1 Accessing E-mail accounts on the Axxess Mail Server The Axxess Mail Server provides users with access to their e-mail folders through POP3, and IMAP protocols, or OpenWebMail browser interface. The server implements mail server extensions for antivirus and spam filtering. The user can access his/her E-mail folders both inside and outside of the local network (e.g. from home). 1.1 OpenWebMail OpenWebMail is a browser interface to e-mail services on the Axxess Mail Server. The biggest advantage is that everyone who is using OpenWebMail can check email over the Internet. This means that the user can check it from any of the PCs in the Axxess Server local network, from home, from an Internet caffe, from a Library, from a hotel, from a cell-phone OpenWebMail is designed to manage very large mail folder files in a memory efficient way. It also provides a range of features to help users migrate smoothly from Microsoft Outlook to Open WebMail. 1.1.1 Access to OpenWebMail OpenWebMail provides access to e-mail folders through a browser. To access its services on Axxess Server from your local network, type the following URL to the Address box: http://axxess/user_axxess.html From the outside of your local network, you will have to type the domain name or IP of the Axxess Server instead of the hostname axxess in the URL: http://your.server.domain/user_axxess.html You will get the OfficeAxxess picture in both above cases. Click on E-mail Server icon to start OpenWebMail. Your web server administrator can create a Webmail link on your index page http://your.server.comain, which will point to OpenWebMail. The link is /cgibin/openwebmail/openwebmail.pl. Use your Axxess Server UserID and Password to login.
1.1.2 First time login If you are using OpenWebMail for the first time, OpenWebMail will open with the following screen: After clicking on the Continue button, your preferences screen will appear in the browser window. Change any options you wish to and then click the Save button. Notice the From option. The name and e-mail address from this box will appear in all your e- mails. It will recognize the sender (you). Recipients of your e-mail will reply to this e-mail address. To change the From option, click on the Edit personal email addresses button (right to the From box). Edit the Real Name and Email Address boxes. Then press Add/Modify to add your new identity. This is an advanced option, ignore it if you will use the OpenWebMail with only one e-mail address.
You can update your personal OpenWebMail settings any time, clicking on the Prefs ( ) button while browsing your e-mail messages. 1.1.3 OpenWebMail Features OpenWebMail allows users to do the following: o check their e-mail receive, read, compose, send messages o send attachments with the messages (the default attachment limit is 5 MB) o check spelling of composed messages o sort received messages into folders o filter received messages o search messages o setup forwarding to another e-mail address o setup autoreply o setup more than one sender s identities the user can choose from his/her multiple e-mail addresses when sending an e-mail o create personal and global address books o manage the daily personal and global activities with calendar tools o setup personal and global filters for incoming mail o download e-mail from another e-mail servers using POP3 o access personal files on the Axxess File Server If you are having trouble using OpenWebMail and would like to view the online tutorial offered by the designers of OpenWebMail visit the web page http://openwebmail.com/openwebmail/help/en/index.html Please, contact support@advancedinteractive.com if you want to enable additional features (e.g. multiple global address books, virtual e-mail hosts, ) or modify the existing features of OpenWebMail (e.g. attachment size limit, ).
