Special Considerations
Configuring E-Mail on Instant Capacity Systems
Sendmail
sendmail is the application used by the Instant Capacity software to send encrypted mail messages from your system to HP. The sendmail daemon, if running, can also be used to receive e-mail. For the purposes of this e-mail configuration, only the ability to send e-mail is required.
Mail applications invoke sendmail to send e-mail. The configuration file, /etc/mail/sendmail.cf, offers tremendous flexibility.
Overview of E-mail Routing Across the Internet
When sendmail is invoked by the Instant Capacity software to send e-mail to HP, sendmail determines where it should initially send the e-mail (the first hop). Mail often goes through multiple systems (hops) before it reaches the final destination. To determine the first hop for the e-mail, sendmail uses one of the following:
•The e-mail is routed to a mail relay host if it is configured in the /etc/mail/sendmail.cf configuration file. This is the easiest implementation and can be done with just a one line change (DS) to the default /etc/mail/sendmail.cf file.
Note that the relay host must be configured to properly route (forward) the mail to the final destination.
•DNS MX records - this method requires that the Instant Capacity system be in an environment (network) where DNS (Domain Name Server) is operating and properly configured. sendmail on the system queries a DNS server for the name of the mail server to forward the e-mail to (for the first hop) in order for the e-mail to reach the final destination (hp.com).
In all cases, the following requirements must be met:
•HP’s mail servers receiving mail expect the host (the mail server in the last hop before reaching HP) to be properly registered in DNS. Otherwise the HP mail server rejects or “bounces” the e-mail.
•The 'From' field (e-mail address) in the e-mail message must be known by the receiving mail server (that is, the hostname is registered in DNS and advertised on the internet). Otherwise, the receiving mail server at HP rejects the mail. This field in the e-mail can be configured with a simple one line modification (DM) to the
/etc/mail/sendmail.cf file.
