Domains

System Administrators can use the Domains section to add or remove domains, manage the configuration of one or more domains, attach or detach domains, attach or detach users, send messages to users on the server, export a list of domains or users to CSV and more.

To access this section, log into SmarterMail as the System Administrator and click on the Manage icon. Then select Domains from the navigation pane. Existing domains will be displayed. (If no domains are listed, you will need to Add a New Domain.) Basic details about the domains are displayed, including the number of users, aliases and mailing lists configured, the number of EAS and/or MAPI/EWS mailboxes being used, and the disk space used by each domain. Within the Domains section, System Administrators can access the following items:

Jump To:

Adding a New Domain
Domain Details (e.g., Accounts, General, etc.)
Domain Actions (e.g., Attach User, Export Domains, etc.)
Configuration - Modify the settings for new domains or modify existing domains and their configuration. This includes:
Domain Details - If a System Administrator has the ability to manage individual domains, when they select a domain in the Manage area, in addition to the domain's configuration they'll see the following tabs. These tabs represent how the domain is set up and are, essentially, the same options available to that domain's Administrator(s).

Accounts - The list of all users set up for that domain. For more information see Users Overview.
General - These are general settings for the domain such as the Domain Aliases being used, Folder Auto-Clean rules, Email Signing and more. For more information see General Domain Settings.
Content Filtering - The content filtering rules set up for all users of the domain. For more information see Domain Content Filtering.
Events The events set up for the entire domain. For more information see Domain Events.
Sharing - The Shared Resources and User Groups set up for users of the domain. For more information see Domain Sharing,
Signatures - The Signatures and Default Signature mappings set up for users of the domain. For more information see Signatures.
Spam Filtering - The spam filtering rules set up for users of the domain. For more information see Domain Spam Filtering.
User Defaults - The default settings for each user of the domain such as the Mailbox Size Limit, Webmail options, Service Access and more. For more information see User Defaults.

Domain Actions - When on the Domains page, there are several Actions available to System Administrators. To view these actions, click the Actions (...) button. You'll see the following:

Attach User / Attach Folder / Rebuild Folder - These actions allow you to recover a user's account, folder or emails
Export Domains / Users to CSV - These actions allow you to export a list of all domains, or all users for all domains, to a CSV file.
Send Email / Notification - These actions allow you to send an email or reminder notification to users on the server.
Attach / Reload / Detach Domain - These actions allow you to recover a domain or detach it so it can be moved to another server.

Information on attaching domains from SmarterMail 16.x and older versions.
Relevant Knowledge Base Articles - A brief list of articles from our Knowledge Base that cover topics such as moving Domains, attaching users, reloading domains, etc.

Domain Configuration

When the initial domain settings are saved, the following configuration options will appear in the content pane. In addition, the following will be displayed if you are modifying an existing domain by selecting it from the lis.Note: The default configuration of these settings are dependent on what's configured in the Domain Defaults template. However, they can be adjusted manually per domain, as needed. To adjust the default configuration of new domains, modify the Domain Defaults template.

