The Secret Life of cc:Mail and UNIX

7.25

The Secret Life of cc:Mail and UNIX

by Ron Herardian
©1994 Global System Services Corporation (GSS)

OVERVIEW

The little-known cc:Mail for UNIX products allow transparent integration of UNIX workstations and microcomputers. Unlike cc:Mail gateways to Internet standards-based messaging, specifically Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and UNIX to UNIX Copy (UUCP), Lotus' cc:Mail for UNIX product line has languished for years in obscurity. While revisions of the Link to SMTP and Link to UUCP gateway products have been slow, averaging over 2 years per major revision, the cc:Mail for UNIX products have not been revised since version 1.2 in December of 1994, although Lotus continues to sell the product and has not announced that they will be discontinued. No R6 version of the UNIX products has yet been announced. However, it is possible to implement the current versions of cc:Mail for UNIX in any cc:Mail system so long as UNIX users are confined to database version 5 post offices.

With the Internet and World Wide Web boom of the past few years, integration of cc:Mail systems with Internet and traditionally UNIX-based technologies, such as Network File System (NFS), the X Window system, and of course TCP/IP as well as with relatively new Internet standards-based technologies such as Post Office Protocol (POP) Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), has become increasingly important. Ironically, while Lotus has not given the highest priority to its UNIX/Internet products over the past few years, instead focusing the lion's share of its resources on the Windows market, the future of cc:Mail and other LAN-based messaging systems will increasingly involve traditionally UNIX-based technologies.

THE UNIX/INTERNET LINEUP

Although Lotus has never articulated a clear UNIX and Internet strategy for cc:Mail, the Lotus cc:Mail products currently on the market include specialized connectivity products and support of open Internet-protocols in mainstream products. Most customers don't realize how extensive cc:Mail's support for UNIX/Internet environments really is. Here is a summary of the Lotus cc:Mail lineup:

Link to SMTP (dedicated e-mail gateway)
Link to UUCP (dedicated e-mail gateway)
cc:Mail for UNIX (native UNIX product)
cc:Mail Router TCP/IP protocol and multiple IP session support
cc:Mail Mobile support for Winsock
cc:Mail R7 support for POP
cc:Mail for the World Wide Web

THE X WINDOW SYSTEM

The cc:Mail for UNIX products run on Sun SPARC and x86 workstations under the X Window system (referred to simply as "X") originally developed at MIT. X provides a graphical interface for client/server applications without requiring any application code installed on workstations. Unlike microcomputer-based client/server implementations where client applications are typically installed on the workstation, X workstations or terminals run an X server or display server while applications run on a network host. X applications are referred to as clients and provide instructions to the X servers running on workstations and terminals where the applications are displayed. X allows central administration of network applications without the typical microcomputer networking headache of managing applications installed on workstations and without the network traffic of running diskless microcomputer workstations in a LAN environment.

SOLARIS, OPEN LOOK, AND MOTIF

cc:Mail for UNIX, which runs under Sun Microsystems' implementation of X Windows, Open Windows, was originally written for Sun's Open Look window manager (OLWM). The X window manager controls the look and feel of applications by providing standard objects such as title bars, dialogs, buttons, scroll bars and so forth. The UNIX community, however, has standardized on the Open Software Foundation's (OSF) X server implementation, Motif, and Sun has discontinued Open Look. Version 1.2 of the cc:Mail for UNIX product runs under both Open Look and Motif. The cc:Mail for UNIX products run on two major versions of UNIX Sun OS (BSD UNIX) and Solaris 2 (AT&T UNIX). With the release of Solaris 2, Sun OS became known as Solaris 1. Following are the most common configurations:

HETEROGENEOUS ENVIRONMENTS

The cc:Mail for UNIX products were developed to facilitate integration of LAN-based e-mail systems with UNIX workstations. In this type of environment the file servers where cc:Mail post offices are stored can be UNIX-based servers or microcomputer-based LAN operating systems such as Novell NetWare. In both cases Network File System (NFS), essentially a network operating system like NetWare or Lan Manager originally developed by Sun Microsystems for the UNIX operating system, is normally used.

SENDING AND RECEIVING MESSAGES

cc:Mail for UNIX running on UNIX workstations has the ability to import native UNIX mail (SMTP) messages into the cc:Mail inbox and messages to SMTP recipients are sent directly when the application invokes the native sendmail daemon. Messages to and from other cc:Mail users are directly read from and written to into a cc:Mail post office database just as the LAN versions of cc:Mail do.

It is necessary to have an SMTP gateway in this configuration but only to support non-UNIX cc:Mail users. The reason for the latter requirement is that if a message is sent from a UNIX workstation to both SMTP and native cc:Mail users and an SMTP recipient to all addressees, the reply message must have a valid path to non-UNIX cc:Mail users because their workstation operating systems do have native support for SMTP.

