New Features
(The current version of MDaemon is 9.0.1.)
SyncML Server for PIM Data Synchronization
MDaemon integrates a standards-compliant SyncML server which can be used to synchronize contacts, tasks and calendars between MDaemon users and their PDAs, cell phones or other SyncML compliant devices. MDaemon's SyncML server can synchronize in both directions and operates with any standards compliant client software.
Pocket PC Access
WorldClient’s Pocket PC theme gives you access to your groupware folders. This means you can access contacts, tasks and calendars through your Pocket PC browser. Pocket PC 2003 or higher is required for full functionality.
AntiSpam as Separate Daemon
AntiSpam for MDaemon operates as a separate process capable of running on the same computer as MDaemon or on a remote computer. You can substitute other spam fighting daemons in place of AntiSpam for MDaemon. MDaemon communicates with the antispam daemon using TCP/IP on port 783.
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Active Directory Monitoring
By monitoring Active Directory MDaemon can automatically add and change its own email accounts, plus offer options for handling deleted Active Directory accounts. MDaemon account information can be gleaned from any combination of Active Directory properties using a simple and intuitive ‘mapping’ mechanism. Default settings allow for out-of-the-box operation.
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Active Directory Support For Mailing Lists
MDaemon can use Active Directory information for compiling email addresses for mailing lists.
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Multi-Threading Performance Boosts
Core message processing, the IMAP server and MDaemon's content filter are all now multi-threaded, meaning they can process many messages simultaneously rather than one at a time. Multi-threading performance improvements also apply to AntiVirus for MDaemon, a security plug-in available for MDaemon.
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Sender ID Framework Support
Sender ID is an e-mail authentication technology protocol that addresses the problem of spoofing and phishing by verifying the domain name from which an email is sent. Sender ID validates the origin of e-mail by verifying the IP address of the sender against the purported owner of the sending domain.
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Free/Busy Server
The free/busy server allows you to see availability in other people’s schedules when setting up meetings through groupware. Free/busy content is accessible through the WorldClient web mail platform and through Outlook Connector, an Alt-N product for unlocking the collaborative potential of Microsoft Outlook by using MDaemon as the messaging platform.
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Tarpitting EHLO and HELO Delay
A delay option for EHLO/HELO in the tarpitting function slows down incoming mail from servers exhibiting spammer-like behavior, without significantly slowing legitimate messages. Because of their need to process huge amounts of mail, spammers cannot tolerate slow downs of as little as 10 seconds.
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Optimized HTML for WorldClient
The HTML for WorldClient is optimized to allow faster loading in all standard Web browsers.
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Unicode UTF-8 Output in WorldClient
WorldClient uses Unicode UTF-8 encoding to display its content, allowing you to switch languages without changing encoding settings. With the correct font available, UTF-8 encoding displays most characters from most languages. WorldClient is localized in more than 25 languages.
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Integrated WebAdmin
WebAdmin is installed as part of MDaemon and is no longer a separate download. Because updates to WebAdmin may be released independently of MDaemon, WebAdmin continues to have its own version number, web location and logo.
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Features
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)
DKIM is a cryptographic authentication protocol which protects email users against email address identity theft and email message content tampering.
Greylisting
Greylisting is a spam fighting technique which defers the initial acceptance of a new email message from unknown senders and tells the sending email server to try again later. Greylisting is disabled by default in MDaemon, and exception options and white lists can exempt trusted senders from greylist processing.
DomainKeys
New for version 8.0, MDaemon Pro has integrated the DomainKeys security system for users and administrators. DomainKeys technology validates sender addresses and the message integrity of email. DomainKeys is gaining industry acceptance for counteracting email address spoofing. MDaemon 8.0 creates outbound signatures and validates inbound DomainKeys. DomainKeys integration is an MDaemon Pro feature.
