Re: Sendmail

[Ken Hagan <ken@alacrity-it.com>]

I know there are holy wars raging in the sendmail/exim/postfix/other worlds out
there but I would really recommend going to something like postfix if you are
doing a mail server from scratch.  Either can handle large numbers of people
but Postfix (in my humble opinion) is easier to administer, more modern and
efficient, MUCH more easy to connect to things like MYSQL and LDAP, and will
let you do things like use Maildirs and other modern features that will help
less server serve more people.

Things like Maildirs and quick authentication (such as LDAP or MySQL for the
imap server) will make the server run more happily when you have 500+ people
slamming away at the server with their outlook clients set to update every one
to five minutes.  If they're using Outlook, they're probably also leaving tons
of stuff in their inbox and Mbox is not amicable to that on a large scale.

I set up a Pentium III with 512 megabytes of ram to host
postfix/authentication/pop/imap/webmail for 6000 domains and it ran like a
champ serving thousands of users every day.  

As far as replacing the functionality of an Exchange server, I cannot help you
there.  I am assuming you are looking for ways for people to manage
calendars/meetings/tasks.  Postfix or Sendmail or Exim or Courier will handle
the mail aspects like a champ but I don't know if anyone has reverse engineered
the way Exchange does all of it's messenging well enough to replicated those
features.  There was supposed to be some sort of standard to which GroupWise,
Microsoft, Lotus, and all of the calendar vendors would adhere for stuff like
that.  That standard apparently never really took hold.  Someone please correct
me if I am wrong.

I've used Outlook for several years as a mail client with various sendmail and
postfix servers and would never know that the back end was running UNIX aside
from the fact that the server didn't crash and had fairly effective virus/worm
and spam filters on it.

Quoting "L. V. Lammert" <lvl@omnitec.net>:

> At 01:26 PM 3/31/2004, you wrote:
> 
> >How robust is Sendmail?  can it handle daily mail requirements for 500+ 
> >employees?
> 
> I don't think that would be any problem, . . but make sure you tweak the 
> startup options to increase the maximum number of threads.
> 
> One main reason I like Sendmail is that the Webmin interface is pretty 
> mature & stable. The GUI is a nice way to handle admin, as it automates the 
> process (including stopping/starting).
> 
> >Also, what is the Opensource replacement for MS Exchange?  I've heard it 
> >in the past but have forgotten.
> 
> No single one leads the pack yet - check the archives for the discussions. 
> I would also recommend contacting pcXperience - they have done a lot with 
> Kroupware and their own solutions.
> 
>          Lee
> 
> ============================================
>     Leland V. Lammert                                lvl@omnitec.net
>        Chief Scientist                         Omnitec Corporation
>    Network/Internet Consultants              www.omnitec.net
> ============================================
> 
> 
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Ken Hagan
Technology Consultant
Alacrity-IT, Inc
http://www.alacrity-it.com/
618.499.0108

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