1.1.4 Address book The address book is a small database of your regular e-mail contacts that you can access through the Address book button ( ) in the main toolbar. You will be redirected to your address books. OpenWebMail shows the list of your contacts from All Addressbooks on default. There may be preset entries already on the list that are part of your Global Address Book. They had been set by the system administrator. You cannot delete, add, or modify entries from the Global Address Book. You can create multiple address books after clicking on the button Addressbooks ( ): 1. Type the name of your new address book into the Address Book Name box (e.g. type Personal); 2. Click the Add button; 3. Return Back to All Adressbooks. Choose your Personal address book created in the previous step to add a new contact. Simply click within the First text field, and enter the necessary information. Use the "Tab" key on the keyboard to jump to the next field. Once you are finished entering the information, click Quick Add. You can now access this quickly for sending. Once you have all your e-mail addresses in place, you may want to edit them later. To edit an entry, click the Full Name of the entry, and a form for more contact s details will open. You can click within the text field of the entry information you wish to edit and type what you wish. Once you are finished editing the entry, click Save. You can delete entries as below: 1. Click the check-box To at the right side of the entry you wish to delete. You may also want to choose multiple entries; 2. Select the DELETE- option from the drop down list at the top right;
3. Click the Move button. 1.1.5 Global address, filter, and calendar books The user admin can manage global address, filter, and calendar books from his account. After login to OpenWebMail as the user admin, click on the appropriate button AddrBook, Filters, or Calendar. Modifying the personal filter book or calendar of the user admin, you also make changes in global filter book or calendar. The user admin have all privileges to edit Global Addressbook. 1.1.6 Mail forwarding To forward mail from your Axxess Mail Server account to any valid e-mail address: 1. Login to OpenWebMail 2. Click on User Preferences ( ) button on the toolbar. 3. Type the e-mail address to which you want your mail forwarded in the text box next to Forward Mail To: button. PLEASE PROOFREAD what you type! If you enter an incorrect address, all the mail people send to you will bounce back to them as undeliverable. 4. You may check "Keep local copy" to retain a copy of each forwarded message in your Axxess Mail Server account. 5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save button. 6. At the message Preferences Successfully Saved, click OK. 1.1.7 POP3 Support Multiple POP3 accounts can be defined, allowing a single user to fetch mails from a number of mail servers. All messages fetched will be stored in the INBOX folder. If you want to download e-mails from your external e-mail account to your OpenWebMail INBOX, make sure that your external mail account includes the POP3 feature. Free email services like Hotmail don't have pop3 servers. They are typically web-only services. Follow the instructions below: 1. Login to OpenWebMail 2. Click on User Preferences ( ) button on the toolbar. 3. Click on POP3 Setup ( ) button. 4. Fill in the boxes with your personal information and POP3 specifications provided by your external e-mail account provider. 5. UNcheck the Del remote mail option, if you want to keep two copies of e-mails - in your external e-mail folder and in your Axxess Mail Server INBOX. 6. Click the Add/Modify button. 7. Click the Back to User Preferences ( ) button.
8. UNcheck the Auto fetch POP3 at login, if you do not want to download your external Email automatically on login. 9. Click the Save button on the bottom of the screen. 10. Click the Retrieve POP3 mail button ( ) after you return to your INBOX. 11. Should the download operation exceed 10 seconds (due to a slow link or large message for example), the operation will be put into background to avoid an http timeout. 12. Your mail fetched from the remote POP3 mail server will appear in your OpenWebMail INBOX. 1.1.8 Logout from OpenWebMail Before leaving the PC, be certain to click the Logout button on the OpenWebMail toolbar to end the session. Otherwise your account is available for the next PC user. 1.2 E-mail clients Each e-mail client (MS Outlook Express, MS Outlook, Netscape Messenger, Lotus Notes,..) has commands in the menu to setup an e-mail account. Read the mail account setup documentation that is included in the e-mail client guide to start using the Axxess Mail Server. While a user is setting up an account in an e-mail client, the user is prompted with questions about type of the mail server, the mail server address, user s account name and password on the mail server, and the user s e-mail address. If the user sets up the e-mail account in the Axxess Mail Server local network, below are his/her answers: Type of the Axxess Mail Server: IMAP or POP3. Axxess Mail Server supports both protocols. Each user can afford to keep messages on the Axxess Mail Server itself (IMAP). The default storage space quota is 100 Mbytes. Or the user can always download messages to the PC (POP3). The Axxess IMAP Server allows only logins through SSL protocol. Axxess Mail Server address: Type axxess for both incoming and outgoing mail servers. User s account name and password: Use the Axxess Mail Server userid and password. E-mail address: userid@your.server.domain We describe MS Outlook Express set up as a sample. 