Options

Domain Name - The name of the domain. For example, smartermail.com or example.com. To change the name of a domain in SmarterMail, use the Actions (...) button to click on Rename Domain. NOTE: If you rename a domain, users will have to adjust any desktop or mobile clients to use the new domain name. While SmarterMail changes the domain name internally, it can not push the name change to email clients directly. Those have to be updated manually.
Domain Status - The current status of the domain: Enabled or Disabled. Disabled domains cannot send email and users cannot login to the Web interface. However, the domain will still receive email to prevent email loss. This option is a good way to temporarily shut off a domain without deleting it.
Hostname - The URL of the mail server (e.g., mail.domain.com) to be returned for an Autodiscover query by a user of that domain. Instructions on how to Set up Autodiscover for SmarterMail can be found in the SmarterTools Knowledge Base. Note: On the Domain Defaults template, the Hostname field has a default value of "mail.%domain%". This variable allows the Hostname to match the name of the domain, though this setting can be adjusted manually, if desired. This Domain Default setting will be applied to new domains and can also be propagated to existing domains on the server.
Folder (Root Mail Path) - The directory in which all information (JSON files, mail statistics, alias information, etc.) pertaining to the domain is saved. To modify the domain's folder path, use the Actions (...) button to click on Change Domain Path.
Primary Domain Administrator - The Primary Domain Administrator is the account that has overall control over all aspects of the domain. To adjust the primary Domain Administrator for the domain start typing the username you want to assign to the role, then select it from the autocomplete options. Only existing users on the domain can be selected as the primary administrator.
Outbound IPv4 - The IPv4 address used to connect to external SMTP servers when a message is sent by the domain. If multiple IPv4 IPs are on the server, they will be listed in the dropdown. Selecting "Automatic" will use the primary IP address assigned to the Network Interface Card (NIC). (NOTE: If a different IPv4 address is set for SMTP Out on the Protocols page, that IPv4 address will take precedence over what is set up for the domain.)
Outbound IPv6 - The IPv6 address used to connect to external SMTP servers when a message is sent by the domain. If multiple IPv4 IPs are on the server, they will be listed in the dropdown. Selecting "Automatic" will use the primary IP address assigned to the Network Interface Card (NIC). If there is none, this setting is ignored. (NOTE: If a different IPv6 address is set for SMTP Out on the Protocols page, that IPv6 address will take precedence over what is set up for the domain.)
Outbound Gateway - Outbound gateways can reduce the load on the server by using a secondary server to process outgoing mail. Specify an outbound gateway to use for messages sent from this domain. If no options are available, an outbound gateway has not been configured. Instructions on how to Configure SmarterMail as a Free Gateway Server can be found in the SmarterTools Knowledge Base.
Use primary IP if selections are unavailable - This will use the IP address that's assigned to the Network Interface Card (NIC) on the SmarterMail server.

Limits

Disk Space (MB) - The maximum number of megabytes allocated for the domain. By default, the domain is allocated 500 MB of disk space. This disk space limit also includes file storage and meeting workspaces for users. Note: When this limit is reached, SmarterMail will send a warning to the domain administrator and mailboxes on the domain will not be able to receive new mail.
Domain Aliases - The maximum number of domain aliases allowed for the domain. A domain alias is bascially an alternate domain name for one that already exists in SmarterMail. For example, imagine you have a domain, 'example.com', in SmarterMail with a user, 'user@example.com'. By adding a domain alias for 'example.net', emails sent to 'user@example.net' will be delivered to 'user@example.com'. That means that emails sent to either domain will end up in the same mailbox. By default, domains are limited to two domain aliases.
Users - The maximum number of mailboxes allowed for the domain. By default, domains are limited to 100 users. Note: If your SmarterMail license limits the number of mailboxes allowed on the domain, your license level will override this setting.
User Aliases - The maximum number of alias email accounts allowed for the domain. An email alias is essentially a forwarding email address that can be used to forward messages to a single address or multiple email addresses. By default, domains are limited to 1,000 user aliases.
Max Message Size (KB) - The maximum size email a user can send. By default, the max message size is 512000 KB. This number includes text, HTML, images and attachments.
Max Attached File Size (KB) - The maximum size of attachments, regardless of type. Note: Base64 encoding of attachments increases their size by approximately 35%. Knowing this, and in order to provide a better user experience, SmarterMail allows messages to be sent that are technically over the limit set for Max Message Size. For example, a 10MB message with a 490MB attachment will still be sent even though the actual message size, after base64 encoding, would far exceed the 500MB max limit.
Recipients per Message - The maximum number of recipients a message can have. By default, users can send messages to 200 email addresses.

