Re: Correct setup of SBS Exchange with hosted POP3 email

hmaupin wrote:
> We have hosted POP3 email and have installed SBS2003 in the office. I
> would like to use Exchange to capture the POP3 emails into the exchange
> server. Our domain name is used by the hosted server (and hosted web
> site) i.e. www.mycharity.org & mail.mycharity.org. Our local server is
> on a dynamic IP DSL with a DynDNS alias (mycharity.dyndns.org).
> Currently the SBS server is sbsserver.mycharity.local. I could get a
> domain mycharity-int.org for the office if that would help the
> configuration, but right now fixed IP is a bit pricey for now.
>
> What is the correct (most reliable and efficient) way to pull the
> emails from the POP3 server into exchange, and to relay mail sent
> locally via exchange to that server via SMTP. If possible, I would like
> to leave 30-60 days on the hosted mail server in case of power outage or
> DSL outage at our office if possible.
>

There are a number of issues raised here. As I see it, the most
fundamental is that POP3 does not support 'leaving email' on the server.
It can be done for troubleshooting purposes, but every time the
connector runs, the email will be downloaded again. This will annoy a
lot of people in very short order.

The protocol for doing this correctly is IMAP, not POP3, and the SBS2003
connector does not do IMAP. I don't know about SBS2008, but various
third-party connectors do IMAP. Some ISPs offer IMAP, but not all.

Those of us in business have found an in-house mail server to be
reliable enough. If it is down for a few hours, or even a couple of
days, most other mail servers will tell the sender there is a problem,
and will keep retrying to send. That's receiving email by SMTP, of
course, a POP3 server will store the email for long periods without
telling the sender there is a problem. But POP3 servers can normally be
accessed by other methods in an emergency.

It is also possible to designate an SMTP backup server (or more than
one), and I believe DynDNS offers this service. The consensus of this
group is likely to be to advise using SMTP, though there is some
disagreement about whether a backup SMTP server is a good idea. I don't
use one. POP3 is universally despised as a solution for anyone other
than a single home user.

--
Joe

Under SBS 2003, and now also on SBS 2008, we're running Exchange as our
primary mail server.

However, we've left the pop3/smtp on the web server (same setup as the OP
mentions) alive and well, and continue to configure matching accounts for
staff addresses, and run the pop3 connector.

We've two MX records in DNS--and the web machine acts as backup when
Exchange is unavailable--as it was for several days a few weeks ago due to a
Verizon problem.

There was some worry and skepticism when we first made the switch, but
everybody is pleased we did--no looking back.

We did move to a static address, which is expensive (and probably lead to
that outage, which seemed to have been related to work involved in Verizon's
implementing port 25 blocking for dynamic IP customers.)


"Joe" <> wrote in message
news:...
> hmaupin wrote:
>> We have hosted POP3 email and have installed SBS2003 in the office. I
>> would like to use Exchange to capture the POP3 emails into the exchange
>> server. Our domain name is used by the hosted server (and hosted web
>> site) i.e. www.mycharity.org & mail.mycharity.org. Our local server is
>> on a dynamic IP DSL with a DynDNS alias (mycharity.dyndns.org). Currently
>> the SBS server is sbsserver.mycharity.local. I could get a
>> domain mycharity-int.org for the office if that would help the
>> configuration, but right now fixed IP is a bit pricey for now.
>>
>> What is the correct (most reliable and efficient) way to pull the
>> emails from the POP3 server into exchange, and to relay mail sent
>> locally via exchange to that server via SMTP. If possible, I would like
>> to leave 30-60 days on the hosted mail server in case of power outage or
>> DSL outage at our office if possible.
>
> There are a number of issues raised here. As I see it, the most
> fundamental is that POP3 does not support 'leaving email' on the server.
> It can be done for troubleshooting purposes, but every time the connector
> runs, the email will be downloaded again. This will annoy a lot of people
> in very short order.
>
> The protocol for doing this correctly is IMAP, not POP3, and the SBS2003
> connector does not do IMAP. I don't know about SBS2008, but various
> third-party connectors do IMAP. Some ISPs offer IMAP, but not all.
>
> Those of us in business have found an in-house mail server to be reliable
> enough. If it is down for a few hours, or even a couple of days, most
> other mail servers will tell the sender there is a problem, and will keep
> retrying to send. That's receiving email by SMTP, of course, a POP3 server
> will store the email for long periods without telling the sender there is
> a problem. But POP3 servers can normally be accessed by other methods in
> an emergency.
>
> It is also possible to designate an SMTP backup server (or more than one),
> and I believe DynDNS offers this service. The consensus of this group is
> likely to be to advise using SMTP, though there is some disagreement about
> whether a backup SMTP server is a good idea. I don't use one. POP3 is
> universally despised as a solution for anyone other than a single home
> user.
>
> --
> Joe