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Groupware Functions in MDaemon
MDaemon 8 comes with both new and enhanced groupware features designed to support collaborative work. Integrated into MDaemon's WorldClient web mail platform, these groupware capabilities allow you to share calendars, contacts, task lists and email messages, plus anything you can put into personal email folders. The updated calendar allows you to set both one-time appointments and recurring events on daily, weekly, monthly and yearly intervals. You can also add attendance lists and send email notifications, all from the calendar. Overall, the new calendaring and scheduling functions of WorldClient make time management both fast and easy.Creating and updating task lists allow you to accurately manage projects and deadlines. Each task can include such details as due dates, start dates, project status and completion percentages. By sharing task lists with team members, management can easily follow the status of each project.Contacts contain information about your vendors, customers, coworkers, friends and more. The comprehensive contact data contains numerous details, including multiple email addresses, website locations, phone numbers and physical addresses. If you share a contact list for updating, others can add and change your information.Sharing of email messages is one of the most flexible functions of the groupware concept. You can send, store and share almost any type of information through email, including messages and attachments. Also, WorldClient mailboxes are easy to search and you can sort their content by multiple criteria, including sender, subject, date and attachment size.
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Outlook Connector for MDaemon Support
MDaemon 8.0 includes enhanced support for Alt-N’s Outlook Connector plugin. Outlook Connector installs in Microsoft’s Outlook email client and enables that application’s sharing functions to work with the built-in groupware capabilities of MDaemon. As a groupware function, data between Outlook Connector and WorldClient are seamlessly linked.
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SpamAssassin 3
MDaemon 8 includes the latest version of SpamAssassin 3, open-source antispam software. SpamAssassin uses a variety of tests for detecting unwanted email messages. The output of each test assigns a spam score to an email. If the score reaches a threshold level, MDaemon marks the email as spam.
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Custom Plug-in Interface
MDaemon 8.0 now integrates custom plug-ins into the graphical interface and message processing chain. Once installed, a plugin becomes part of MDaemon, even including a command in the Setup menu. Reference materials, how-to documents and sample source code are available immediately by downloading the release version of MDaemon 8.0.
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Multiple Gateway LDAPs
MDaemon now makes it possible to specify multiple LDAP configurations for your gateway domains. LDAP verifies the existence of an account before accepting messages bound for a gateway domain.
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Inline AntiVirus Scanning
AntiVirus for MDaemon now scans incoming messages inline during SMTP sessions. Previously, messages were removed from the local and remote queues, scanned and returned to the queues. Upon finding a virus, MDaemon’s inline scanning rejects the message. This new feature works in conjunction with AntiVirus for MDaemon and is enabled by default.
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Queue Management System
The Status tab of the MDaemon administration interface includes a list of queues: inbound, local, remote, retry, holding, bad, lan and raw. Double clicking on a queue name opens the queue in the new management system.
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Holding Queue for Errors
When a message causes a software exception during AntiVirus, AntiSpam, or Content Filter processing, MDaemon places it the new Holding Queue. An administrator may requeue or release the messages. Requeuing returns the messages to remote or local queues for reprocessing, while releasing delivers the messages.
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Detect Spoofed Email Addresses
With support for Sender Policy Framework (SPF) MDaemon can help defend against spoofed email addresses. “Spoofing” is when a sender attempts to mask his or her identity by making the message appear to be from someone else—a common tactic of spammers and virus creators. An effective emerging technology for detecting such addresses, SPF verifies the authenticity of the sender’s FROM email address by DNS queries to see if the sending server is authorized to send mail on behalf of that address. Based on the results of such queries, MDaemon can either reject the message or manipulate its Spam Filter score.
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Automatic Update Service
The Spam Filter’s anti-spam rules and program files can be updated automatically. Similar to AntiVirus for MDaemon’s updating feature, the Spam Filter can connect to Alt-N Technologies at scheduled intervals to check for new rules and files and then download and install them automatically when found. An “AntiSpam updates” dialog is used for scheduling how often you want to check for Spam Filter file updates, and you can check for updates manually at any time with a “Check for update now” button.
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Private White Lists
The Spam Filter contains an option for automatically white listing private address book entries. Using this option, MDaemon can query each user’s private address book file with each incoming message. If the sender of the message is in the recipient’s address book file then the message will be automatically white listed. If you do not wish to apply automatic white listing to every MDaemon user then you can disable it for individual users in their account settings.
