My $0.02 about views: - If you don't need to integrate Imail with another application that already stores it's data in SQL, you should probably just stick to the registry database. - If you DO need to integrate with another app (billing, provisioning, etc.), then views are the best way to integrate Imail into an existing SQL datastore.
I use Platypus Billing System, and use views to authenticate users out of the Plat SQL database. I've been doing it now for almost 2 years with great success. Platypus does keep more info about a mail user than what Imail needs. For example, there is an integer identity column to tie an emailbox to a certain customer record. For this reason, it is DANGEROUS to let Imail INSERT or DELETE from your database. You could get tables and records that are 'orphaned' as far as Plat is concerned (the emailbox would exist, but wouldn't be tied to the correct customer, for example). To get around this problem, my solution was to edit the odbcuser.dll source, and comment out any procedure that performed INSERT or DELETE to SQL. UPDATE and SELECT stattements still work though, so users can update their account info in webmail, change their password, etc. succesfully. This basically ties Imail's hands from inserting orphan data into our billing system. Plat provides a seperate customer management interface to manage your account, so customers can add/remove their own emails properly there. Others have discussed writing an SQL trigger to watch for Imail doing INSERT/DELETE, and to back out incorrect Inserts. I'd rather prevent it from happening in the first place, instead of trying to fix it once it's happened - but this may be the only way for those who might not have access to VC++ 6 to recompile the dll source. As far as updating versions/adding columns/etc, that is part of the extra responsibility you take on when you go and do something that is undocumented/unsupported. Hope this info helps someone, Tony >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Eric Shanbrom >Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 9:59 AM >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Re: [IMail Forum] MSSQL and Views > > >Like I said Views will work if you do not mind doing the needed updates to >the tables and views when IMail needs them. The reason we say it is >unsupported is we have no control over how the view is built or maintained. > >Eric S > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "David Sullivan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 8:58 AM >Subject: Re: [IMail Forum] MSSQL and Views > > >> We've used views for years without any problems. You will have to make >the >> changes to the view manually though instead of letting Imail do it. Be >> careful with updating. I'm not sure exactly what it is but I don't think >> you can use Auto-Numbering in any table underlying the view or >MS SQL will >> not be able to update the view. (This may be different for SQL 2000). >> >> I'm not sure why Ipswitch won't touch views, you lose so much of >the power >> of a relational database if you can't use views. >> >> David >> >> >> - >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Eric Shanbrom" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 8:20 AM >> Subject: Re: [IMail Forum] MSSQL and Views >> >> >> > Views are not supported but will work up until you get to a point where >an >> > upgrade to IMail needs to modify the table (add columns, etc). >So unless >> you >> > want to check after every update and make manual changes to >the view and >> > underlying table(s) do not use views. >> > >> > Eric S >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > From: "Smart Business Lists" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > To: "Lostboy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 7:52 PM >> > Subject: Re: [IMail Forum] MSSQL and Views >> > >> > >> > > Wednesday, August 21, 2002 you wrote: >> > > L> Ok, I know I am going to sound like an idiot but, How in >Imail do I >> > > L> set the Domain to look at a View instead of a Table? >> > > >> > > I know this has been discussed and several admins have reported >> > > successfully using views. You might search the archives. I don't >> > > think this was too long ago. >> > > >> > > Surely someone else will reply but in the meantime you might try >> > > putting brackets around the view name and check to see if >your view >> > > names are owned by the dbo user so they don't need to be >qualified. >> > > Maybe you can qualify them in the IMAIL table name too but I don't >> > > know. >> > > >> > > Terry Fritts >> > > >> > > >> > > To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html >> > > List Archive: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%40list.ipswitch.com/ >> > > Knowledge Base/FAQ: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/ >> > > >> > >> > >> > To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html >> > List Archive: >http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%40list.ipswitch.com/ >> > Knowledge Base/FAQ: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/ >> > >> >> >> To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html >> List Archive: >http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%>40list.ipswitch.com/ >> >Knowledge Base/FAQ: >http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/ >> > > >To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html >List Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%40list.ipswitch.com/ >Knowledge Base/FAQ: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/ >--- >[This E-mail was scanned for viruses by http://www.intouchmi.com] > > --- [This E-mail was scanned for viruses by http://www.intouchmi.com] To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html List Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%40list.ipswitch.com/ Knowledge Base/FAQ: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/
