Hey Everyone,
Been running into some Mail QOS issues and looking for some feedback on how others are using it - and to discuss any best practices, if they exist.
I had Mail Server QOS monitors set up and working OK in VSA-integrated KNM 4.1. We set up unique accounts at Gmail and on our client's local servers to test mail flow in either direction - in other words, with Google as SMTP to our local POP, and with local SMTP to Google POP. This way, mail flow was tested in both directions and it included our entire mail loop:
- Mail from Google Account -> through Barracuda Cloud Protection Layer -> to Barracuda device -> to local Exchange/ POP server. We called this "Mail QOS Inbound."
- Mail from Exchange/ local server -> out through Barracuda smart host or using DNS MX records -> to Google servers for POP pickup. We called this "Mail QOS Outbound."
With this setup, it was actually pretty noisy as there seemed to always be a delay or an empty mailbox that would alarm the KNM monitor. I can't claim to have fully realized my dream of reliable end-to-end mail flow monitoring, as there was just too much noise. But the idea is extremely promising and a great thing to communicate to a client.
However, I've upgraded to KNM 5 standalone and I am having a ton of trouble with mail server authentication and relay. Even though I authenticate SMTP with a Gmail account to Google, it doesn't like my local email address and won't relay messages. I'm having a lot of the same difficulty with local server relay to Google.
Our credentials are set correctly and authentication appears to work but some piece of the mechanism isn't working as easily as it used to. Having said all that, my questions are as follows:
- How are other people using Mail Server QOS monitors? Inbound? Outbound? Are you using this monitor at all?
- Are you using Gmail or another hosted mail service? (Or do you have your own server somewhere else?)
- We want to test the whole mail loop - is this the way it is supposed to be configured? I find less value in using the same mail server for SMTP and POP.
- Has anyone successfully gotten the situation I described above to work with Google and their local server?
Happy to open a support ticket to resolve the authentication and relay issues if I need to, but I don't see many involved Mail QOS discussions in the forum and I am really curious to hear what others are up to.
Appreciate your time and feedback!
Thanks,
Kerry