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Compose Messages in Rich Text (HTML) Format
All of the WorldClient themes can compose messages in HTML format when using Internet Explorer 5.5 or later. Instead of just being able to use simple plain-text, you can choose to make text bold, italic, and underlined; create tables; justify text; change fonts; and more. When a message is composed using HTML, the resulting message file will be created using the multipart/alternative content-type for maximum mail client compatibility.
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Performance Enhancements
MDaemon uses more execution threads and supports computers with multiple CPUs:
The Local & RAW queue Message Transfer Agent (MTA) runs in its own thread separate from the GUI thread. This means that MDaemon delivers local mail immediately and therefore needs no options for scheduling such delivery. Furthermore, this means the GUI remains responsive even when thousands of local messages are being shuffled into user directories. All incoming messages (whether from SMTP, DomainPOP, or MultiPOP) are processed through the Inbound queue for the MTA to deliver rather than is session windows. Sessions complete faster and are freed for new connections.
A maintenance thread operates independently from the GUI and all other threads. It performs maintenance and system operations every few seconds and keeps the queue counters updated. This frees the GUI from maintaining operational areas. Each incoming SMTP connection spawns its own execution thread independent of the GUI and other threads. Providing each incoming SMTP connection with its own execution thread greatly increases efficiency and reduces the load on the GUI.
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Strong Passwords
MDaemon can require stronger and more secure passwords when creating new accounts or changing existing passwords. Strong and secure passwords:
- Must be at least a specified number of characters long (six by default).
- Must contain both letters and numbers.
- Must contain both upper and lower case letters.
- May not contain the account mailbox or full name data.
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Spam Filter
MDaemon’s Spam Filter examines incoming email messages in order to compute a spam score based on a complex system of rules, which can be automatically updated in order to keep your anti-spam system current. The score is used to determine the likelihood of a message being spam. Certain actions can then be taken based on that score such as refusing to accept the message, flagging it as possible spam, and so on. Addresses can be white or black listed or designated as completely exempt from Spam Filter examination. You can have a spam report inserted into messages—showing their spam scores and how those scores were achieved, or you can generate the report as a separate email and have the original spam message included with it as an attachment.
Further, you can use Bayesian Classification: a complex statistical system that helps the Spam Filter learn over time to identify spam (as well as legitimate email) more accurately and thus increase its reliability. When used in conjunction with MDaemon’s Spam Blocker, virtually all spam can be identified and refused or flagged at your discretion before reaching your users.
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Collaboration and Contact Sharing
MDaemon GroupWare (also developed by Alt-N Technologies) is a separately licensed product that, along with MDaemon Pro, unlocks the collaborative functions of Microsoft Outlook using MDaemon as the mail server platform. Outlook users can share Calendar, Task, Contact, Notes, and Journal folders without the expense or expertise required by Microsoft Exchange Server.
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Shared Calendaring and Scheduling
WorldClient is equipped with a complete calendar system for scheduling meetings and appointments, and for creating global and personal memos. You can schedule meetings and designate attendees (causing an email notification to be sent to each person), schedule appointments for yourself, create global and personal memos, and even import and export to Microsoft Outlook and other iCalendar compliant email programs.
Additionally, you can set permissions for your calendar and thus control the level of access that others will have to it (i.e. whether they can see or create events on your calendar).
Finally, when used with ComAgent, you can receive instant messages each time your calendar is modified and when reminders about approaching calendar events are needed.
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Automatic IP Screening
Automatic IP Screening bans a specific IP address from future connections to your MDaemon server once a specified number of “recipient unknown” errors occur from that address during a mail session. You can also ban hosts that attempt to relay messages through your server or deliver messages to unknown local accounts. These IP addresses and hosts will not be banned permanently; they will be banned only for the number of minutes that you have specified.
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Instant Messenger
ComAgent provides easy access to your email and folders, contacts and calendars, and checks for new messages without having to open your web browser. It is also a complete Instant Messaging system (MDaemon Pro required) that can be used to quickly chat with other MDaemon users, and maintain a list of “buddies” so that you can quickly see who is available and who is offline.
