How do I monitor an email server to make sure it is up and running?

How to set up IsItUp to monitor an email Server.

IsItUp can easily be set up to monitor one or more email servers. IsItUp determines if a server is working properly in the following way:

· First, IsItUp requires an account on an email server to send and receive test email messages. This email server is called the IsItUp Host Email Server or IsItUp Host for short.

· To start a test cycle, IsItUp first sends a test message, also called a probe message, from the IsItUp Host email account to the email server to be monitored.

· The email server to be monitored is called the Target Email Server. The target email server must have an auto-reply rule setup to automatically return the probe message back to the IsItUp host. As long as the probe message is returned within the time limits setup during configuration, the target email server is considered operational.

· Most often, you will be setting up IsItUp to monitor other email servers. However, IsItUp can monitor the IsItUp Host Email Server itself. In that case, the target email server and the IsItUp Host Email Server are one in the same machine.

Setting up the IsItUp Host Email Server

Note: Steps 1 through 3 only have to be performed once for any given IsItUp configuration.

The following are a set of step-by-steps instructions: 

1. Create an email account on the email system to be monitored. For this example, the email system to be monitored is TaroSoft.com. An account was created on TaroSoft.com called LoopBack@TaroSoft.com with password of test.

2. Configure the IsItUp host. This is done on the email configuration screen. Select Setup/System Parameters from the menu. The system configuration screen will be displayed. Then select the Setup Email System Parameters tab. The following screen will be displayed:

3. In this example, the host email system is an Internet Email account – one that uses POP3 and SMTP protocols. The dialog should be filled out as follows:

 Many email systems use different addresses for the outgoing and incoming email servers as well as a separate logon name and password from the email address. Please check with your email administrator for the details of your system. If you are using MAPI with MS Exchange, just put in the email profile name. The password is not necessary as MS Exchange generally uses integrated authentication. Other MAPI implementations such as Lotus Notes or GroupWise may require the account password. It is recommended that the connection parameters be tested by selecting the Test Email Connection button.

IsItUp can clean up after itself by deleting all probe messages returned by target email systems automatically. If so desired, check the “Delete all Email in Host InBox at Startup” checkbox. Note: this will delete all messages in the host inbox, both probe and non probe.

Monitoring Email Servers

If you need to monitor multiple email servers, you need to create an email account on the email server IsItUp uses to send and receive messages. This email server is referred to as the IsItUp host. See Setting Up IsItUp Email Host Server above.

Next, you need to set up email accounts on each of the Email Servers you want to monitor. You will need to coordinate with the administrators of each of the email servers to be monitored and have an account created with an auto-reply rule setup to return any email messages to the sender. The email servers to be monitored are referred to as the target servers.

 Once the accounts are setup on all the target servers, it is recommended that you test each one by logging into the IsItUp host account with a email client and sending a message to each of the target email servers. If the target email servers are configure with an auto reply correctly, the target email servers will return each message sent.  

IsItUp manages the host’s Inbox completely and makes sure that the replies to probe messages do not fill up the host’s inbox by deleting them. However, IsItUp can not manage the target email system’s InBox and probe messages may build up. It is recommended that the administrator of the target email systems apply a method to keep the target email system’s Inbox from becoming filled.

The following are a set of step by steps to configure IsItUp to monitor multiple email servers: 

1. Configuring the target email systems to be monitored. To add a target to be monitored, select the Setup/Email Loop Test Monitor from the menu. The following screen will be displayed:

2. Select a name for the email system to be monitored and enter in the email address on the target email system that has auto-reply enabled so as to return any messages to the sender.

3. Complete the rest of the wizard to select the interval to monitor and any alerts. IsItUp is now ready to monitor your first email system. Repeat steps to add as many target email systems to be monitored as desired.

Monitoring the IsItUp Host Email Server

If you need to only monitor the IsItUp Host Email Server, then it is even easier to setup IsItUp. In the case where there is only one email server to monitor, both the IsItUp host and the target email server are the same machine. Since IsItUp is sending a message to it’s self, there is no need to setup an auto reply rule!

1. Configure the target email system to be monitored. In this case both the IsItUp host and the target email system are the same. To add a target to be monitored, select the Setup/Email Loop Test Monitor from the menu. The following screen will be displayed:

2. Select a name for the email system to be monitored and enter in the email address on the target email system to be used for monitoring. In this case, since both the host and the target are the same, just enter in the same email address used during step 3 as follows:

3. Complete the rest of the wizard to select the interval to monitor and any alerts. IsItUp is now ready to monitor your email system. Once again, since both the IsItUp host and the target email system are the same, do not put an auto reply on the target email system.