Features

Active Directory Integration (Enterprise Only) - Select this option to enable active directory authentication. By enabling this, domain administrators will be able to add in the necessary LDAP binding string to import LDAP users.
Automated Forwarding - Select this option to allow users to enter one or more forwarding addresses that automatically forwards any email that reaches their mailbox. When this feature is enabled, Domain Administrators can enable or disable Automated Forwarding on a per user basis. Note: Messages routed to other email folders via content filters or plus addressing will also be forwarded to this address. Messages routed to the Junk Email folder will not be forwarded by default. However, these can be included if the domain's "Forwarding Exclusion" is set to "No exclusion - Forward all mail." In addition, even if disabled messages may still be forwarded to alternative addresses via Events, content filtering or using rules created within email clients.
Catch-All Alias - Select this option to allow Domain Administrators to create catch-all email addresses. A catch-all alias is an email address that receives all incoming email that goes to invalid email addresses within the domain. NOTE: This simply enables the ability to set a catch-all alias -- an actual alias will need to be created, or an existing alias edited, and assigned as a catch-all.
Chat (XMPP) (Enterprise Only) - Select this option to allow users on the domain to chat with each other via the Web interface or any XMPP-compatible chat client. Note: This feature is only available when licensed with SmarterMail Enterprise.
Cloud Storage Connections - Select this option to allow users to connect different services, like OneDrive and Dropbox, to their SmarterMail accounts to facilitate actions like attaching links to shared files.
Disposable Address - Select this option to allow users to create a temporary, disposable address independent of their email address.
Domain Chat History View - Select this option to allow domain administrators to be able to search through all chat history for any and all users of a domain.
File Storage - Select this option to allow users to access the File Storage section, where users can upload files to the mail server and then share them by sending out links to those files.
Global Address List - Select this option to provide a listing of all users who have accounts for the particular domain in the Contacts menu icon. If the Global Address List is disabled for a domain, collaboration items, like calendars or notes, will not use autocomplete when adding shared users. Note: This feature is only available when licensed with SmarterMail Enterprise.
Webmail Login Customization - Select this option to allow domain administrators to customize the login screen to add a company logo, provide additional branding text, or adjust the default “Login to SmarterMail” text. Note: If you enable this feature to allow the domain to override the custom login display, and the Domain Administrator does not enable customization for their domain, users will see the default SmarterMail login screen, regardless of whether the login display is customized in the System Administrator-level general settings.
SMTP Accounts - Select this option to allow users to send email from a third-party mail server account right from within SmarterMail. When this feature is enabled, Domain Administrators can enable or disable SMTP Accounts on a per user basis.
Team Workspaces (Enterprise Only) - Select this option to allow users to create Team Workspaces, which allow for video chatting and shared documents with users on the domain and guests alike. Technical Note: Video conferencing within Team Workspaces utilizes WebRTC. WebRTC will prefer UDP as the communications protocol, but it will use TCP if it's the only available method through the firewall. For ports, WebRTC will use anything in the 0-65535 range to transfer video and audio. In order to establish the connection, port 3478 should be open. In addition, WebRTC uses VP8 or H.264 for video codecs and Opus for audio, though this can vary depending on device, OS and browser. WebRTC handles this selection automatically.

EAS (Enterprise Only)

EAS is the industry standard for synchronizing email clients and mobile devices with email servers like SmarterMail. Using EAS, users can synchronize email, contacts and calendars (and tasks and notes, on supported devices) with email clients, like Windows Mail, and with smartphones and tablets from Apple, Samsung and others. When trialing the add-on or using a paid subscription, the following options will be available:

Remote Wipe - When enabled, this allows domain administrators to initiate a remote wipe of a device connected via EAS. For example, if a person leaves an organization, administrators can wipe their mobile device(s) to ensure SmarterMail accounts are removed.
Allow Domain Admininstrators to enable EAS for users - Enable this setting to allow Domain Administrators to assign EAS to the number of accounts allocated for the domain.
Accounts - The maximum number of EAS accounts that can be assigned for the domain.

MAPI/EWS (Enterprise Only)

MAPI/EWS are both protocols used for connecting desktop email clients to SmarterMail to give them Microsoft Exchange-level functionality. MAPI is used by Microsoft Outlook 2016 and above for Windows machines while EWS is used by Apple Mail on Mac OS and eM Client on Windows.

Allow Domain Admininstrators to enable MAPI/EWS for users - Enable this setting to allow Domain Administrators to assign MAPI/EWS to the number of accounts allocated for the domain.
Accounts - The maximum number of MAPI/EWS accounts that can be assigned for the domain.