UNIX FILE SERVER CONFIGURATIONS

UNIX-based file servers can be used for shared access to cc:Mail post offices from both UNIX workstations and microcomputers. In this configuration, products such as Sun's PC-NFS or FTP Software's On Net for Windows, and Windows 95, and Intercon NFS Share for the Macintosh platform allow shared file access. Some important notes for these configurations are that, apparently for performance reasons, DOS/Windows-based NFS products like PC NFS typically to not enable record locking, required for cc:Mail, by default. For Sun servers, be sure to use the latest patches of the lock daemon rpc.lockd. You can check the version of lockd using showrev.

UNIX file permissions must be set for directories and for files. 770 permissions (rwx rwx --- or read/write/execute for the owner and group with no permissions for non-group members) should be used for the data directory itself. Permissions can be set to 750 (rwx r-x ---) but this would prevent users from creating files such as NFTCHECK and NFTERROR.LOG (CCNFT.LG in DB8). In the latter case, the cc:Mail maintenance utilities are run using the owner's user ID or as root. Note that in some versions of UNIX, such as Silicon Graphics' IRIX, the execute flag is interpreted as "search" thus, contrary to the Lotus recommendation (770 and 660 permissions for the data directory and files, respectively), I prefer to retain the execute flag for the data directory. Permissions for the database files themselves can be set to 760 (rwx rw- ---) or 770. In either case, users must be able to write to the files.

Macintosh implementations of NFS do not always work correctly with PC versions. One solution to this problem is to use AppleTalk-to-NFS gateways such as the Kayman Systems Gatorboxes. Another solution is to place Macintosh users on separate post offices.

NETWARE FILE SERVER CONFIGURATIONS

If post offices are stored on a Novell NetWare file server, Novell's NFS NLM is the main way of providing connectivity to UNIX workstations. It this case the main problem is that unless UNIX caching in the NFS NLM is disabled at the server DOS users will be locked out by UNIX workstations accessing a post office. This means that, due to an architectural limitation of NetWare (using a separate memory pool for NFS NLM caching), UNIX workstations will not enjoy the best possible performance.

MIXED SERVER ENVIRONMENTS

In environments with both UNIX and microcomputer-based file servers cc:Mail Routers can be configured with 2 network interfaces, one running the microcomputer NOS, for example NetWare, and the other for NFS. An important option in this type of environment is to store post offices for UNIX workstations on UNIX servers and post offices for microcomputer users on microcomputer-based file servers. This option simplifies configuration and troubleshooting.

SUMMARY

The cc:Mail for UNIX products complete Lotus' lineup of UNIX/Internet placing cc:Mail on equal footing with native UNIX e-mail applications such as Sun's Mail Tool and products like Z-Mail. At the same cc:Mail for UNIX allows full integration of e-mail across platforms. Moving forward we can expect tighter integration of cc:Mail with Internet and Intranet technologies, especially World Wide Web. cc:Mail for the World Wide Web provides another option for UNIX users who can use web browsers to access cc:Mail.

CC:MAIL FOR UNIX GLOSSARY

AT&T - The AT&T Bell Labs version of the UNIX operating system
BSD - The UC Berkeley version of the UNIX operating system
Host - A Multi-user computer system accessible over a network
Internet - An international TCP/IP network made up of regional networks
Motif - The standard GUI for UNIX systems (see OpenLook)
NFS - Network File System - a NOS adding file sharing to the DARPA/Internet architecture
NOS - Network Operating System - Software that runs on a file server and allows workstation access
OpenLook - The GUI that formerly shipped with Sun workstations running Sun OS
OS - Operating System
POP - Post Office Protocol; a way for PCs to get SMTP mail over TCP/IP
Solaris 1 - Sun OS versions through 4.x (Berkeley UNIX)
Solaris 2 - Sun's AT&T UNIX, Sun OS version 5.0 and above
SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol - The protocols used by UNIX systems and the Internet network
UUCP - UNIX to UNIX Copy - A method of sending UNIX electronic mail messages over a modem
X Windows - A way of displaying graphical programs across a network

About GSS

Global System Services Corporation (GSS) is the leading provider of consulting and professional services for large-scale and distributed infrastructure systems such as email and messaging, directory services, groupware, and wireless solutions. GSS customers include Fortune 500 companies, large services providers and telecom companies, government agencies, major messaging product vendors, and innovative technology startups.

GSS provides a complementary suite of services including strategic technology consultation and competitive vendor and product analysis, product and system architecture and design, system development deployment, customization, and testing, technical support, email migration, and other IT services. GSS has been directly responsible for some of the largest global systems and solutions and counts as customers many of the largest companies in the world.

From its offices in the Silicon Valley California, GSS delivers services and solutions to customers worldwide through a network of mobile consultants and qualified GSS Affiliates. With industry certified professionals on staff, GSS is a Qualified Lotus Business Partner, a Certified Microsoft Solution Provider (MCSP), a Principal Partner in the Sun Partner Advantage program and a member of the Sun Software Partner Council, as well as a member of key industry organizations.

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©1995-2005 by Global System Services Corporation (GSS). Portions of this material are copyright ©1995-1999 by Ron Herardian