MailBurstTM: FAQs


Here are some examples, questions, and answers that demonstrate some of the program's features. The questions and answers are structured to answer both general questions and questions you will have after trying out the demo version.

Also, be sure to read the Mini-Tutorial and

Installation sections.


1. When the MacOS supports multiple domains will MailBurst still be useful?

Yes!

Whether your machine serves one domain or several, MailBurst is primarily a smart mail hub.

Yes, it handles multiple/virtual domains, but its flexibility, speed, and ease of use make it an ideal tool for anyone running EIMS or SIMS.


2. How do I use info@domain1.com and info@domain2.com?

To have mail sent to your server at info@domain1.com be forwarded to joe@X.com and info@domain2.com be forwarded to jim@Y.com, simply add both domains to your domain list, and add a forwarding account named info for each domain, with a proper outgoing address.



3. Can I have mail sent to info@domain1.com be forwared to more than one person?

Yes. Just add a second (or more) address after joe's address (accounts):




4. Can I have all mail sent to a domain forwarded regardless of the user name?

Sure, create an incoming address named "*".

This is great when you have a client that wants to add new email addresses all the time for specials or promotions.

Once you set up this address, your administrative work is over!



5. If I use a wild card does it apply to all addresses

Only addresses that don't match a specific entry. Specific entries are checked first, and if no match is found, the program will try to match with wild cards that a re specified.




6. Can I have MailBurst forward mail for "webmaster" at all my domains to one account?

Sure, just create a domain named "*" in the domain screen. Then add what ever accounts you wish to have handled across all the domains. Once "webmaster" is listed for the "*" domain, unless a domain has a specific entry for "webmaster" all mail for webmaster will be sent to the address list specified in the "*" domain.



7. What if I forward all mail for webmaster to me, but one customer wants to receive her domain's webmaster email?

Again, if a domain has a specific listing for "webmaster", then this will override the "webmaster" account in the "*" domain.

On our servers, most domain's do not have a "webmaster" entry, so the "*" domain's webmaster handles the email. In the few domains that do have "webmaster" entries, we list both the site's webmaster and our internal webmaster as one of the addresses to deliver mail as well, so both our internal webmaster and the domain's webmaster get the mail.

If you wish only the site's webmaster to get the mail and not anyone else, then having a single entry for webmaster@domain.com will override your webmaster@* entry.



8. What is the order of precedence used to match incoming email to the list of domains and accounts? 

1) addresses that match BOTH user name and host
2) addresses that match a user name and a host alias
3) addresses that match a user name and an alias with an '*'
4) addresses that match a user name and any host (user@*) 
5) addresses that match any user and a single host (*@host)
6) addresses that match any user and an alias
7) addresses that match any user and an alias with an '*'



9. If I have mail coming in for subdomains, do I have to enter a domain and full set of accounts for each domain?

No. You can use an ALIAS for single subdomain hosts or a wild card to handle them all. Alias records cause the incoming host to appear as if it came into the alias host. This lets you set up your accounts once and then treat user@domain.com and user@domain.co.uk the same way if you alias domain.co.uk to domain.com



10. How can I test my configuration?

Use the Test command in the file menu.


11. How limited is the demo version?

The demo version will handle 3 domains, and simply place mail for other domains into the MailBurst:hold folder. Additionally, the demo version ignores the MailBurst drop folder after 100 messages are sent.


12. What happens when an address can't be processed?

The program will send a message to the ADMIN when an address can not be processed. Once you fix the config file, and it is reloaded (either automatically or by hand or AppleEvent) the message will be re-processed.

If an address can not be processed, you will receive an email message only the first time that address is processed each time the program reads the config file (e.g., if 100 messages are received to an address, you will get only one error message.)


13. If I want to change the config file with a text editor, can I disable the GUI?

Yes, just add a line "NoGUI" anywhere in the config file.



14. If I change the config file with a text editor, do I need to re-start the program?

No, by default, the program will automatically reload the config file if you have enabled the Auto Config file update option in the preferences dialog.

15. How fast is MailBurst and are there any limits to the number of users or domains?

Fast and no realistic limits (like driving a sports car).

We ran a 5,000 user domain in a 4Mb partition and 25,000 users with only a 10Mb RAM partition. While run-time peformance is not affected greatly by large configurations, reloading a config file with large numbers of addresses can take several seconds. (You can test run-time performance using a large config file and the Test command under the File menu.)

The largest full-mail file test we have run to date involved 5,000 mail messages that EIMS had deposited in the MailBurst:Mail folder. We double-clicked on MailBurst and 10 minutes, 39 seconds later, MailBurst had processed all 5,000 messages and delivered them back to EIMS to forward. That's on a 117 Mhz PPC (PowerBook 5300ce). This test dates back to 1997 and we haven't bothered to do another speed test like that since... let's just say MailBurst is very fast.

Check out the testimonials section for our customers' experiences.

Note that for multiple recipients, you are limited to 255 outgoing or notification addresses. If you need more you can use the Group List option, which offers an unlimited number of users.


16. What's in the log file?

Every time the program sends a file to EIMS or SIMS, it logs the date, time, status, original address, the new address, and the size of the file to the log file.

10/01/96 09:05:05 OK info@dantowitz.com david@dantowitz.com 3135


17. Can messges be saved to a file?

Sure, check out the Options dialog box for special settings for each account. Later in time you can take those files and drop them into the mail server's incoming mail folder and they'll get sent through EIMS or SIMS again. This lets you create a temporary archive when users are changing addresses temporarily -- send them to a web-based mail client and save to a folder, then later in time re-send to a POP account.


18. Can I set up an Auto Reply?

Sure, check out the Options dialog box for special settings for each account. Auto replies can be updated remotely by the user any time (no need for your admin to be involved) and your users can enable and disable the auto replies on their own as well.


19. Can I reject message based on size?

Sure, check out the Options dialog box for special settings for each account.

20. Can I create my config file automatically, with a script or CGI?

Yes, the format is pretty simple. Just open up the file and have a look. We have many users doing this already. We've tried to make sure the config files are compatible with all versions of the software since day one.

21. Can I BOUNCE mail?

Yes, set up any account as bounce rather than forward and mail to that account will be bounced back to the sender with a 550 message. You can also trash email, which simply deletes the message and does not send out a bounce message. This can be helpful when incoming SPAM has bad reply addresses and will simply bounce back to your administrator's mailbox.

22. Can I customize the message sent when mail is BOUNCED?

Sure, but rather than setting up the account as bounce, set it forward, and set up an Auto Reply message for the account. Simply leave the outgoing address box empty and mail to this account will generate an auto reply with your message to the sender and delete the incoming message.

23. Can I edit config files myself?

Yes, the syntax is quite simple. Just examine the lines in the file after creating a simple config with the GUI.

To Forward mail, use the Multi command: 


Multi user@domain.com realuser@realdomain.com
Multi user2@domain.com firstDest@domain.com secondDest@domain.com
Each element on the line is separated by a TAB (spaces will also work). To indicate more than one destination, simply place additional destinations on the same line, separated by TABs.

To bounce or trash mail, change "Multi" to "Bounce" or "Trash". The commands may be in any order. By default, the program will write config files alphabetically by domain and user.

Other settings are simple to glean from the config file. Semi-colon ";" is used to start a comment for those generating their config files using other software. All commands are very straight forward and if you create some settings with the GUI, then examine the commands in the config file you'll see how simple they are.


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