Setup/configure CoolSpools SMTP Email Server

CoolSpools V7R1 (and CoolSpools V6R1 with an up-to-date fix pack) provides its own SMTP engine. This is easier to configure and support than using IBM's SMTP engine with MSF.

The CoolSpools SMTP engine can be used to send emails directly (if your iSeries is connected to the internet) or can be used to relay messages via your on-premise mail server (e.g. Exchange or Domino).  You can also use CoolSpools to send mail via cloud based email services such as Office 365.

This article gives an overview of how to setup / configure CoolSpools SMTP. It details the values required to get it up and running for a full explanation please refer to the CoolSpools Email User Guide.

With COOLSPV7R1 in your library list.

1. Enter GO COOLMENU. The CoolSpools Main menu is displayed.

2. Take option 3. The Email Menu is displayed.

3. Set the default email delivery method to CoolSpools SMTP by taking option 44.  An environment variable is created/updated.

4. Take option 42 (Manage CoolSpools email sent via CoolSpools SMTP)

5. On the SMTPEMAIL menu, use option 1 to Configure CoolSpools SMTP Server.

6. On the Configure CoolSpools SMTP (CFGSMTPSVR) command parameter screen,

-  Press F9 to display all parameters and page down 2 screens.

- In the 'Mail server name or IP address' (MAILSERVER) parameter specify the name or IP address of a mail server via which emails should be sent and If required enter the port to use when connecting to the mail server.

Note:

a) If a value of *NONE is entered no mail server or router is to be used, Emails will be delivered by communicating directly with the target email server.        
b) You must ensure that the mail server or router has been configured to allow emails from the local system to be relayed through it.
c) Where a mail server name is specified, you must ensure that the iSeries can translate that name into an IP address either by means of a Domain Name Server (DNS) server or a local host table entry (CFGTCP option 10).

- if the specified Mail server requires authentication to communicate, enter:

Authentication method to be used in 'Server authentication' (SVRAUTH) parameter.

Server login user and password in 'Server login' (SVRLOGIN) parameter.

Note:  The command blanks the password each time the command is prompted. This is for security reasons, it prevents a user prompting the command and seeing the password. Each time the command is prompted you should re-enter the password.

- When you are ready with Press ENTER.

7. Take option 11. (Start CoolSpools SMTP Server)

CoolSpools SMTP Server is now ready.

8. Test the setup

- To send a test email to yourself:

SNDCMNMSG TO((your_email_address))
          SUBJECT('CoolSpools Email Test')
          MSG('Test Message Text')

- Check the status of the email. Take menu option 23 (Work with CoolSpools SMTP emails - all statuses)

If the Status is ERROR, select the email with option 8 (log) which displays the detailed processing log for this email. This can be helpful in identifying any problems that need to be resolved. 

It is important that to note that if changes are made to the configuration they will not take effect until CoolSpools SMTP Server is ended using menu option 12 and re-started with menu option 11.