built around directory services and industry-standard open source components. The design goals of the Messaging Server required:

  • ease of use

  • ease of management

  • stability

  • security

  • ability to integrate with popular email clients

  • superior performance in all these areas than provided by competing solutions for small and medium businesses

The principle components of the Messaging Server are:

  • Postfix Mail Transport Agent (MTA)

  • Cyrus message store system

  • Cyrus POP and IMAP servers

  • LDAP directory based authentication and administration using OpenLDAP

The Messaging Server also provides support for these protocols and standards:

  • LDAPv3 directory server and support (included with Caldera OpenLinux).

  • LDAP schemas in order to support the Outlook address book feature, alias management, and user authentication for POP and IMAP.

  • Support for IMAP, POP, and SMTP standard protocols.

  • SSL support for LDAP, SMTP, POP, IMAP, and HTTP.

  • A Webmin™ management interface for SSL certificate configuration.

For more information about Messaging Server architecture, see Chapter 1 “About the Volution Messaging Server” in the Administrator's Guide.

Licensing

The Messaging Server provides user (client) licenses for a given number of mailboxes allowed on the system. The basic configuration includes user licenses for 25 mailboxes, sufficient for standard configuration and small-scale mail service. Consult your software vendor to purchase incremental user license bundles ("bump packs") as needed.

When the number of Messaging Server mailboxes exceeds that for which the product has been licensed, the administrator must purchase additional licenses. The system will allow user access even when the user limit has been exceeded.

The Messaging Server can be installed and licensed on both Caldera OpenLinux and Open UNIX 8 with Linux Kernel Personality platforms.