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Q303734: HOW TO: Configure the SMTP Virtual Server for Message Delivery

Article: Q303734
Product(s): Internet Information Server
Version(s): 5.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbAudITPro kbHOWTOmaster
Last Modified: 07-JUN-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Internet Information Server version 5.0 
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IN THIS TASK
------------

- SUMMARY

   - Configure Retry Tries and Intervals
- Set the Message Hop Count
- Set the Masquerade Domain
- Set a Fully Qualified Domain Name
- Configure a Smart Host
- Enable a Reverse DNS Lookup

SUMMARY
=======

After a connection has been opened and the receiving server has acknowledged
that it is ready to receive data, messages can be transmitted for delivery. This
step-by-step article describes how to deliver messages.

Configure Retry Tries and Intervals
-----------------------------------

If a message cannot be delivered on the first try, the Microsoft Simple Mail
Transport Protocol (SMTP) Service sends it again from the Queue directory after
a specified time. You can set the interval between delivery tries and also
designate the number of times to try to deliver a message. After the limit is
reached, the non-delivery report (NDR) and messages are sent to the Badmail
directory.

You can use these settings to increase your server output speed, but these
settings affect outgoing messages only and have no effect on the rate at which
other servers process incoming messages. To configure these settings, follow
these steps:

1. In the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), click to select the SMTP virtual
  server, and then click Properties on the Action menu.

2. Click the Delivery tab.

3. For First retry interval (minutes), type a value for the time to try delivery
  before posting the first notification. The default is 15 minutes.

4. For Second retry interval (minutes), type a value for the time to try
  delivery before posting the second notification. The default is 30 minutes,
  which is 30 minutes after the first retry interval.

5. For Third retry interval (minutes), type a value for the time to try delivery
  before posting the third notification. The default is 60 minutes, which is 60
  minutes after the second retry interval.

6. For Subsequent retry interval (minutes), type a value for the time to try
  delivery before posting a notification. The default is 240 minutes.

Set the Message Hop Count
-------------------------

When a message is delivered, it may be routed to a number of servers before it
reaches its final destination. You can designate how many servers the message is
permitted to pass through. This is named the hop count. To set the message hop
count, follow these steps:

1. In the MMC, click to select the SMTP virtual server, and then click
  Properties on the Action menu.

2. On the Delivery tab, click Advanced to open the Advanced Delivery dialog box.

3. For Maximum hop count, type a value for the number of hops a message can take
  between the source and destination servers. The default is 15 hops.

NOTE: After the hop count is set, the SMTP server counts the hops that are listed
in the Received fields of the message header. When the number of Received fields
exceeds the maximum hop count setting, the message is returned to the sender
with an NDR.

Set the Masquerade Domain
-------------------------

The masquerade domain replaces any local domain name that is used in any Mail
From lines in the protocol. The replacement occurs on the first hop only.

1. In the MMC, click to select the SMTP virtual server, and then click
  Properties on the Action menu.

2. On the Delivery tab, click Advanced to open the Advanced Delivery dialog box.

3. For Masquerade domain, type a domain name that you want to appear in message
  headers, instead of the actual name of the domain.

NOTE: All replies to such messages are routed through the SMTP virtual server
that uses the masquerade domain.


Set a Fully Qualified Domain Name
---------------------------------

At startup, the name that is designated on the Network Identification tab of the
System Properties dialog box is automatically used for the fully qualified
domain name (FQDN). If you change the name (either manually or by joining a
Microsoft Windows 2000 domain), the new name is automatically used for the FQDN
the next time the computer is restarted. You do not have to perform any action
to update the FQDN for the virtual server.

To override the automatic use of the computer and domain names on the Network
Identification tab, change the FQDN in the Advanced Delivery dialog box (this is
accessed through the Delivery tab). The Microsoft SMTP Service can then use the
designated name instead of the name that is specified on the Network
Identification tab. To set the FQDN, follow these steps:

1. In the MMC, click to select the SMTP virtual server, and then click
  Properties on the Action menu.

2. On the Delivery tab, click Advanced to open the Advanced Delivery dialog box.

3. For Fully-qualified domain name, type the FQDN.

Configure a Smart Host
----------------------

You can route all outgoing messages for remote domains through a smart host
instead of sending them directly to the domain. This permits you to route
messages over a connection that may be more direct or less costly than other
routes. The smart host is similar to the route domain option for remote domains.
The difference is that after a smart host is designated, all outgoing messages
are routed to that server. With a route domain, only messages for the remote
domain are routed to a specific server.

If you set up a smart host, you can still designate a different route for a
remote domain. The route domain setting overrides the smart host setting. To set
up a smart host, follow these steps:

1. In the MMC, click to select the SMTP virtual server, and then click
  Properties on the Action menu.

2. On the Delivery tab, click Advanced to open the Advanced Delivery dialog box.

3. In Smart host, type the name of the smart host server. You can type a string
  to represent a name, or you can type an IP address.

4. If you want the Microsoft SMTP Service to try to deliver remote messages
  directly before it forwards them to the smart host server, click to select
  the Attempt direct delivery before sending to smart host check box. The
  default is to send all remote messages to the smart host, not to try direct
  delivery.

NOTE: You can identify the smart host by the FQDN or by an IP address. Note that
if you change the IP address, you must also change it on every virtual server.
If you use an IP address, enclose it in brackets ([]) to increase system
performance. Microsoft SMTP Service checks first for a server name, then an IP
address. The brackets identify the value as an IP address, so the DNS lookup is
bypassed.

Enable a Reverse DNS Lookup
---------------------------

If you select this option, Microsoft SMTP Service tries to verify that the IP
address of the client matches the host or domain that is submitted by the client
in the EHLO or HELO command.

NOTE: Because this feature verifies addresses for all incoming messages, its use
can affect Microsoft SMTP Service performance. Clear the check box to disable
the feature.

If the reverse DNS lookup is successful, the Received header remains intact. If
the verification is unsuccessful, "unverified" appears after the IP address in
the Received header of the message. To enable reverse DNS lookup, follow these
steps:

1. In the MMC, click to select the SMTP virtual server, and then click
  Properties on the Action menu.

2. On the Delivery tab, click Advanced to open the Advanced Delivery dialog box.

3. Click to select the Perform reverse DNS lookup on incoming messages check
  box.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbAudITPro kbHOWTOmaster 
Technology        : kbiisSearch kbiis500
Version           : :5.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

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