Topic: Hard task: SME - Exchange

[Rainer]

Hithere everyone,

as we have an Exchange server in our company and my boss is, every time I ask, not on a good mood when telling him we should stop that exchange box, I would like to find a solution.

That´s the task.

The Exchange Server often runs into problems and is up to two days down every month. As I said my boss won´t stop this box and change over to linux, though I have to find a recovery solution.

I was thinking about a solution with a linux box that checks if the exchange server is alive and when yes it grabs the mail and transfers this to the linux box. There a script or anything else makes it compatible with qmail (etc.) and if the exchange server is down a script is started that changes the network settings of the linux box to take over the work of the exchange server. This way the users would be able to at least have some of their mails and to receive and send as normal.

Does anyone know how to do this, or even if this is possible?

I would be very pleased if someone had a hint for me, I don´t know if this is a good solution and even not where to start.

Thanks all

[ralph]

Hi Rainer,

sounds like a rather complicatet idea ( which I think depends on your bosses opinion ).
Bad news :
I got no technical solution for you.

Hint :

Changing the networksettings of the linux box will not be enough - depending on the client app(s) you normally use in combination with exchange ( guess its outlook ). In case my guess is right, it will not work at all, as outlook normally connects to exchange using the mapi protocol.

But :

If you connect to your exchangeserver using any common pop3 or imap client, it MIGHT be working to do the following :

Set up the users on the linux box according to the exchangeserverusers ( username, pw ).
set up a mailbox for every user
use fetchmail ( for retrieval from exchange ) and procmail ( or sieve ) for filtering mails.
fetch every - lets say - 2 minutes

Important : you will have to use the same mailprotocol ( pop or imap ) on the client side, otherwhise reconfiguration of clients has to be done !

hope it helps, cheerio,

Ralph

[Schotty]

Na nun Dein oss kann ich nur zustimmen. weshalb soll er ein neues server in Betrieb nehmen wenn diese genauso ausfallen kann wie der xchange Server?

In Deine stelle werde ich ein Linux Server installieren, aber nicht ins Betrieb nehmen.  Wenn der Exchange Server demnächst ausfällt schalte den Linux PC in Betrieb.........

Beweisen dass der Linux PC diese erledigen kann.......

[ralph]

Hi Schotty,

despite this an mainly english speaking forum, I can not follow your idea completely.
Installing a linux ( sme ) box is a pretty good idea - but for what just install and not use it ? Where is your way to get the mail over from exchange to sme ?

I'd apprecitate for a hint on that, cause it does sound kind off magic in a way ;->>

Ralph

[Schotty]

dont know.... i dont use exchange....
install outlook on the clients -save info in *.pst datei
then goodbye exchange