Microsoft Mail Gateway
- Easy to install
- Microsoft Mail network is not required to be "X.400 enabled"
- Bi-directional message format conversion
- Delivery reports, "Mail failure" reports and bi-directional Receipt reports
- Full support for text and binary attachments
- Built-in, rules-based and table-based address mapping
- Directory synchronisation
- Activity logging
The gateway relays messages and conveniently translates addresses between the Microsoft Mail messaging environment and a Route400 Message Server (MTA) associated with the gateway. This MTA may be configured as a stand-alone system, providing access to other private and public X.400-based systems, or may be one of a network of Route400 MTAs belonging to an X.400 backbone, giving access to native X.400 users within the network and world-wide. In addition, messages can be exchanged with users connected to different messaging systems such as the Internet, cc:Mail, GroupWise, Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes, where necessary making use of other gateway products from the NET-TEL range or third parties.
The Route400 gateway architecture enables an organisation to construct a single, logically integrated, messaging network from a number of existing, but incompatible, messaging systems.
Gateway Architecture
- The Route400 Microsoft Mail Gateway runs under Windows on a dedicated PC connected to a LAN, shared between a Microsoft Mail network, with one or more Post Offices, and a Route400 Message Server (MTA)
- The Microsoft Mail network is not required to be "X.400 enabled" in order to use the Route400 Microsoft Mail Gateway
- The gateway processes messages to and from an associated Microsoft Mail "Gateway Mailbox", converting message content and address information between Microsoft Mail and X.400 formats
- The "Gateway MailBox" is configured in association with an existing Post Office (having the effect of creating a Microsoft Mail "Gateway Post Office"), using standard Microsoft Mail tools
- All Microsoft Mail messages destined for transmission to the X.400 network are addressed to "logical" users at the Gateway Post Office, each with a unique "Network/PostOffice/MailBox" address
- The associated Route400 MTA delivers all messages originating at the gateway into the X.400 network. It also delivers all X.400 messages, whose addresses correspond to users within the Microsoft Mail network, to the gateway
- Microsoft Mail users need not be concerned with the gateway architecture. Addressing of X.400 users is transparent, using conventional Microsoft Mail methods
- Messages to most X.400 recipients may be simply addressed by taking an alias from the Microsoft Mail Global Address List
- In addition, any required X.400 address (in keyword format) can be entered at the head of a message addressed to the X.400 Gateway Post Office for onward transmission
- The Route400 Microsoft Mail Gateway ensures that all non-Microsoft Mail recipient addresses that pass through the gateway are synchronised automatically and appear in the Microsoft Mail Global Address List with conventional aliases (corresponding to "logical" users resident on the Gateway Post Office)
- Microsoft Mail users accessible from X.400 have standard X.400 addresses. These are matched by the Route400 MTA against routing rules corresponding to the Microsoft Mail gateway
- Address synchronisation and mapping is performed automatically by the gateway
- Address mapping between X.400 and Microsoft Mail can be built-in, rules-based or table-based
- In addition, Microsoft Mail users can always be addressed from X.400 using traditional "Domain Defined Attribute" style addresses, if required
- Bi-directional support for primary (To), copy (Cc) and blind copy (Bcc)
- Bi-directional support for multi-recipient messages
- Bi-directional support for all X.400 Body Part types, including IA5 text, General Text, Teletex (T.61), Undefined (Bilaterally Defined), External, File Transfer and the Route400 specific DataFile
- Unconstrained numbers of text and file attachments allowed per message
- For messages from the Route400 MTA to Microsoft Mail:
- Text body parts are attached as files and given a generated name with a .TXT extension
- Route400-specific DataFiles and File Transfer Body Parts are attached preserving the original file name
- Other body part types are attached as files and given a generated name with a .DAT extension
- Text attachments are accurately converted between the IA5 (or General Text if accented characters are present) used in X.400 and the ANSI character repertoire used by Microsoft Mail
- Bi-directional conversion between X.400 G3Fax body parts and Microsoft Mail DCX format fax attachments
- An option is provided to select whether Route400-specific (DataFile), Undefined or File Transfer body parts are generated for message attachments sent from Microsoft Mail