1.2.1 Setting MS Outlook Express as Axxess Mail Server IMAP client We advise you to use POP3 server type to receive your messages. The Axxess Server has user quota enabled. If you configure your mail client to use IMAP server type, your e-mails are kept on the server. After your mail inbox reaches the quota, you will not be able to receive any new e-mails. But there are some advantages for IMAP, too. If you download your e-mails with POP3 to a computer in your office, you will not be able to see them in OpenWebMail interface from home. Below is shown, how to configure MS Outlook Express e-mail account with IMAP server type. Follow steps below, the last step is very important, because the Axxess IMAP Server only allows connections over SSL: From Outlook Express, click on Tools/Accounts/Mail/Add Mail Define the following options in dialog windows of Internet Connection Wizard
o Display name: input your full name o Check I already have an e-mail address that I d like to use and write it into the box (for instance rblanks@bcs.sd41.bc.ca)
o Choose IMAP characterization for your mail server o The incoming and outgoing servers are the same axxess o Write your account name (e.g. rblanks) at Axxess Server and its password
After you finish the Internet Connection Wizard, you still have to adjust the mail account advanced properties and setup IMAP connection over SSL protocol. Choose your new mail account in Tools Accounts Mail, click on the Properties button, switch to the Advanced tab and set your incoming (IMAP) mail server with SSL. Your messages will be kept at the Axxess Server, only their copies will be downloaded to your home mail folder. Ask the Axxess Server administrator to increase your user quota, if necessary. 1.2.2 SMTP authentication Your Axxess Mail Server is configured to prevent unauthorized senders - in other words, spammers -- from using your Mail Server as a SMTP relay to hide the real origin of their messages. Following Axxess Mail Server restrictions specify who can send mail through the server: - all clients connected from Axxess Server local network; - all users connected through WebMail; - all clients connected from Internet configured with SMTP authentication. If you are connecting from outside of your Axxess Server local network, then Axxess SMTP Server requires an authentication. Below are the steps on how to configure outgoing mail server in Outlook Express with SMTP authentication. 1. Start Outlook Express;
2. Once Outlook Express starts click the Tools menu at the top of the window and then click Accounts ; 3. When the Internet Accounts window opens click on the Mail tab at the top of the window. You should see your axxess email account listed in the box below. Click on its name to highlight it and then click the Properties button on the right side of the window.
4. When the axxess email Properties windows opens, click on the servers tab at the top. Insert your Axxess Server domain name (or IP address) as Incoming and Outgoing mail server. At the bottom of that window put the check in the box that says My server requires authentication. Then click the "settings button to the right. 5. In the Outgoing Mail Server window select the Log on using option. Then put your Axxess LDAP Server username and password in the Account name and password boxes, make sure the Remember password option is checked. Then click ok at the bottom of that window. 6. At the bottom of the axxess email properties window, click Apply, then click Ok. In the bottom of you Internet Accounts window press the Close button.
1.2.3 Axxess Server LDAP Directory Service in MS Outlook Below are the instructions to add and use Axxess Server LDAP Directory Service in your MS Outlook profile. The Axxess Server LDAP Directory Service contains the list of all Axxess Server users. The users attributes can be modified from http://axxess/phpldapadmin (see the chapter 3.1.2 Adding optional LDAP user attributes for more details). By adding the directory service you can search the Axxess Server directory from within MS Outlook and add addresses directly to your own address book. 1.2.3.1 Setting up Directory Service in Outlook These instructions are for Outlook 2000 - newer versions of Outlook may vary slightly. To ensure that Outlook will work properly with the Directory Service, you must have the latest service packs installed from Microsoft. If you have run Windows Update recently, you should be fine. 1. In MS Outlook, choose Tools - Accounts and select the tab Directory Service.
2. Choose Directory Service in the Add button and Enter axxess for Internet directory (LDAP) server. Click Next. 3. Read the instructions in the Check the E-mail Addresses dialog window and select one of the options. Click Next.
4. Click Finish 5. The axxess directory service will appear on the list of Directory Service tab. Select the axxess directory service and click the Properties button.
6. Insert the string dc=advancedinteractive,dc=local into the Search base text box in the Advanced tab. Then click OK button and Close the Internet Accounts window.
