A couple of months ago we signed up for Google Apps Premier, which we
really like. Prior to that we had been using the System i as our mail
server. We had to continue running the SMTP client on the i as we use
ESEND from Help Systems for emailing reports, and it requires the SMTP
client running on the i. It took a bit of doing, but we successfully
got the i working with CHGSMTPA MAILROUTER("smtp.gmail.com")
FIREWALL(*YES) ALWAUTH(*NONE) FWDHUBSVR("smtp.gmail.com").
A week ago Wednesday (8/12) I applied some PTFs and IPLed the i. None
of the PTFs seemed to have anything to do with email, I just like to
keep up with the HIPERs and whatnot. After that, ESEND emails
wouldn't go out. It wasn't an ESEND issue as plain old SNDDST
wouldn't work either. Opened a PMR with IBM for 3 business days.
They did a lot of tracing and journalling and came back with Google
must have changed something because it wasn't accepting the digital
certificate any longer.
Opened a Google ticket. Sent them the IBM traces. They agreed it was
a certificate issue. Turns out they hadn't changed anything (I know,
I know, just because they _said_ they didn't change anything . . . )
and told us what certificates were accepted. Took 2 days to find this
out. All 4 Equifax certs were already installed and trusted on the i
by the SMTP client. Yet emails weren't going _except_ every great
once in a while, one would get through. Seemingly no rhyme or reason.
Our Network Guy knew of another company with Google Apps Premier who
had some Windows servers that were doing some emails from windows
programs. They were using this:
http://www.fkeysolutions.com/e-mail-server.html and it was working
fine. So we spent $70 last Friday and installed this in a windows
server of ours. It was a cinch to get working with Google and their
TLS relaying requirements. No jumping through hoops on certs or
anything. We pointed the i SMTP client to this server which we
cleverly named smtprelay.dilgardfoods.xxx. Grand total time including
download and purchase: less than 45 minutes. Works like a charm.
I know many on this list have stated for years what a PITA that SMTP
is on the i. Now I've had that experience too.
Just thought I would post this for anyone else contemplating Google
Apps Premier and wondering about i emailing. Save yourself some grief
and get another product to talk to Google.
midrange.com