ComAgent-Java Edition is a Java-based version of ComAgent that provides cross-platform access. Because this version is compatible with virtually any operating system that supports Java (such as Mac OS X), you are not restricted to Windows-based systems to gain access to ComAgent. ComAgent-Java provides full access to MDaemon’s instant messaging system and to your WorldClient email messages and folders—just like the Windows version of ComAgent. Unlike ComAgent, ComAgent-Java does not support the address book synchronization feature since this feature is dependent on Microsoft technology.
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Contact Synchronization
Individual user and global address book information can be synchronized between ComAgent/WorldClient, Outlook, and Windows Address Book (WAB) files. MDaemon can also be configured to keep an LDAP database up to date with contact information via the LDAP and LDaemon options.
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Message Folder Sharing
MDaemon supports the sharing of Public and User IMAP Folders. Public folders are extra folders that do not belong to any particular account but can be made available to multiple IMAP users. User folders are IMAP folders that belong to individual MDaemon accounts. Whether the folders are Public Folders or User folders, each has an access control list that determines what users are allowed to access the messages within it. When IMAP users access their list of personal folders, shared public folders and shared user folders to which they have been given access will also be displayed. In this way certain mail folders can be shared by multiple users but still require each user’s individual logon credentials. Furthermore, having access to a folder doesn’t necessarily mean having full read/write or administrative access to it. Specific access rights can be granted to individual users. For example, you might allow some users to delete messages while restricting that ability for others.
Finally, IMAP public folders can optionally store message status flags (i.e. new/unread/deleted) on a per-user basis. In other words, if you are an IMAP user you will not share the same public folder message status flags with all other users—yours will be maintained independently. Thus, when you mark a message as read, no other users will see it marked as such—to them it will still be marked as unread. Without this option, if you view a message in a public folder and mark it as read, all other users viewing that public folder will also see that message marked as read.
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Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Support
The standard for securing server/client web communications, Secure Socket Layer (SSL) support provides authentication and encryption for your web mail, and for the SMTP, POP, and IMAP protocols—it provides server authentication, data encryption, and optional client authentication for TCP/IP connections. Further, because SSL is built into all current major browsers, simply installing a valid digital certificate on your server will activate the connecting browser’s SSL capabilities when connecting to WorldClient.
MDaemon can even provide this security if you are connecting to standard mail ports via a traditional mail client rather than using WorldClient. MDaemon does this by also supporting the STARTTLS extension over Transport Layer Security (TLS) for SMTP and IMAP, and the STLS extension for POP3.
Finally, with MDaemon, you can also dedicate specific ports for SSL connections. This isn’t required but can provide a further level of accessibility for clients that do not support certain SSL extensions. For example, some email clients don’t support STARTTLS for IMAP over the default mail port but do support connections to dedicated SSL ports.
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DomainPOP
Because not all service providers support the more powerful ODMR method of relaying email, the extensive parsing options built in to MDaemon’s DomainPOP feature make it possible to provide remote email for your entire LAN with as little as a single dial-up ISP POP3 mailbox. Although not as accurate or efficient as ODMR, DomainPOP can nevertheless be used to provide email to an entire network for a fraction of the normally associated cost. With DomainPOP you simply need a POP3 accessible mailbox hosted by your service provider, and to have all of your domain’s email messages stored in that single mailbox—all mail destined for anyone “@example.com”, for example, is pooled into your example.com mailbox. Using DomainPOP, your MDaemon server connects to your provider at specified intervals, downloads all messages contained in the mailbox, and then disconnects from your provider. Next, DomainPOP parses all of the messages to determine the intended recipients and then deposits them into the appropriate mailboxes.
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SMTP Authentication
MDaemon contains a number of options related to whether or not a connecting user has authenticated their mail session: authenticated sessions can be exempt from IP Shielding and the POP before SMTP requirement, local users can be required to authenticate before sending email, a global authentication password can be specified, and more.
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On-Demand Mail Relay (ODMR)
With MDaemon, you are not required to have a dedicated full-time connection to the Internet in order to provide remote email services to your LAN. If you do not have a dedicated connection, you can still provide remote email services with as little as a single dial-up ISP account by using MDaemon’s built-in On-Demand Mail Relay (ODMR) feature.
