Fully-functional Mail Server

This mail server is meant for SMEs and can be installed on either Caldera OpenLinux 3.1 or Open UNIX 8. It has all the functions required from a mail server, such as POP, SMTP and IMAP. Plus, it supports Microsoft Outlook’s Free/Busy Information, which allows users to share their calendar information with each other. 

We tested the VMS (Volution Messaging Server) on a machine running Caldera OpenLinux 3.1. Installing the basic mail server was a breeze, as it was completely GUI-based. Even the basic services such as POP3, SMTP, IMAP and Web mail were up and running immediately after installation. On the client side, Volution works with most popular third-party e-mail clients, and offers additional benefits for users of Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. They can configure their e-mail accounts on VMS directly through a Web browser, by simply clicking a button. 

An interesting feature in VMS is sharing of Microsoft Outlook calendar’s free/busy option. If you’re using Outlook, it allows you to post your calendar’s appointments and schedules on the VMS server. Other Outlook users, wanting to fix a meeting with you, can check your availability on a particular day or particular time using the server. This feature is supposed to work on all popular Windows versions, and needs a component called Microsoft Web Publishing Wizard. Outlook users wanting to use this feature have to enable the free/busy option on their client. One small hitch is that they have to enter their password in clear text on their client. While this might be a problem of Outlook, it’s nevertheless a security risk, as anyone can go to an unattended machine to find out the user’s e-mail password. 

The VMS server stores all user account information in LDAP+ directory and performs user authentication through it. Users can also use the LDAP directory to search other users. We managed to search for mail users in LDAP using both Outlook and Outlook Express, and also got an option to add users into their respective address books. 

On the management front, VMS allows both Web-based and command line management of its services. However, you can’t control all features using Web-based management. It only allows you to manage user accounts, aliases, mail domains and certain system features. The remaining features like integration with anti-virus software, mail filtering, enabling SSL etc. are done from the command line. It would make the server easier to manage if these features are moved to Web-based configuration. 

On the usage front, clients can use an e-mail client or a Web browser to check e-mail. There’s a separate URL for users who want to change their mail preferences, such as password, vacation notice, forward e-mail address etc. It will be more convenient if users can do both from the same URL. One problem with Web-based mail is that by default, it only shows the inbox folder. There aren’t any folders for sent items, deleted items etc., which one is normally accustomed to in most Web-based mail servers. It does create a separate drafts folder for mails that he/she wants to send later.

The Bottom Line. The biggest advantage of Volution is its ease of installation and usage. While one would expect a Linux-based mail server to have command line configuration (like SendMail), this one is completely GUI based. Plus, basic e-mail services like POP, IMAP and SMTP are ready for use immediately after installation, and the one click auto-configuration of mail clients like Outlook and Outlook Express make it better. It has all the features required from a mail server, such as mail filtering and integration with anti-virus software. Overall, it’s a decent package for companies looking for a mail server solution.

Anil Chopra and Sanjay Majumder  at PCQ Labs