Is it possible to install an SMTP proxy that will handle splitting group mail?

Question

Is it possible to install an SMTP proxy that will handle splitting group mail?

I am running OS X 10.9.3 with Server 3.1.2 on a Mac-Mini Mid-2012. I learned on my last implementation of OS X 10.9.3 that Mavericks sometimes has issues with handling group mail. As I rebuild my network, I am wondering if it is possible to install a SMTP proxy that can receive, process, then forward mail on to the primary mail server.

For example, if mail is sent to a group account, this SMTP proxy would repackage the message as a message to a carbon copy list of all the group members, but if the mail is sent to a user account, the mail is forwarded unmodified. Like this:

As an alternative to this, I would also be interested a solution in which the Linux Mail Server referenced the Open Directory for account information, including password authentication, so that if a user in the Mac Network updates his password, that he can use the same password to access his mail on a webmail client or via the Mail.app.

This is a callout for discussion points, ideas and recommendations. There is no problem here to fix necessarily.

Posted on Jul 10, 2014 11:27 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

John Lockwood

Level 6

13,685 points

Jul 11, 2014 5:37 AM in response to Jared Clemence

I am not aware of a tool to do the group splitting for you, this is normally the responsibility of the mail server itself.

However with regards to your second query, a lot of people use a product called Kerio Connect instead of Apple's Mail server. Kerio can run on the same Mac server but in general is a far more powerful mail server. It does include the ability to authenticate user accounts against Open Directory.

There is one issue you need to be aware of, like nearly all mail servers it uses the 'username' as the main email address, so if you want an email account of jsmith@domain.com then your Open Directory short name need to be jsmith, if you want your email address to be john.doe@domain.com then your user short name needs to be john.doe and so on.

Note: While I have specifically talked about Kerio most other mail server including those for Linux would be able to link to Open Directory via LDAP and authenticate email accounts. The same link between email address and short name would usually apply.

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Answer 2

Jul 11, 2014 6:47 AM in response to Jared Clemence

FWIW, GNU Mailman is one of the more common approaches for handling group mail — setting up mailing lists — and that package was integrated through OS X Server 10.6, but is now an add-on package. Previous discussion involving Mac Ports, and Homebrew also has a recipe for installing mailman.

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Answer 3

Jul 21, 2014 10:59 AM in response to Jared Clemence

Mr. Lockwood and Mr. Hoffman,

Thank you very much for this helpful information. I am currently looking into cloning software so that I can make alterations to the server without worrying about having a bad backup experience as I recently had with Time Machine.

As soon as I am confident with my test server that the carbon copy is sufficient to give me a rollback point, I will start experimenting with these other Mail Services that you speak of.

Kind regards,

Jared Clemence

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Answer 4

Jul 30, 2014 9:38 AM in response to Jared Clemence

I read through the several data sheets on both the Kerio Connect and the GNU Mailman systems recommended. The Kerio Connect seems much more robust and able to handle exactly what we need. The GNU Mailman system has the advantage of being free. Kerio Connect costs $487 for the first year (at the time of this writing), and then must be renewed each year thereafter.

I attempted to switch click "This solved my question" on one of the helpful gentlemen who assisted in solving this issue, but this web site will not allow me to upgrade the status from "Helpful" to "Solved." As such, I am creating this brief summary to say thank you to both gentlemen and to close the open issue.

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