Mail Nodes

Each Scalix server is associated with a single mail node created during installation. These nodes, a Scalix feature, can organize your mail user community into manageable groups such as work groups, employment status or any other breakdowns you want. You can use the Management Console to create additional nodes on a server, including customizing any new nodes with a specific internet address and domain name.

Once you create the needed nodes (a preliminary task), you can do the following, depending on your e-mail user base:

• If starting out with a new system and adding all your users at this time, you can sort your new users into any nodes as you work.
• If you’ve already got an established user base, you can’t sort the existing user records into new nodes (in SAC), but you can sort all newly added users into nodes.

Note that once a user is associated with a specific node, you cannot move or reassign them in the Management Console. This task can only be undertaken in the Scalix CLI, as it requires migration of the user and their mail contents/data from one node to another. See the Scalix CLI Reference Guide for details.

Creating new mail nodes

To create new mail nodes:

1. In the toolbar, click the Server Info button.
2. A server information tree appears in the contents pane, with the Scalix server and mail nodes at the top.
   • The server is represented by a mailbox mini-icon.
   • Each node is represented by a “post office bin” mini-icon.
3. Select the server for which you want to create new mail nodes.
4. When the server's options appear in the display pane to the right, click the Mailnodes tab.
5. Review the listed nodes (which correspond to the mailnode “bins” listed in the contents pane). Initially, only one is listed.
6. To add another node, click Add Mailnode (in the lower right corner of this tab).
7. When a dialog box appears, fill in the following information:
   • Mailnode Name: Enter a single-word name/title for this new node.
   • Mail Address Rule: Pick your preference for mail address formatting from this menu.
   • Mail Address Domain: Fill in the preferred domain information.
8. Click Finish.
9. When the Mailnodes tab is visible, click Save Changes.
10. The new node appears in the tab, as well as in the contents pane, with any other nodes.
11. You can now assign Scalix users or groups to this node.

Reviewing the status of mail nodes

To review the status of a mailnode:

1. In the toolbar, click the Server Info button.
2. A server information tree appears in the contents pane, with the Scalix server and mail nodes at the top.
   • The server is represented by a mailbox mini-icon.
   • Each node is represented by a “post office bin” mini-icon.
3. In the contents pane, select the mail node for which you want to review the status (there should be at least one).
4. When the node options appear in the display pane, the options are organized into three tabs: General, Users and Groups.
5. You can:
   • Change a mail node’s address configurations.
   • Review the list of users associated with this node.
   • Review the groups associated with this node.

Changing mail node configurations

With the [mailnode name] General tab in view, review the information in these fields:

• Mail Address Rule
• Mail Address Domain

To change mail node configurations:

1. In the toolbar, click the Server Info button.
2. A server information tree appears in the contents pane, with the Scalix server and mail nodes at the top.
   • The server is represented by a mailbox mini-icon.
   • Each node is represented by a “post office bin” mini-icon.
3. Click a mail node (there should be at least one.)
4. In the contents pane, select the mail node for which you want to change configurations.
5. In the area of the display pane labelled Mail Address Configuration, open the Mail Address Rule dropdown menu and choose your preference.
6. To change the existing addresss domain (or assign one to this node), type the new domain in the Mail Address Domain field.
7. Click the now-active Save Changes button at the bottom of the display pane.
8. The node is now updated with your changes. If you apply an e-mail address-generation rule to a mailnode, and if a user is associated with that selected mailnode, then his/her address will be generated not by global/server rules, but by the mailnode-specific rule.

file: 03_topicO.htm | Ed: 02.17.2006