ODMR is perhaps the best method currently available for providing remote email services to your local users when you do not have a dedicated connection. ODMR is a queue/dequeue method of mail delivery in which a remote host or ISP receives and stores all of your email and then gives it to you when you connect to the host to collect it. This method requires authentication before mail is dequeued, and it utilizes a new ESMTP command called ATRN that does not require you to have a static IP address because it immediately reverses the flow of data between you and the server storing your messages.
Best of all, because the queued messages will be passed to you using the normal SMTP delivery process, no complicated parsing is required as when using DomainPOP. Your MDaemon will receive the messages like it would if it had a dedicated connection.
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IMAP Support
More efficient than the POP3 protocol, IMAP support allows the use of IMAP clients to manage email on the server rather than having to download and manage it on one machine. Plus with IMAP Mail Rules, you can route your messages directly to the folders of your choice.
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Multiple Domain Support
Through MDaemon’s Primary/Secondary Domain system, you can provide email services to any number of distinct Internet domains. Secondary Domains can have distinct or shared IP Addresses; can have AntiVirus and AntiSpam enabled or disabled; can prune old messages and inactive users; and more. Plus, all user account features are available regardless of whether the account is on the Primary or one of the Secondary Domains.
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ODBC Support for Account Storage
MDaemon supports the use of an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) compliant database as its account database backend.
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ODBC Support for Mailing Lists
Your mailing lists’ membership can be maintained in an ODBC compliant database. The Mailing List editor contains options for selecting a data source, table, and field mappings for MDaemon to link to the list. When messages arrive for your list one or more SQL queries will be performed automatically and the resulting email addresses will be treated as part of the list’s membership. You can also add members to your list by inserting them into the database using whatever ODBC compliant database application you choose.
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Content Filtering
With MDaemon’s Content Filter you can customize server behavior based on the headers and content of messages. By processing each message through Content Filter rules, MDaemon will determine what is to be done with the message—when a given rule’s conditions are met this will cause MDaemon to take certain actions.
With Content Filters you can: copy emails to one or more other users, append a note or signature to the bottom of messages, add and delete headers, strip email attachments, delete messages, send an instant message, run a program, and much more. Because individual Content Filter rules are created by the administrator, and because of their diversity, they can be used in many situations and are limited for the most part only by the ingenuity of the person creating them. With a little bit of thought and experimentation, this feature can be very useful.
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Web-based email
WorldClient is MDaemon’s full-featured, customizable, web-mail client used to access your email, address books, and calendars from around the globe. WorldClient makes it possible for you to access your email using your favorite web browser rather than from a workstation dependent email client. This tool is perfect for mobile staff and users who do not have a dedicated machine from which to access their email. WorldClient is equipped with a complete suite of email client features: send and receive email, spell check messages (MDaemon Pro required), manage your email in multiple personal folders, display the interface in any of 18 languages (MDaemon Pro required), schedule meetings and appointments with group Calendar & Scheduling features (Pro only), manage your MDaemon account settings, manage contacts, and more.
Finally, customizable themes allow you to tailor the look and feel of WorldClient to your tastes (MDaemon Pro is required to be able to customize themes). Your users will love the LookOut theme, for example, which contains similar controls to familiar mail clients like Outlook and Outlook Express (LookOut is available in MDaemon Pro only).
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Spam Blocker
This security feature allows you to specify several ORDB and MAPS RBL type hosts who maintain lists of servers known to relay spam. These hosts are queried each time someone tries to send a message to your server. If the connecting IP address is blacklisted by any of them, the message is refused or flagged as spam by MDaemon. When used in conjunction with MDaemon’s Spam Filter, virtually all spam can be identified and refused or flagged at your discretion before reaching your users.
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IP Shielding
With IP Shielding, you can designate a list of domain names and matching IP addresses that will be checked during the SMTP MAIL FROM: command. An SMTP session claiming to be from someone at one of the listed domains will be honored only if it is coming from a machine with one of the associated IP addresses. Thus anytime a computer connects to your SMTP server and states, for example, “MAIL FROM: user@mdaemon.com”, the SMTP session will continue only if the connecting computer has an IP address matching one of those that you have associated with mdaemon.com.
