[clug-talk] Mail Server Suggestion?

[Dan Graham]

Thankyou Andrew,

It would seem they  have licenced Toltec connectors for all of the "OutLook" 
clients already. I will enable POP3 accordingly and talk to them about 
getting the connector from Toltec for LDAP as I think they will likely want 
this too. Again thanks for the heads up. 

All the best, Dan

On Wednesday 09 August 2006 02:23, Andrew J. Kopciuch wrote:
> On Wednesday 09 August 2006 01:35, Dan Graham wrote:
> > I just did the same thing with Kolab tonight Shawn. Works like a charm
> > with Kontact/Kmail. Has anybody on the list had any experience with
> > LookOut and the Toltec gizmo? I won't have to support it directly (Dan
> > whistles while walking past the graveyard), but the Winderz support guys
> > will likely need some hand holding. ;-)
>
> Yes ... lots

>
> <Outlook No Toltec>
>
> 1.  POP3 will run no problems ... still need SSL services to run properly.
>
> 2.  IMAP configuration is no more difficult ... Outlook is broken, however,
> on the advanced connections tab ... when you select SSL for SMTP it does
> not change the port number from 25 to 465 ... you have to manually select
> _and_ change it.   Just ask Aaron about this ... he blogged at length about
> it.
>
> 3.  Plain IMAP support in Outlook is not very good ... I found have better
> success with with marking the folders as available offline (somewhat of
> dIMAP ... but not overly great).
>
> 4.  Dealing with "Sent Items" is a pain.  You can not select a sent items
> folder in Outlook, and therefore have to create a specific rule to move
> sent items into an IMAP folder you create (if you want you sent items
> stored on the server), and disable the regular outlook sent items option.  
> Rules can turn themselves off if for some reason the IMAP folder is
> unreachable ... this can go unnoticed by end users.
>
> 5.  Deletion of email is horrible as well.  There is no configuration
> options for how to handle deletion of IMAP messages in Outlook.   They are
> simply marked as deleted (turn grey and have a line through them).  You
> must manually "purge" the messages from the server from a menu option ...
> users tend to not like this.   this also means there is no IMAP "deleted
> items" folder.   Users also tend to not like that.
>
> </Outlook No Toltec>
>
> ****
>
> On a side note ... Thunderbird is a much better IMAP client ... the issues
> I mentioned relating to Outlook are all handled nicely by a feature
> complete mail client (Kontact, Thunderbird).   I have had much better
> success with plain IMAP accounts and Kolab with Thunderbird than Outlook.
>
> On a second side note ... there is work currently being done on a
> Thunderbird extension to provide access to the Kolab shared calendar
> resources, and shared contacts.
>
> http://www.gargan.org/extensions/synckolab.html
>
> It is still in it's infancy ... and I have had limited success with it ...
> although admittedly I have no patience to work with things on Windows, and
> much less to attempt to troubleshoot them.
>
> ****
>
> <Outlook plus Toltec>
>
> 1.  The installation process used to be extremely long and complicated.  
> This is no longer the case.  It comes with a zippy little installer, double
> click and you are done.
>
> 2.  You install your license key from within the help dialog, and is also
> very simple to do.
>
> 3.  They have excellent documentation on the setup process once the
> connector is installed.  It takes < 15 minutes to get going.
>
> Basically the Toltec connector performs message mapping from Outlook
> folders to IMAP folders without you seeing that.  This means it utilizes
> the regular "Inbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items" folders that are there under
> your "Personal Folders".
>
> The Toltec connector is setup via a POP3 account on the server.  So your
> mail is popped off, and then placed into a folder which is mapped to an
> IMAP folder on the server.   This happens seamlessly to the end user, but
> that's what actually happens.
>
> I have installed new accounts without problem, and also converted existing
> kolab accounts with regular IMAP, and the messages were imported no
> problems.
>
> 4.  Shared calendars is the big bonus to the Toltec connector.  It provides
> the "groupware" functionality of the Kolab server.  Once the folder mapping
> is configured, the calendars show up, and away you go.
>
> 5.  Issues people have with the Totlec connector, for the most part, are
> understanding how a groupware server works.  I get questions relating to
> synchronization (a user creates an event, but does not show up when someone
> else views their calendar because they have not "synched").  You can set
> your synch time frame (at startup, when you click on the folder, timed
> intervals etc.).
>
> I highly recommend the Toltec connector if using Outlook, it will make end
> users lives much more familiar, and easy.  Plus the connector is cheap
> cheap cheap ... like $13 per seat ... one time fee.
>
> </Outlook plus Toltec>
>
>
> There is a second connector from Toltec for LDAP address book connections.
> This will allow you to set up and address book for addresses on the server
> (so you have an address book for the entire company available to everyone).
> It is also quite cheap ... like $6 / seat or something.
>
> I have also used this as well ... and is the same type of installation, and
> the configuration is very very simple, (server, base DN , and credentials).
>
> The two connectors in combination provide a wealth of functionality to to
> Outlook.  They are built intended for Kolab, but can in fact be used with
> any IMAP / LDAP server.   Which is also a nice bonus.
>
>
> As for user support ... it would be no more difficult than supporting
> exchange ... I think you would get the same problems (groupware knowledge)
> with a pure windows deployment as well.  No doubt there will be strange use
> cases which stumbled across issues, but you get that no matter what you
> use.
>
> Highly recommend Toltec connectors.
>
>
> Andy
>
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