DBMA Quick Reference

Please change your default password

This refers to the htaccess/htpasswd files stored within the DBMA tarball. Change (dbmail:dbmail and dbma:dbma for Win32) as soon as possible. See security for more details. Password protection should be enabled in your HTTP Daemon configuration (i.e.: httpd.conf).

Don't Allow Public Access To DBMA

DBMail Administrator (DBMA) can administer your DBMail system with an HTML GUI you can use to connect to mail server(s); from across the LAN; or around the globe via VPN. On the LAN or VPN, authenticated SSL is the best approach. See Apache Configuration and Security Help or feel free to ask for help if you are in doubt about providing a secure environment for this management software. Running any mail system for the public puts you in the honourable shoes of a Postmaster with all the incumbant responsibilites for users' PRIVACY AND INFORMATION SECURITY.

DBMA: Administering IMAP Shared Folders

DBMA: SQL Database Cleanup

            dbmail_aliases
            dbmail_users
            dbmail_mailboxes
            dbmail_messages
            dbmail_messageblks
            dbmail_physmessage
            dbmail_subscription

Finding and Removing 'Orphans' : Database Cleaning

• messages marked delete by the client but status is still 000 or 001;
• messages having no 'owner mailbox';
• messages unattached to a user;
• mailboxes unattached to a user; and
• aliases where the group mismatches the owner's.

Keeping it Clean with Staged Mail Deletion

• When DBMA's 'Database Cleanup' finds orphaned messages dbmail_messages.status is set to 002.
• Re-running 'Database Cleanup' sets status to 003.
• You can check the status of any message either from a list or by searching for the message.
• Open a "User Account Window" and either use the search box or select a relevant mailbox.
• DBMA will list the messages with full technical details.
• You can individually delete/UNdelete the mailboxes messages
• or globally delete or undelete everything in that mailbox.
• Verify changes in "deletes pending" in "My Mail System" (Main) after "Database Cleanup".
• Optionally you can repeat the 'Database Cleanup' action to push all status to '003'.
• The next crontab 'dbmail-util -a -y' removes them from the database.

DBMA: Administering E-Mail Users

• Single User Admin
  • DBMA User Search from the top, left of the Main (Global Admin) menu is an 'intelligent' tool for finding a user and taking you immediately to the User Account Window. From the User Account Window most user administration is conducted.
  • The search box accepts non-alphanumeric, email address as username, mail address as alias, alpha string name, alpha-numeric+RFC2822-allowed-chars name, or the user number. Some DBMail operators store user names as full email addresses.
  • DBMA User Search will decide if input is a real user name or if the search is for an alias's account and return a result accordingly.
  • The fastest and most powerful tools for user administration are in the User Account Window.
• Group User Admin
  • This is the quintessential core of user management.
  • Users can be listed from individual Groups (client_idnr) by selecting the group number in top, middle of the Main menu and pressing 'List Group Users'.
  • For each user you now know their last login, current mail useage, account number, Group number, and something about their password.
  • For each user is a tool to Modify, Delete, Alias or Notify as well as open the User Account Window where all administrative functions are available.
• Global User Admin
  • Select "All users all groups" from the Main (Global Admin) menu and enter a number of listings to show (default 200).
  • Each user listing is a link to the User Account Window.
  • Each green icon under "Groups" is a function call to list all users of that group.

DBMA: Administering E-Mail Aliases or Forwards

• Global Admin
  • The Main menu (Global Admin) provides full view of your entire system. Be wary of system size. The fastest and most powerful tools for user adminstration are in the User Account Window.
  • Select 'List All Aliases' from the Main menu and enter the number of listings you would like to see.
  • This tool displays everything in the aliases table, including forwards...
  • plus DBMA will find and list at the very top (with some action options) any "Orphans" which may exist in your system.
  • Each alias listing is a link to the User Account Window.
  • For each user shown you now know their last login, current mail useage, account number, Group number, and something about their password.
  • A green icon beside the Group number is a function call for an extensive list for that group.
  • A red 'delete' icon at the far right of each item allows you to quickly delete an alias.
• Group Admin
  • At the top right of the Main menu (Global Admin) select a group and press 'List Group Aliases'.
  • Functionality is identical to Global Listing above, on a smaller set of your total system.
• Managing Mail Forwards
• Here the magic button is "Edit".
• Selecting 'List All Forwards' from the main menu lists all forwards on the system.
• The 'Group', 'From' and 'To' data are displayed along with a 'delete' and 'edit' icon.
• Here, and in fact, anywhere in DBMA you see either 'edit' or 'forward' options attached to an email address, you have the opportunity to redirect mail for that address anywhere. You can even convert the forward back to an alias for any account. Make sure that you have the "From" address correctly entered -- DBMA validates on the basis of the alias ID number and will send you back to the start if there is no match on the system. Next, you can enter a username, a user ID number or an email address as the recipient ("Forward to:"). DBMA will check if the user number or name exists on the system and give you a final option to edit your entry before commiting. (Be careful using external forwards. Check if the recipient mail server's DNS (SPF etc) indicates acceptance or rejection of mail forwarded in this manner.)

Now that you have read a little, try out your new administrative skills on the Demo.