- An option is provided to require that the gateway generates only X.400 (1984) based messages for interworking with legacy systems. Messages that cannot fulfil this requirement will be rejected and a "mail failure" message returned to the Microsoft Mail originator
- Delivery reports are generated by the gateway for messages from the Route400 MTA to Microsoft Mail
- "Mail failure" messages are generated by the gateway and sent to the Microsoft Mail originator if the message is not deliverable to an X.400 recipient
- Full bi-directional support of receipt reports
- Nested messages arising from forwarded messages are passed through bi-directionally
Microsoft Mail users gain access via the gateway and its associated Route400 message server to:
- Any user in the same organisation using Route400 or third party message clients attached to the associated message server or any other Route400 server in the backbone network
- Users in the same organisation connected to separate proprietary e-mail systems via other Route400 gateway products
- Users in other organisations who are reachable via public or private X.400 messaging networks
- Internet e-mail users via the Route400 RFC 822/MIME Gateway product
- Microsoft Mail users find all known X.400 destination addresses pre-defined (by gateway action and Directory Synchronisation) in the Microsoft Mail Global Address List
- Users can reach additional unconfigured destination addresses by entering the X.400 address details at the head of the message (in a simple keyword format) and sending it to a special mailbox at the gateway
- In order to simplify the user entry of X.400 address details, the gateway can merge X.400 address details corresponding to the domain of the Route400 MTA controlling the Gateway (the default domain), where these are not provided
- When the X.400 destination address is in the default domain, it is only necessary for the user to enter the "Personal Name" details
- When the X.400 destination address is not in default domain, the full X.400 address details are entered
- Route400 keeps all synchronised Microsoft Mail addresses in a nominated address book
- Users can enter additional destination addresses into their own private address book
- Microsoft Mail recipients can reside on any Microsoft Mail Post Office, not just the gateway-attached one
- In order to provide seamless X.400 integration, all Microsoft Mail users can be made to appear to have full X.400 addresses
- Addresses for Microsoft Mail recipients take the form of the X.400 address of the gateway together with the recipient’s personal name
- Address conversion between X.400 and Microsoft Mail is performed by mapping, using rules to convert X.400 addresses into Microsoft Mail "Network/PostOffice/MailBox" form, or by look-up in a table of X.400 and Microsoft Mail address equivalence’s. Both methods may be combined, with the equivalence table taking precedence, allowing for general rules with specific exceptions
- Domain Defined Attributes (DDA) may also be used to supply the recipient’s Network, PostOffice and MailBox name to the gateway, if desired
- Synchronises a nominated Route400 address book and the Microsoft Mail Global Address List
- System administrator defines when synchronisation takes place using the gateway’s configuration menu
- Gateway supports automatic synchronisation at a predefined time each day, or on demand by administrator command
- Automatic synchronisation eliminates manual intervention and errors
- Directory synchronisation may be tuned by excluding specific Post Offices from participation
- Optional administrator-definable prefixes may be added to Microsoft Mail aliases and Route400 ShortForm names copied from one directory to the other, enabling easy identification of recipients connected to the other messaging system
- The format of Microsoft Mail aliases and Route400 ShortForm names constructed automatically by the gateway may be specified, if required, to enforce organisation-wide naming conventions (with default formatting)
- Simple to install using its Windows-based installer
- Easily configured into the Microsoft Mail environment as a "Gateway Post Office" using the standard Microsoft Mail "admin" program
- Gateway logging is provided at three levels and there is an option to save logging information in daily log files
- The lowest level logs errors only
- The medium level logs errors, collection and delivery notifications plus directory synchronisation problems
- The highest level adds diagnostics and traces
- The system administrator defines how long log files will be kept before they are automatically deleted
- Windows NT 4
- Windows 3.1, 3.11 or Windows 95
- IBM compatible PC with 486 processor or faster and a minimum of 8 MB of RAM
- Access to Route400 MTA and Microsoft Mail Post Office via LAN and any suitable network operating system supporting shared files
