Big bucks to M$, unless someone knows sendmail...

[Joel Dudley]

I could be wrong, but I bet you could use a nice modified qmail setup in
this situation. www.qmail.org

- Joel
----- Original Message -----
From: Gene Holmerud <geneous@bigfoot.com>
To: <plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2000 7:50 PM
Subject: Big bucks to M$, unless someone knows sendmail...


> Where I work (government) we're searching for a replacement for an
> email system.  The current system has custom hardware and software
> and runs on (would you believe) a private X.25 WAN.  It gets messages
> to any or all 50-odd sites throughout the Western US in less than a
> minute.
>
> Here's the new game plan/requirements:
> 1. Solution needs to be "off the shelf" h/w and s/w.
> 2. A private and robust IP WAN is in place, ready for use.  The
> Internet doesn't guarantee delivery times.
> 3. A pair of servers that are data mirrors should be at one node.
> 4. Another server mirroring data can be located at another node on
> the WAN.
> 5. Loading is very light (something like 10 to 20 1k messages per
> client per hour).
> 6. Reliability is very important, re: the robust WAN and multiple
> servers.
> 7. Failing from one of the paired servers to the other should be
> nearly unnoticable to the client users.  Failing to the second-site
> server could require stopping the client and relogging in.
> 8. Copies of messages sent from any client go to the intended
> client(s) and to a repository (could be one of the servers).
> 9. A convenient means of determining whither a given message has been
> delivered.  A return msg from each destination is not a good solution
> as 50 such messages are just clutter, and one or two missed
> deliveries would not be noticed, but should alert an administrator.
> 10. Email client must have a forms capability.  That is about 10 pre-
> defined forms exist on servers and clients.  User fills in the
> blanks, and only the variable data is transmitted.
> 11. Logins (user, client maintenance, server maint., & sys
> management) must use encrypted passwords.
> 12. Automatic printing of received messages at client sites.
> 13. A folders capability for manual and/or automatic sorting and
> retention of messages at the client.
>
> Yes, it's a tough spec.  M$ Exchange 2000 comes somewhere near
> fulfilling the requirements, but at something like $5k to $10k
> licensing per server!  If there's something close in the Linux
> environment, I'd like to take a real hard look.
>
> Gene
>
> ________________________________________________
> See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't
post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail.
>
> Plug-discuss mailing list  -  Plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
>