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POP Before SMTP
Each user can be required to first access his or her mailbox before being allowed to send a message through MDaemon, thus verifying that the user is a valid account holder and allowed to use the mail system.
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Control Relaying of Messages
With MDaemon’s Relay Control options, you can define how your server reacts to attempts to relay mail. When a message arrives at your mail server that is not from or to a local address, your server is being asked to deliver the message on behalf of an unrelated third-party. Third-party servers are often used by spammers to hide their tracks, and can result in your server being black-listed as an Open Relay. MDaemon provides a high level of protection against this activity.
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Logging
MDaemon's logging features are second-to-none. Useful for diagnosing problems and seeing what the server has been doing while unattended, MDaemon’s logging features let you:
- Log each mail service (SMTP, IMAP, POP3, and so on) in a separate file or combined.
- Log mail sessions in a summarized or more detailed format.
- Keep logs in separate files by day or date, or in one large file.
- Specify size limits for log files.
- Automatically archive old log files.
- Specify exactly which activities you wish to log: SMTP, POP, IMAP, AntiVirus, Spam Filtering, Content Filtering, and so on.
- Create a log file for use with statistical reporting tools. This file follows the naming and rotation settings of the other log files, and is in Comma Separated Value (CSV) format.
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Mail Processing Scheduler
MDaemon is equipped with a versatile Event Scheduler used for controlling the frequency of sending and receiving messages. This makes it possible for you to schedule MDaemon’s Local, Remote, RAW, and System mail processing events as extensively or as simply as you prefer. You can schedule exact times for mail delivery and collection or use a counter to process mail at regular intervals.
You can also set conditions that will trigger mail processing at unscheduled times such as when a certain number of messages are waiting to be delivered, or when a message has been waiting a specified amount of time. If you also use MDaemon AntiVirus, the Event Schedule will contain options for scheduling AntiVirus Updates.
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Reverse Lookup
MDaemon can be configured to query DNS servers to check the validity of the domain passed in the HELO/EHLO and/or MAIL commands. When performing these reverse lookups MDaemon will attempt to acquire all of the MX and A record IP addresses for the given domain. Then the IP address of the machine making the connection is compared to this list in an attempt to determine whether the sender might be forging their identity. Suspicious messages may be refused or have a special header inserted into them.
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IP and Host Screening, Address Suppression
These features provide the capability to screen and prevent certain addresses and domains from connecting to or sending email through your system. They also make it possible to allow connections from specific IP addresses while screening all others.
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Mailing Lists
MDaemon features a complete suite of mailing list (i.e. email group or distribution list) management functions allowing for an unlimited number of distinct mailing lists that can contain local and/or remote members. MDaemon mailing lists can:
- Be public (anyone can post) or private (only members can post).
- Be set to allow or refuse subscription requests for automated list management.
- Require confirmation of subscribe and unsubscribe requests.
- Post replies to either the list or the originator of the message.
- Have their messages sent individually or in a digest format. This option is configured separately for each list member.
- Have the name of the list and/or thread numbers in the subject header of each list message.
- Have a moderator.
- Have digests archived into a catalog file for download.
- Be stored in an IMAP public folder.
In addition to the above options, you can store membership lists in ODBC accessible databases, have a list’s messages routed to another host for distribution or “cracked” into individual copies and distributed directly, and more.
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Easy to Backup and Restore
MDaemon stores its settings and data in files in your MDaemon folders rather than in the Registry. Backing up and restoring data is as easy as copying your folders.
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Extensive and Versatile Interface
The majority of MDaemon’s main features can be accessed quickly from the user interface. Multiple movable toolbars contain shortcuts to the primary features. A statistics panel displays statistics regarding the numbers and types of messages sent and received by MDaemon as well as the number of mail sessions that have been initiated since startup—this section also tells you how many user accounts have been used and how many more can be created. There is also a panel that can be used to quickly enable or disable MDaemon’s various components such as SMTP, IMAP, DomainPOP, and AntiVirus. The most prominent section of the interface is the event window. This tabbed section displays the server’s current activities such as: messages being processed, users connected, AntiVirus activities, and so on. You may also view MDaemon’s log files in the main MDaemon window.
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