Establishing and Maintaining Connections

The existing system and Microsoft Exchange Server must be connected either by a gateway between them or by gateways to a common backbone, such as an IBM PROFS system or the Internet. Your strategy should address the following concerns.

Increased message traffic may cause a problem

When some users are on your existing system and some are on Microsoft Exchange Server, message traffic increases and may cause a bottleneck.

To avoid this problem, you can:

• Configure multiple gateways.
• Move groups of people together who typically exchange mail.
• Restrict message size.
• Connect new sites quickly to avoid sending mail between Microsoft Exchange Server sites that are backboned over the existing system.
• Dedicate fast computers to the gateway processes.

Some features may not be supported

The gateway connecting the two systems may not support all the features available with Microsoft Exchange Server or your existing system. For example, custom forms convert to standard text messages when crossing some gateways. Groups that use such features should be moved together.

The connection may be unstable

If your connection is unstable:

• Consider using a different gateway, a backbone, or a common foreign system.
• Use monitors to assess message traffic and queue size.
• Keep traffic across this connection to a minimum.
• Minimize the length of time that this connection will be used.