1.2.3.2 Using the Directory in Outlook 1.2.3.2.1 Using the Address Book in the New message window When in the New message window, enter the name you wish to search for in the To: or Cc: field. Then select Check Names from the Tools menu, or click the Check Names button. This can also be accomplished by pressing Ctrl+K. If there is only one match it will replace the To: field with the persons full name, however if there are multiple matches it will bring up a window where you can select the proper person. Note: The LDAP field that contains the user's email address is not filled on default when a new LDAP user is created in WebMin, you have to add the value in the attribute mail using phpldapadmin (see the chapter 3.1.2 Adding optional LDAP user attributes). 1.2.3.2.2 Accessing the Address Book anywhere in Outlook Select Address Book from the Tools menu. The Outlook Contacts will be listed. Click the Find People button. Select axxess from the list of directories in the Look in menu. Enter the name you are searching for in the Name box. Click the Find Now button.
It will open a window that shows all names that match your criteria.
1.2.4 Configure Mozilla Thunderbird Open Thunderbird, and select Tools - Account Settings; Click Account Actions - Add Mail Account;
The Mail Account Setup window appears. Enter your full name in the Your Name field. Enter your Axxess Mail Server e-mail address in the Email Address field (e.g. username@your_domain.com). Enter your Axxess LDAP Server Password and click Continue. Mozilla Thunderbird will automatically start to check your account. Click the Stop button, because your configuration is not finished yet. In the Incoming line, select IMAP as your protocol for receiving e-mails, change port number from 143 to 993, select SSL/TLS for security configuration; In the Outgoing line, select domain.name:25 (default), or manually enter port 25 and choose none for security;
Click Manual Setup to finish the mail account configuration; Click Outgoing Server (SMTP) in the folder list; Click the Edit button. The SMTP Server window appears; Enter your server domain.name as the Server Name and set the Port to 25; Select User name and password in the Security authentication part and enter your Axxess Server username in the User Name field; Select none from the Connection security list and click OK
Click OK to save your changes and exit the Account Settings dialog. Thunderbird will ask you for your password the first time you send email and you can optionally save it at that time. 1.3 Antivirus and spam filtering An antivirus and antispam solution package is added to the Axxess Mail Server environment. An opensource antivirus engine is provided. Additional commercial antivirus engines are supported and can be installed if requested. It is recommended to use a combination of two or three antivirus engines. Behavior if a virus is detected: An infected or dangerous attachment is moved into a quarantine area. The mail is forwarded to the recipient without the attachment. Information about the fact that the attachment was removed is added in front of the subject (in curly brackets, e.g {Virus?} or {Filename?}) and at the beginning of the e- mail. Contact support@advancedinteractive.com if the recipient thinks that the attachment should not have been removed and requests to have it sent from the quarantine area. Anti-virus rules: - Extensions in e-mail attachments are checked. If the filename of an attachment matches to administrator supplied rule set, the attachment is sent to the quarantine area. The list with Axxess Mail Server default rules will be sent to the Axxess Server administrator by request. - File types are checked. Contact support@advancedinteractive.com for the list of rules
- The opensource antivirus engine has the virus pattern database upgraded on daily bases. The engine scans the attachments, including compressed archives, for the patterns in the virus database. - Another 14 antivirus engines are supported and can be installed by request. - The package checks both outgoing and incoming e-mails for viruses. Anti-Spam: All outgoing and incoming messages are checked against a range of tests designed to identify if that message is spam or not. A wide number of tests are provided, including checks to see: If the sender and recipient address are valid; If the message dates are valid; If the body contains any of a list of forbidden words; If any of the sending servers are blacklisted; If the message was sent by either an open mail relay, a known spam source, or was sent directly from a known dial-up line without passing through a proper mail server; If, as a result of these checks, a message looks suspicious, the test adds to a message's overall spam score. A messages over a certain threshold is treated as a spam and is: Either marked with the string **** SPAM **** in the subject and delivered to the recipient (by default, if the score is above 5.0 points). The end-user takes full control over the marked messages. The end-user can for instance decide to store the marked messages