Email Configuration for Virtual Subhosts

Email Configuration for Subhosts

In order to provide email for your virtual subhosts, you will probably use the Virtual Server "virtmaps" feature. This is a proprietary feature that we have added to sendmail, the underlying program which handles all of your Virtual Server email.

Why virtmaps?
An HTTP/1.1 compliant web server (like your Virtual Server Apache Web Server) can detect Virtual Subhost domains when an HTTP request is made, and it sends back the corresponding content to the client. An SMTP server, however, cannot detect Virtual Subhost domains. It can only see that subhost1.com and subhost2.com resolve to the same IP address. So, to the SMTP server, webmaster@subhost1.com and webmaster@subhost2.com are the same webmaster.

Through Blue Reef's unique use of virtmaps, your Virtual Server SMTP server can detect the domain name of an incoming email and then route the email properly, despite similar usernames.

Creating Virtmaps
There are several methods you can use to create virtmaps on your Virtual Server.

iManager
iManager Tools and Wizards allow you to use your own web browser to easily create virtmaps on your Virtual Server.

Telnet/SSH
Connect to your Virtual Server via Telnet or SSH and add the virtmap to your ~/etc/virtmaps file. Use an online file editor, like pico, or transfer the file to your PC in order to add the virtmap. Be sure to download and upload the ~/etc/virtmaps file in ASCII mode.

The virtmap you create in your ~/etc/virtmaps file should look something like this:
The left-and side of the virtmap is the incoming email address. The right-hand side is where the email will be routed.

The routing location can be either an email address or an email box on your server

Wildcard Email
The virtmaps feature also supports wild card mapping, so that any email sent to a non-existing e-mail address is delivered to a "catch-all" email alias or address. If the left hand side is only a domain name, then all email sent to that domain name will be delivered to the email address on the right hand side.
```
webmaster@domain.com    bigjoe64@aol.com
karen@domain.com        karen 
domain.com              johnny2 
```
Run the vnewvirtmaps command in order for the database to rebuild itself.

Removing Virtmaps
iManager contains a utility to remove e-mail virtmaps.

If you wish to use Telnet/SSH, connect to your Virtual Server via Telnet or SSH and do the following.

Remove the virtmap from your ~/etc/virtmaps file. Use an online file editor, like pico, or transfer the file to your PC in order to remove the virtmap. Be sure to download and upload the ~/etc/virtmaps file in ASCII mode.
Run the vnewvirtmaps command.

SEE ALSO:

Virtual Server Basics

Server Configuration

Server Add-ons

Using Telnet/SSH

Admin Utilities

Microsoft FrontPage Extensions

Recommended Security Books

Recommended Server Books

BOOKS TO HELP YOU:

Apache Server For Dummies

Apache: Web Server Directives Guidebook

Administering Web Servers, Security and Maintenance