Creating an SMTP Connection document

On networks where internal mail travels over HCL Notes® routing, the SMTP Connection document works in conjunction with a Foreign SMTP Domain document to route messages from non-SMTP servers to an SMTP server that can send messages outside the local Internet domain.

About this task

SMTP Connection documents link the virtual foreign SMTP domain specified in a Foreign SMTP Domain document, to an HCL Domino® SMTP server. For example, an SMTP Connection document might link the virtual domain to the firewall server that routes mail to the Internet. In the SMTP Connection document, you specify the source server (the server that can connect directly to the Internet and route SMTP mail), the destination domain (which must match the Internet domain in the Foreign SMTP Domain document), and the method to use when connecting to the source server (direct or dialup). An SMTP Connection document lets Internet messages travel from a Domino domain to a server that is enabled to use SMTP to route outbound Internet mail.

When the Router receives a message for a recipient outside the local Internet domain, it forwards the message to the domain specified in the Foreign SMTP Domain document. After the message reaches a Domino server that can connect to the Internet, that server establishes a connection with a server in the destination domain and routes the message.

Procedure

  1. From the Domino Administrator, click the Configuration tab and then expand the Messaging section.
  2. Choose Connections and click Add Connection.
  3. On the Basics tab, complete these fields, and then save the document:
    Table 1. Basics Tab Fields

    Field

    Enter

    Connection type

    SMTP

    Source server

    The name of the SMTP-enabled server where non-SMTP servers send mail destined for the Internet domains specified in the Foreign SMTP domain document. This server must have access to DNS and have SMTP enabled for sending messages outside the local Internet domain.

    Connect via

    Choose one:

    • Direct connection - For servers that communicate over LAN connections
    • Dial-up connection - For servers that communicate over transient connections, such remote LAN connections. If you select this option, Domino displays the field Dial using connection record.

    Dial using connection record

    Specifies the Network Dialup Connection document containing the dialup settings for connecting to the SMTP server specified in the Source server field. This field appears only if you selected Dial-up connection in the preceding field.

    Click Choose record, to select a Network Dialup Connection document (remote LAN service connection record) from the list of previously created Network Dialup Connection documents.

    See the related topics for information about creating a Network Dialup Connection document.

    Destination server

    A unique, fictitious, placeholder name -- such as, all_internal_hosts. Domino does not use the value in this field, but the Connection document will not work if the field is empty. The name you specify must not match the name of any server on the network.

    Destination domain

    The fictitious, logical domain name specified in the Internet Domain name field of the corresponding Foreign SMTP domain document. The name in this field links this SMTP connection document with the Foreign SMTP Domain document.

    SMTP MTA relay host

    Specifies the SMTP host to which the source server transfers outbound mail. This allows a SMTP server to further split Internet destinations and configure multiple relays.

    If this field is blank, the Router transfers outbound mail to the relay host specified in the server's Configuration Settings document.

    If there is no relay host specified in either this field or in the Configuration Settings document, the Router determines the next hop by looking up the destination domain in the DNS or a local hosts file, depending on the value of Host name resolution field on the Router/SMTP- Basics tab of the Configuration Settings document.
  4. On the Replication/Routing tab, complete these fields:
    Table 2. Replication/Routing tab fields

    Field

    Enter

    Replication task

    Disabled

    Routing task

    Choose Mail Routing. Because the same routing task is responsible for transferring messages over NRPC and SMTP, there's no need to specify SMTP routing. The source server must have SMTP routing enabled in its Server document; otherwise, the Router discards the information in the SMTP Connection document.

    Route at once if

    The number of pending messages that will force routing. Default is 5.
  5. On the Schedule tab, specify the desired routing schedule.
  6. Click Save & Close.
  7. Replicate the Domino Directory to all servers in the Domino domain.

Results

The change takes effect after the next Router configuration update. To put the new setting into effect immediately, recalculate the routing tables on all effected servers.