Email

Autoresponder Exclusions - To prevent SmarterMail from sending automated messages, such as out-of-office replies, to addresses based on the spam level of the original message, select the appropriate option from the list.
Forwarding Exclusions - To prevent the system from forwarding messages based on the spam level of the message, select the appropriate option from the list.
Enable Greylisting - Greylisting is a spam prevention method that temporarily rejects any email from an unrecognized sender. The idea is that a valid message will be re-tried and, therefore, accepted on its subsequent delivery attempt. Though effective, greylisting can lead to a delay in email delivery for a domain. Enable this option to activate greylisting for the domain.
Inbound Message Delivery - Administrators can specify the domain location for incoming email delivery. This allows you to specify whether the domain is hosted locally or partially/entirely on an external server. The following options are available:
- Local - Select this option if the mail server is hosted locally.
- External (use MX record) - Select this option if the mail server is hosted partially or entirely externally. Messages will be delivered based on an MX lookup. Select the option "Deliver locally if user exists" to perform a local delivery instead of external if the user exists locally.
- External (use host address) - Select this option if the mail server is hosted partially or entirely externally. Messages will be delivered to the specified host address. The host address can either be entered as an IP address or the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), such as mail.yourdomain.com. Select the option "Deliver locally if user exists" to perform a local delivery instead of external if the user exists locally.

Mailing Lists

Mailing Lists are a great way to allow users to communicate with a number of different individuals via a single email address. For example, many companies use mailing lists to email newsletters, promotional offers, or information about product updates to subscribers. Unlike an Alias, a mailing list allows people to subscribe or unsubscribe from email communications.

Mailing Lists - Enable this option to allow Domain Administrators to create and manage mailing lists for their domain.
Mailing Lists - The maximum number of mailing lists allowed for the domain. By default, this setting is set to Unlimited.
Mailing List Max Message Size (KB) - The maximum size message that can be sent to a mailing list. By default, the maximum message size is set to 512000 KB.

Security

Two-Step Authentication - Two-Step Authentication is a method of providing a second verification of account ownership before a user can log into their account or connect to third-party clients and/or devices. For example, when a user has Two-Step Authentication enabled for their account, the SmarterMail login page will require their primary account password and a secondary verification of account ownership before the user can log into webmail. The second method of verification will be provided to the user through popular authentication apps, like Google or Microsoft Authenticator, or through a recovery email address. When this feature is enabled for a domain, the Domain Administrator can override the system setting and choose whether to enable or force Two-Step Authentication for their users. Two-Step Authentication can be Disabled, Enabled or Forced for the domain.
TLS - To enable or disable TLS (SSL encryption) for outgoing mail, select the appropriate option from the list.
SRS - To enable or disable SRS (the ability for the mail server to re-write the senders email address so that forwarded messages pass SPF checks) for mail, select the appropriate option from the list.
Require SMTP Authentication - Enable this option to require SMTP authentication when sending email. Note: If this option is enabled, users must provide an email address and password to send email from their account. SmarterMail supports cram-md5 and login authentication methods.
Force all traffic over HTTPS - Select this option to force all SmarterMail traffic over HTTPS. This improves SmarterMail security by allowing all traffic to be encrypted. Note: Prior to enabling this setting, SmarterMail must be set up as a site in IIS and have a valid SSL certificate in place for the SmarterMail site. If this is enabled and a user navigates to the IP address, the server will attempt a rDNS lookup and then redirect accordingly.
Show passwords to domain administrators - Enable this option to allow Domain Administrators to view a user's account password (and app passwords, if the user is protected by Two-Step Authentication). Note that account passwords cannot be viewed for accounts authenticated by Active Directory.

Miscellaneous

Calendar Auto Clean Month(s) - Use this to set a time frame that SmarterMail will use to automatically remove legacy calendar items from users' calendars. If allowed, Domain Administrators can override this setting when managing their own domain.
Postmaster Mailbox - The System Administrator can specify an email account that's used as the postmaster address for a specific domain. If there's no specific postmaster@ account set up for a domain, then the Primary Domain Administrator address is generally entered here. The Postmaster address is essentially an Alias: if someone emails postmaster@, the email is forwarded to the address entered here, just as it is for an Alias. If an Account, Alias or Mailing List already exists with the "postmaster" username/name, then this field is ignored.
Redirect to a webpage on logout from webmail - Generally, when users logout of webmail they're presented with the standard webmail login page. However, a System Administrator can enter a custom URL to a page that is presented to users when they log out of webmail.
Allow Domain Admininstrators to create domain aliases - Enable this option to allow Domain Administrators to create domain aliases. A domain alias is basically an alternate domain name for one that already exists in SmarterMail. For example, imagine you have a domain, 'example.com', in SmarterMail with a user, 'user@example.com'. By adding a domain alias for 'example.net', emails sent to 'user@example.net' will be delivered to 'user@example.com'. That means that emails sent to either domain will end up in the same mailbox.
Allow domain administrators to manage Mailbox Size Limit for users - When this setting is enabled, Domain Administrators will be able to modify a user's Mailbox Size Limit and propagate the setting to users. When this setting is disabled, Domain Administrators will be able to see the current Mailbox Size Limit, but they will be unable to edit the value or propagate changes to users. NOTE: A System Administrator will always be able to manage a user's Mailbox Size Limit when impersonating a Domain Administrator and editing a user.
Exclude IP from received line - Select this option to remove the client's IP address from the received header on messages received through SMTP. Note: Removing the IP address from the received header is not recommended because it violates RFC.

