MailStore Proxy

E-mails can be automatically archived when sent and received via the MailStore proxy server. The advantages and disadvantages of this procedure are discussed in the section Automatically Archiving Inbound and Outbound E-mails.

The MailStore Proxy server is available free of charge to all MailStore Server customers and can be downloaded from https://my.mailstore.com/Downloads.

System Requirements

• Windows Vista/2008 or later
• .NET Framework 4.5.1 or later

Procedure

To connect MailStore Proxy to SMTP or POP3 connections, it must be configured to be positioned between two systems. Depending on the planned archiving strategy, MailStore Proxy can be placed between e-mail clients and an e-mail server (internal or Internet service provider) or between two e-mail servers. MailStore Proxy writes a copy of the e-mails to a shared transfer directory along with a report containing transmission details such as sender and recipient.

The MailStore Server archives the e-mails copied by MailStore Proxy from a shared transfer directory. This process can be automated and applied several times per day.

Example: Using MailStore Proxy with an e-mail server in an ISS

Installation and Configuration of MailStore Proxy

• Download MailStore Proxy from the download section of the MailStore website.
• Install MailStore Proxy on any computer. It is not necessary for MailStore Server to be installed on the same machine, although both should have access to a shared transfer directory or network share.
• After installation, start MailStore Proxy Admin by clicking on the new desktop icon.
• Under Configuration, MailStore Proxy can be configured according to your environment.

Specifying the Report Output Directory

In the Report Output Directory field, specify the directory where MailStore Proxy will write the transmission reports. The MailStore Server must also have access to this directory in order to archive the e-mails. The directory is valid for all proxy servers (SMTP and POP3).

Adding or Removing Proxy Servers

After installing MailStore Proxy, there is already a sample configuration for an SMTP proxy server and a POP3 proxy server. If you need additional proxy servers, for example, if you use e-mail servers from different Internet service providers, you can add or remove additional proxy servers by clicking on the appropriate button next to the Proxy Servers label.

Configuring the SMTP Proxy Server

To configure an SMTP proxy server, follow these steps:

• Click on the name of the proxy server you want to configure in the Proxy Servers list. Immediately after installing MailStore Proxy, there is a configurable example configuration called SMTP Proxy Server that can be adjusted to your environment.
• In the Name field, you can enter a meaningful name for the SMTP proxy server. This is especially useful when multiple proxy servers are configured. Technically, this has no effect on the proxy server.
• Under Listen on, specify which IP address of MailStore Proxy will listen for incoming connections. The Port field specifies the port that MailStore Proxy must listen on to forward incoming connections to the Target Host. The default port is 25. If another e-mail server is running on the computer and it is not listening on port 25, the default option should not be changed. The communication with MailStore Proxy can be unencrypted or encrypted using StartTLS. SSL connections, generally referred to as SMTPS, are not supported by MailStore Proxy at the moment.
• In the Target Host field, specify which SMTP server incoming connections will be directed to. This is usually the Internet service provider's SMTP server or an internal SMTP server. If the SMTP port of the target host is different from the standard port, change the Port value (25).
• If the connection to the external SMTP server requires encryption, the encryption type can be selected under Encryption. Whether the connection to the target host is encrypted is not dependent on whether the MailStore Proxy connection is encrypted. Please note: SSL connections are usually established on port 25 instead of port 465. Please make sure to change the value in the Port field accordingly.
• If the external SMTP server requires authentication, you can specify the login credentials in the Username and Password fields. These values are used when connecting to the target host. By filling in these fields, you do not need to configure login details on each workstation in your network. Important note: If you store the SMTP login credentials on the SMTP proxy server, do not make the SMTP proxy server accessible from the Internet; because this would create an open relay server that can be quickly misused by spammers.
• After configuring the settings, click Save and Restart to restart MailStore Proxy.