automatically to Trash folder; Or is rejected and sent back to the sender (if the score is above 20.0 points). The test rules are updated daily from publicly available databases. In addition, the anti-spam software learns to recognize new spam on the basis of old spam messages. This makes it possible for the software to automatically adapt and identify spam. The auto-whitelist tracks scores for your regular correspondents in a small database. It keeps track of the historical score average of a sender. So a message from someone that never sent you a spam will be scored with negative points. It is also possible to maintain the anti-spam database by the system administrator and add own custom tests, or modify the scoring rules to your own specific requirements. An additional antispam control can be installed by request. Note: No antivirus protection is 100%. New viruses are created first, and then added to the antivirus pattern databases. 1.3.1 Managing Spam Filter from WebMin Login to your WebMin interface. Choose the Servers SpamAssassin Mail Filter module. The SpamAssassin Mail Filter module makes it easy: To list e-mail addresses that you know are valid and senders you do not want to receive e-mails from (Allowed and Denied Addressess); To set the threshold score (Spam Classification);
To set rules based on strings found in subject, text, e-mail address, attachment or other parts of e-mail (Header and Body Tests). Click on Allowed and Denied Addresses to manually manage the sender s white and black lists. Adding senders to From: addresses to never classify as spam white list gives them a -100 negative score, which has the effect of always marking their mail as non-spam. If you add e-mail addresses to the From: addresses to always classify as spam black list, then a message from those senders will be scored with +100 score
SpamAssassin contains a default ruleset. Custom rules are more for adjusting SpamAssassin to better suit your personal email. To check how SpamAssassin scored an e-mail in your Inbox, check the header of the e-mail (e.g. MS Outlook right click on your e-mail choose Options, or OpenWebMail click All Headers at the right top of the window when reading the e-mail). See the X-Spam-Score and X- Spam-Report options. For a sample rule, let's start with the basic "body" rule. This rule search the body of the message for the string WC toilets and if it matches, the corresponding score of 5.1 points is assigned. The three parts of this basic rule would be as below. It is advised to start custom rules names with a common string (e.g. AXXESS_) test AXXESS_BODY1 /WC toilets/ score AXXESS_BODY1 5.1 describe AXXESS_BODY1 WC toilets This rule does a simple case-sensitive search of the body of the email for the string "WC toilets" and adds 5.1 points to the score of the email if it finds it. Now, this rule is pretty simple as rules go. It will match "test" but also "testing" and "attest". The describe statement is optional and contains the text which will be placed into the e-mail header report report. In the test part of the rule the i switch can be used at the end to indicate case-insensitive search. Multiple words matching is enclosed in brackets and divided by the vertical line. Our rule below is made to match multiple pills names. Notice the \b before Cialis. The \b expression indicates a word-break and is made to not match specialist test AXXESS_BODY2 /(Viagra \bcialis Valium Levitra Anatrim)/i Now the rule will match appearance of any of the words Viagra, Cialis, Valium, Levitra, or Anatrim of upper or lower case.
Click on Header and Body Tests in WebMin Servers SpamAssassin Mail Filter to add various header and/or body matching filtering rules. After a new rule is added, click the Save button and then the Apply Changes button. If you add a new rule to the Header tests part with Subject in the For header column, only the subject will be matched for the Regular expression. All e-mails that score more than 5.0 points are added the string **** SPAM **** to the subject. A filter rule can be set in MS Outlook, OpenWebMail or any other mail client to move those e-mails to a Junk folder. 1.4 Additional Axxess Mail Server features Individual configuration as uucp, redirection through local network mail relay, additional antivirus and antispam scanning can be enabled on the Axxess Mail Server. Contact support@advancedinteractive.com to get more information. 1.4.1 UUCP Mail Server setup You wish to use UUCP to gather your e-mail from an external UUCP Mail Server, when your ISP does not provide you with a static external IP address, or blocks access to your sendmail port (TCP 25). When your Axxess Server posses a connection to the outside world, but it is not true other way around and the outside world does not now the address of your Axxess Server, then your e-mail from the outside world is routed to the UUCP server. The UUCP server is setup to accept the calls initiated from your Axxess Mail Server. Your Axxess Mail Server will connect regularly (each 5 to 30 minutes) to the UUCP server to gather your e-mail.