Team Workspace Video / WebRTC (Enterprise Only)

Use this card to set a specific, separate STUN/TURN server to be used by all domains that are created. If no servers are specified, SmarterMail will use the default STUN/TURN settings for Team Workspaces.

Priority and Throttling

Use this card to prioritize the remote delivery of standard messages and configure the throttling options for the domain. By default, all messages for all users are sent at a normal priority with an exception of mailing lists, which default to low priority. Messages that fail the first attempt to deliver get automatically "degraded" in priority to low.

Throttling, on the other hand, allows system administrators to limit the number of messages per hour and/or the amount of bandwidth used per hour to send messages. If the throttling action is set to Reject, SmarterMail will bounce any messages attempting to be sent after the threshold is met, until the next session. If the throttling action is set to Delay, SmarterMail will allow the message into the spool and trickle delivery.

Delivery Priority - The priority level for messages that don't have another priority affecting it.
Outbound Messages per Hour - The number of messages sent by the domain per hour. By default, the number of outgoing messages is 5,000.
Message Throttling Action - The action SmarterMail should take when the message throttling threshold is reached.
Outbound Bandwidth MB per Hour - The total number of MBs sent by the domain per hour. By default, the outgoing bandwidth is 100.
Bandwidth Throttling Action - The action SmarterMail should take when the bandwidth throttling threshold is reached.
Bounces Received per Hour - As bounce messages are received from null senders per RFCs, this setting dictates the number of messages from null senders a domain can receive over SMTP before any further messages from null senders will be rejected. By default, a domain can receive 1,000 bounces per hour.
Bounces Throttling Action - The action SmarterMail should take when the bounces throttling threshold is reached.

Autodiscover

Autodiscover is a service that allows email clients to automatically determine a user’s mail server address and port from that user’s email address and password alone. This greatly simplifies a user’s setup process when attempting to connect SmarterMail to a desktop client, like Outlook and Apple Mail, as well as mobile clients. Autodiscover settings can be configured per protocol and per domain. Instructions on how to Set up Autodiscover for SmarterMail can be found in the SmarterTools Knowledge Base.

With the appropriate DNS records and IIS configuration in place, you can use this section to enable or disable specific protocols from returning Autodiscover results. When a protocol is enabled for Autodiscover, clicking on that protocol’s settings cog will open a window where the encryption type and port can be adjusted. Utilizing Autodiscover with MAPI/EWS or EAS requires encryption over SSL or TLS. Therefore, port 443 MUST be available and not blocked by a firewall. NOTE: If a user has POP disabled for their account, their POP Autodiscover request will not be fulfilled, even if POP is enabled for Autodiscover. This applies to all protocols in their account's Service Access settings.

Overriding the Default Desktop and/or Mobile XML Responses

Administrators with advanced Autodiscover knowledge can override the default XML response that is sent from the domain when Autodiscover is requested. However, please understand that these settings should NOT be modified without advanced knowledge of the XML responses used with Autodiscover. Adjusting the custom XML incorrectly can result in invalid responses returned meaning users will be unable to connect to their email client(s). Furthermore, if you turn on an override but never save any custom XML, SmarterMail will use the default protocol settings. However, if the override is turned on, ANY text you save to the Custom XML area will be used for the Autodiscover response. If you save custom text, then later remove that text and save a blank entry, Autodiscover will send a blank response. Therefore, it is imperative that you only enable the override and enter custom Autodiscover XML if you are absolutely sure what you're using is correct.

