Setting up a Test Mail (SMTP) Server

This topic describes a procedure for setting up an SMTP server for Process Engine email notifications. It is recommended that when you complete your email notification file modifications, that you set up a mail server to test your notifications.

Since there are a number of commercially available SMTP applications and many different possible configurations, the procedure in this topic is provided as a guideline only. You may set up SMTP services on the Process Engine server. However, if you do so, you must either also install a SMTP-compliant mail server (like Microsoft Exchange) on the same server or have access to a server with the mail server already installed.

Note Regardless of the mail server application you choose, refer to the installation and administration documentation for that mail server software for specific configuration or user interface information.

To set up an SMTP mail server for Process Engine email notifications, use the following procedure:

  1. Configure SMTP services on your server.
  2. Install and configure a mail services application.
  3. Configure the Mail client.
  4. Set Up the SMTP Mail Server for Process Engine email notification.
  5. Configure your TCP/IP connections.

Each of these steps is described below.

Configure SMTP Services on Your Server

Configuring SMTP services on your server varies somewhat, depending on whether you are on a Windows 2000 or Windows NT platform, as described below.

Configure SMTP Services on Windows 2000

The SMTP service is installed with the Windows 2000 operating system. Perform the following steps to configure the SMTP Service on your server:

  1. On your designated server, point to Start. Navigate to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, then point to and click Internet Service Manager. The Microsoft  Management Console (MMC) displays.
  2. From MMC, locate and expand the Internet Information Services. Locate and highlight your server's name. Expand the options under your server's name.
  3. Locate the Default SMTP Virtual Site option, and expand it. From Domains create a remote domain. Specify a unique domain name (for example, mailtest.com). Make the name unique so there are no conflicts across the current domain.  
  4. Highlight and click on your new domain. Right-click and choose Properties. Select Allow incoming mail to be relayed to this domain option. Leave all other settings as the default. Click OK.
  5. Exit MMC.

Configure SMTP Services on Windows NT

In order to perform the procedure listed in this section, you should have already installed the SMTP Services from the Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack installer. Perform the following steps to configure the SMTP Service on your server:

  1. On your designated server, point to Start. Navigate to Programs, point to Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack, then point to Microsoft Internet Information Server. Finally, point to and click Internet Service Manager. The Microsoft  Management Console (MMC) displays.
  2. From MMC, locate and expand the Internet Information Server. Locate and highlight your server's name. Expand the options under your server's name.
  3. Locate the Default SMTP Site option, and expand it. From Domains create a remote domain. Specify a unique domain name (for example, mailtest.com). Make the name unique so there are no conflicts across the current domain.  
  4. Highlight and click on your new domain. Right-click and choose Properties. Select Allow incoming mail to be relayed to this domain option. Leave all other settings as the default. Click OK. Exit MMC.

Install and Configure a Mail Services Application

Install a preferred mail services application (for example, Microsoft Exchange or ArGoSoft Mail Server). You can download an evaluation copy of the ArGoSoft Mail Server (http://www.argosoft.com), which is a SMTP/POP3/Finger capable application, for testing purposes.

While installing and configuring your mail server software, you will have to supply the following information (not necessarily in this order):

Configure the Mail Client

This procedure assumes you are using Microsoft Outlook as a mail client.  Perform the following general steps to configure Microsoft Outlook as your mail client:

  1. On a client, point to Start. Navigate to Settings, and point to and click Control Panel.
  2. From the Control Panel window, open Mail.
  3. Click Show Profiles and click Add.
  4. From the Microsoft Outlook Setup Wizard dialog box, select Internet E-mail only. Click Next.
  5. Add a user profile name (for example, SysAdmin). Click Next. Click Setup Mail Account.
  6. In the General tab, enter an Account Name (for example, "Primary test mail account"). Configure other account information as needed.
  7. In the Servers tab, verify or enter the name of the Incoming Mail (POP3) Server, which should be the name of the server running your mail server software. Verify or enter the Outgoing mail server (SMTP), which should be the name of the server with both IIS and SMTP running.
  8. In the Incoming Mail Server Account Name field, enter the user name and password you created during the mail server configuration stage. Click OK.
  9. From the Microsoft Outlook Setup Wizard dialog box, click Next for Internet Email. Enter a name for the Personal Address Book.
  10. Enter a similar name for the Personal Folders option. Click Next.
  11. Repeat these steps for any other users as appropriate.

Set Up the SMTP Mail Server for Process Engine eMail Notification

Use the Process Engine Task Manager to add the SMTP mail server for Process Engine eMail notification. To do so, open the Task Manager, go to the Process Services > Notification tab and enter the SMTP server information. For additional information, see Process Engine Task Manager Help.

Configure Your TCP/IP Connections

Modify the HOSTS file, on every computer you are using for testing, to include all servers needed to participate in the workflow. Be sure to  include the IP addresses and names of the systems running the mail server application, the web server, and the Process Engine server, respectively.

Note You need not perform this step if your servers are included in a DHCP configuration.

For example, a generalized HOSTS file might appear similar to:

127.0.0.1 localhost
10.0.1.101 cronos #Process Engine server
10.0.1.242 titan  #mail server