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General Properties for the MTA

Use the General property page to:

Getting to the MTA General property page

  1. In the Administrator window, choose Configuration, choose Servers, and then select the server you want to configure.
  2. Double-click Message Transfer Agent.
  3. Select the General tab.

Changing the Local Name and Password for the MTA

By default, the MTA local name matches the Microsoft Exchange Server name and is created during Setup. You can change the local name at any time and add an optional password to provide security for the MTA. It may be necessary to have the MTA local name match the MTA name in the remote location. Microsoft Exchange Server computers in the same site do not require passwords because they use Windows NT security. Passwords can be required when a foreign X.400 system is configured to use them.

Note   Changing an established MTA name or password may break connections to other sites or to foreign X.400 systems. If you change an MTA name or password, make sure to notify administrators of all connected sites and X.400 systems so that they can update their connection information.

  1. Select the General tab.
  2. Type a name and a password.

Option Description
Local MTA name Limited to 32 characters. By default, the name is set to the name of the server where the MTA is installed.
Local MTA password Optional password (64 characters maximum) used by foreign systems when connecting to the MTA. By default, no password is used.

Setting a Message Size for the MTA

Two options are available for setting message size for the MTA. For example, if messages larger than 1000KB slow your network performance to an unacceptable level, you can set a maximum message size of 1000KB. This setting prevents the MTA from processing messages larger than 1000KB, and any rejected messages are returned to the sender as nondeliverable. The message size limit you set applies to all messages processed by the MTA.

  1. Select the General tab.
  2. Under Message size, select an option.

Option Description
No limit The MTA has no maximum message size. This is the default.
Maximum (K) Set the message size, in kilobytes, to a maximum of seven digits. The size cannot exceed 4,194,303KB.

Expanding Remote Distribution Lists

A distribution list is a grouping of recipients created to expedite the mass-mailing of messages and attachments. A remote distribution list is created within another site, but may be available to local users through directory replication. When you address a message to a remote distribution list, Microsoft Exchange Server prepares and delivers the message by expanding the remote distribution list locally. When the distribution list is expanded in the local site, Microsoft Exchange Server determines the best routing for the message, based on the location of recipients in the list. This method guarantees the most efficient message handling.
  1. Select the General tab.
  2. Specify whether to expand remote distribution lists locally. If you select the Expand remote distribution lists locally check box, distribution lists are expanded from remote sites before messages are sent.

Rebuilding the Routing Table

When changes are made to the MTA that affect routing information, such as adding a new connector or gateway or changing a connector's configuration, the system detects the change and rebuilds the routing table. You can also force the routing table to be rebuilt. Rebuilding the routing table can take several minutes.

The routing table is automatically rebuilt once a day. It contains all the information specified in the connectors and gateways for routing messages.

  1. Select the General tab.
  2. Choose Recalculate Routing to rebuild the routing table immediately.

Converting Incoming Messages to Microsoft Exchange Server Contents

Use the Convert incoming messages to MS Exchange contents option to ensure that inbound messages using IA5 German, IA5 Norwegian, and IA5 Swedish are converted to the appropriate characters.

  1. Select the General tab.
  2. Select or clear the Convert incoming messages to MS Exchange contents.

Option Description
Convert incoming messages to MS Exchange contents This option pertains only to inbound messages using IA5 German, IA5 Norwegian, and IA5 Swedish. Select to convert all inbound IA5 messages on the Microsoft Exchange Server computer where the X.400 Connector is located, rather than on the Microsoft Exchange Server computer where the recipient is located. The message is converted to the body part specified in the Advanced property page of the X.400 Connector.

Clear to convert inbound IA5 messages on the recipient's Microsoft Exchange Server computer. If the inbound message uses IA5 German, IA5 Norwegian, and IA5 Swedish, and the recipient is not on the server where the X.400 Connector is located, the message is converted using generic IA5. This results in the loss of certain characters.


Specifying Least-Cost Routing

To prevent mail from leaving a site if the local site connector is unable to deliver the message, you can configure an individual MTA to send messages using only least-cost routes. This allows you to prevent messages from being routed to connectors in other sites when a connector in the local site is unavailable. When the Only use least cost routes option is selected, only the least cost-route for each message will be attempted. If a message can't be routed through the least-cost route, Microsoft Exchange Server generates a non-delivery report (NDR).

Note   To establish least-cost routing behavior for messages that originated from any server in a site, the Only use least cost routes option must be selected on the MTA object for every server in the site.

  1. Select the General tab.
  2. Select the Only use least cost routes check box.