There are two types of Autodiscover responses that can be modified: Mobile XML and Desktop XML. The mobile XML response is strictly used with EAS. The desktop XML response is used with everything else, including IMAP, POP, SMTP In, MAPI and EWS.

In the textbox window that appears after enabling the override of the XML, clicking on Generate will show the XML response that SmarterMail would normally send on an Autodiscover request. You can generate this response to make adjustments as needed, or simply enter the XML response you would like to use. When adjusting the XML, don’t remove or modify variables such as %EmailAddress%, %Base64EmailAddress%, %DisplayName% or %LegacyDN% since these are used to identify the user making the Autodiscover request. Also note that although changes are not validated by SmarterMail, any changes made to the XML response should be within RFC guidelines.

Actions (...) Available for Domains

Attach User / Attach Folder / Rebuild Folder

System Administrators can restore a user’s emails, email folders or their entire user account, which is extremely useful if a folder or email is mistakenly deleted or if there is corruption within the mailbox.

To restore user data, click on the Actions (...) button in the Domains section. Then choose the type of restore you would like to perform:

Attach User - Select this option to attach a user that is on disk but not in the domain. In other words, to restore an entire user’s account. Note: The user’s folder needs to be correctly placed in the domain folder on the server prior to performing this action.
Attach Folder - Select this option to attach a folder that is on disk but not in the account. In other words, to restore a user’s email folder.
Rebuild Folder - Select this option to copy .grp files or .eml files into an existing user’s folder and have SmarterMail re-build that folder to include the new .grp and .eml files. In other words, to restore a user’s emails.

The following options will be available, depending on the restore type selected.

Email - The full email address of the user account being restored or the full email address of the owner of the folder being attached or rebuilt.
Folder Path - The path of the folder within the Web interface that will be used to rebuild or restore an email folder. For example, if you’re restoring a subfolder that was created under the Inbox, the folder path would look like: Inbox\Example Folder.
Recursive - Enable this option to attach any subfolders that are found within a folder that is being attached or rebuilt.

Note: There could be a UID conflict issue if you restore .grp files into an existing folder with existing .grp files. If you are only restoring email messages, it is recommended that you create a new folder within the SmarterMail interface and copy the .grp and/or .eml files to that new folder. Then use the Rebuild Folder function. This issue would not occur when restoring .eml files into an existing folder with existing email.

Export Domains / Users to CSV

System Administrators can export a list of all domains or users on the server in CSV format. The domain CSV spreadsheet will include every domain name along with its status, size, number of users, number of aliases, user limits, throttling configuration, enabled features and more. The user CSV will list every username, sorted by domain, along with their display name, authentication type, title, full name, birthday, phone number, home address, work address, job title, disk space used, status, last login date and more.

System Administrators with Manage Domain permissions can also export the Users for specific domains. All they do is go to the Accounts tab for the domain -- there is an Export Users option under the Actions (...) button on the Accounts tab.

To use the export feature, click on the Actions (...) button in the Domains sections and then click on Export Domains to CSV to export a list of domains or Export Users to CSV to export a list of users.

Send Email / Notification

SmarterMail gives System Administrators the opportunity to send mass emails and reminders to the users on the SmarterMail server. This can be extremely beneficial for notifying users of a specific domain about any policy changes, announcing work being done that may impact access to the mail server, sending warnings to specific users about any potential mail server abuse, sending emails to all domain administrators regarding settings changes and much more. It's a simple way for System Administrators to keep mail server users up-to-date and current about a variety of topics.

Send Email

To send a mass email, click the Actions (...) button in the Domains section and then click Send Email. The mass messaging options will load in a modal window and the following fields should be completed:

From - The individual sending the email message. "System Administrator" will be entered as a default.
To - Select the message recipients from the list. Note: If All Users on a Domain is chosen, you will then be asked to enter the domain name. If you choose Specific User you will be asked to enter a Specific User's email address.
To Friendly Name - This is a friendly name or description for the recipients that will appear in conjunction with their email address in the To field. For example, if you're sending an email to all users of the domain example.com you could use something like "Example.com User".
Subject - The subject of the email.
Message - Type the text of the message in this field. Messages can be in plain text or stylized with HTML formatting.

