> Is [AD integration] possible? If yes, does IMail have to be
> installed on a Domain Controller?
Yes and yes.
> I noticed in the recently published IMail survey results that only
> around 5% of those running IMail installed it on a Domain
> Controller. Clearly, there must be compelling advantages to not
> installing on a DC, other than performance. Anyone have any thoughts
> on these issues?
The main reasons you don't see too many IMail installations on DCs
are:
- Those with heavy investments in AD often use Exchange
- Those who are invested in AD, replicated sites and all that jazz,
but don't run Exchange, still may have their mailservers in DMZs where
DCs are not traditionally welcome, and may not associate application
servers with directory duties
- Those running IMail in a virtual hosting environment would not
usually make use of the AD integration feature, since IMail only
supports one AD (or NT) domain per server
- Those that worry they'd be cluttering their primary AD domain forget
that an IMail server can be the only DC in a dedicated forest/tree,
allowing for the continued use of the AD admin tools, remote
management, etc.
In other words, people don't often make the overt decision not to use
a DC for their IMail installation with all the facts in hand. There
are doubtless a lot of installations using the IMail native database
that could be managed more easily with NT integration, but the former
is the default.
We like the integration option and use it whenever possible; the
primary driver for us is the ability to use AD for LDAP lookups, which
is _much_ more robust than IMail's LDAP. The performance of IMail's
main modules (SMTP, POP3, etc.) _can_ be noticeably impaired relative
to the IMail native database if servers are not intelligently sized
for the additional DC function and if login/lookup volume is too
high--it's hard to set a theoretical benchmark, though. You should
make sure to follow "best practices plus" when using a DC/mailserver
combo.
--Sandy
------------------------------------
Sanford Whiteman, Chief Technologist
Broadleaf Systems, a division of
Cypress Integrated Systems, Inc.
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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