Configuring the POP3 Proxy Server

• Click on the name of the POP3 proxy server you want to configure in the Proxy Servers list. Immediately after installing MailStore Proxy, there is a sample configuration called POP3 Proxy Server that can be adjusted to your environment.
• Under Listen on, specify which IP address of MailStore Proxy will listen for incoming connections. The Port field specifies the port that MailStore Proxy must listen on to forward incoming connections to the Target Host. The default port is 110. If another e-mail server is running on the computer and it is not listening on port 110, the default should not be changed.
• In the Target Host field, specify which POP3 server incoming connections will be directed to. This is usually the Internet service provider's POP3 server or an internal POP3 server. If the POP3 port of the target host is different from the standard port (110), change the Port value. Communication with MailStore Proxy can be unencrypted or encrypted using StartTLS. Incoming SSL connections, generally referred to as POP3S (TCP port 995), are not supported by MailStore Proxy at the moment.
• If the connection to the target host needs encryption, the encryption type can be selected under Encryption. Whether the connection to the target host is encrypted is not dependent on whether the MailStore Proxy connection is encrypted. Please note: SSL connections are usually established on port 110 instead of port 995. Please make sure to change the value in the Port field accordingly.
• After configuring the settings, click Save and Restart to restart MailStore Proxy.

Integrating MailStore Proxy into Your E-mail Environment

Depending on your archiving strategy, there may be two different locations in your e-mail environment that require reconfiguration.

Configuring E-mail Clients

If MailStore Proxy is located between your e-mail clients and an e-mail server (internal or Internet service provider), replace the outgoing e-mail server (SMTP) and incoming e-mail server (POP3) with the DNS host name or IP address of MailStore Proxy. If necessary, change the ports in the Listen on field of your SMTP or POP3 proxy server accordingly.

Configuring the E-mail Server

Is MailStore Proxy located between two e-mail servers, for example, between your company's internal and Internet service provider? Make sure that all outgoing e-mails from your e-mail server are sent to MailStore Proxy. This option is usually found under the terms "Smarthost" or "Outgoing Relay" in your e-mail server's configuration options. Fill in the DNS host name or IP address of the MailStore server and configure the appropriate ports in the Listen on field of your SMTP or POP3 proxy server.

If your e-mail server retrieves the contents of POP3 mailboxes from your Internet service provider's e-mail server, make sure that the connection is set up to MailStore Proxy in the future. For more information on how to change these settings, please refer to your e-mail server's user guide.

Configuring MailStore Server

Before configuring the MailStore Server, make sure that there is a MailStore user account for each user whose e-mails will be archived on the MailStore Proxy server. For more information, please refer to the User Management section.

Important Notice: Under user management, under Properties, it is mandatory to specify the e-mail address for each user. This is the only way to ensure that e-mails in the archive are assigned to the correct users. If the POP3 username does not match the user's e-mail address, the username should be added separately.

Please proceed as follows:

• Start MailStore Client on the computer where MailStore Server is installed. Log in to MailStore Client as an administrator.
• Click on Archive Email and then click on MailStore Proxy.

• Select the Report Output Directory specified in the proxy configuration.
• In the section Delete report files during archiving, check the box successfully after the archiving process has been sufficiently tested. Even if this setting is disabled, MailStore Server will not archive duplicate e-mails.
• In the section Delete report files during archiving, check the box for Fail due to unknown e-mail addresses / POP3 users after all users' e-mail addresses have been verified (in User Management, under Properties). Background: E-mails received from a proxy server that cannot be assigned to any MailStore user remain in the proxy server's output directory. The option Delete report files during archiving helps minimize the amount of such data.
• Click Next.
• In the final step, a name can be specified for the archiving profile. After clicking Finish, the archiving profile is listed under Saved Settings (Profiles) and can be executed immediately if needed.

Starting the Archiving Process

Manually Starting the Archiving Process

On the start page of MailStore Client, click on Archive Email (E-mail) and select the appropriate archiving profile from the list under Saved Profiles. Click Run. After the archiving process is executed, a protocol is generated. It contains information about the volume of archived e-mails and any possible errors that may have occurred.

This process can be repeated as many times as the user wants. MailStore only archives e-mails that have not yet been stored in the relevant user archive.

Automating the Archiving Process

In addition to being executed manually, archiving tasks can also be automated. Additional information on this subject is available in the section Automating the Archiving Process.

Source: MailStore Proxy - MailStore Server Help