Once you complete all the fields, click the Send button to deliver the message.

Send Notification

Notifications are a quick and easy way to send information to a group of users on the mail server. Simliar to sending an email, a notification will stay within the mail server and be displayed in users' notifcations area rather than being sent to them as an actual email message. For example, if you send a message to all users of a domain about some upcoming maintenance work on the mail server, you can use use Send Notification to do a quick follow up reminding the users of the scheduled work.

To send a mass nmotification, click on the Actions (...) button in the Domains section and then click on Send Notification. The messaging options will load in a modal window and the following fields should be completed:

To - Select the message recipients from the list. Note: If All Users on a Domain is chosen, you will then be asked to enter the domain name. If you choose Specific User you will be asked to enter a Specific User's email address.
Subject - The subject of the email.
Message - Type the text of the message in this field.

Once you complete all the fields, click the Send button to deliver the notification message.

Attach / Reload / Detach Domain

The ability to quickly and easily move domains from one SmarterMail server to another, without having to stop the mail server or halt the mail service, is crucial for System Administrators.

Attach Domain

Attaching a domain makes it easy to add a new domain, complete with users, configuration settings, etc. You simply move the files and folders to a new server, add in the Domain Path, and SmarterMail will add the domain to the domains.json file.

Reload Domain

Reloading a domain is essentially "rebooting" the domain: it clears all webmail sessions, reloads the domain's settings, all user settings and files for the domain. If you see odd behavior with users or other odd behavior, reloading the domain may clear things up.

Detach Domain

Detaching a domain essentially prepares the domain for a move to another server, or even just moving the domain to another drive. Detaching removes the domain from the domains.json file, then, once you've made whatever changes are necessary, you simply attach the domain again. It also logs out any users who are logged in and, more importantly, will remove any Domain Aliases that are set up for the domain. These would have to be re-added once the domain is attached in its new location.

Attaching SmarterMail 16.x and Older Domains

If you try to attach a domain from 16.x or older to a newer installation, you'll get a warning saying: "This domain is not valid for this version. To convert and attach the domain, stop the SmarterMail Service, add the domain path to the domains.json file, then restart. For more information, refer to the Online Help.” This warning occurs because the domain needs to go through a significant conversion process before it can be attached to the installation. During the conversion process, XML files will be converted to JSON format, mailboxes will be switched to use the new indexing system, and system files will be modified to help increase SmarterMail speed, reduce disk/CPU and, overall, make for a smoother experience.

If you have a domain from an older version that you want to add to a latest Build, follow these steps:

Before beginning, make a backup copy of the domains.json file and the domain folder you wish to attach. (The default install path of the domains.json file is C:\Program Files (x86)\SmarterTools\SmarterMail\Service\Settings\. The default install path for the domain folders is C:\SmarterMail\Domains\.)
Place the domain folder where you would like it to reside.
Stop the SmarterMail Service.
Using Notepad or a similar text editor, open the domains.json file.
Add the domain path in the same format as the other domains. The domain path should be entered in the following format:

"domainName.com": {
			"data_path": "c:\\SmarterMail\\Domains\\domainName.com"
		}

Save the file. (NOTE: You may need to save it to the desktop, then manually replace the original due to Windows Security.)
Start the SmarterMail Service.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is imperative that the JSON validation remains valid. Failure to preserve the JSON validation will prevent the SmarterMail site from loading. You can verify the file integrity by running the file through an online JSON validator such as JsonLint Simply copy the contents of one of those files and paste it in the online validator.

Depending on the size of the domain, it may take anywhere from a few seconds or up to an hour for the domain conversion to complete. During this time, the SmarterMail server will be inaccessible. You can access the conversion status page at any time by going to https://your_mail_domain/interface/convert-status. You'll need to log in with a system admin username and password. As the domain conversion runs, you'll see a screen similar to the following:

Details of the conversion process can also be found in the conversion log which is stored by default at C:\SmarterMail\Logs\{date}-conversion.log.

Relevant Knowledge Base Articles

We have created several knowledge base articles for common situations where use of "Attach Domain" or "Rebuild Folder" are necessary. Below is a partial list of articles that detail the steps necessary to do things such as restore a user's folders, migrating or moving a domain from one server to another, etc.