Online Backup - Email Notifications

Online Backup - Email Notifications

SecuriData’s Online Backup service can be configured to send e-mail notifications in the event of a critical backup failure, allowing an Administrator to react instantly to such failures. In addition, the online backup service can regularly mail out a summary of backup activities.

SecuriData online backup notifications can be either SMTP or MAPI

SecuriData Online Backup - Email Notifications

Restrictions

The delivery of notifications is provided by 3rd-party mail clients installed on the SecuriData Online Backup Service host computer and registered with the Windows Messaging Subsystem (MAPI). By design, MAPI and most mail clients cause their client applications to pop up dialog boxes to interact with a user. Because SecuriData’s online backup is unattended service software, it would hang if it displays a dialog. Therefore, SecuriData will only use compatible mail clients known to never display a user interface. Such mail clients are listed in the order of preference in the Registry value

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\DS-Client\Parameters]
MailClientsSupported

The entry for Microsoft Outlook is added to this list by the SecuriData Client Setup. SecuriData’s Online Backup service will use the first MailClientsSupported entry installed on the computer, i.e. listed under

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Clients\Mail]

Note that SecuriData’s Online Backup Service is not compatible with the Outlook Express mail client.

Restrictions Specific to Windows NT / 2000 / XP

The normal procedure for sending e-mail in Windows is as follows. The client application places the message in the Outbox of a message store provider, the latter notifies the MAPI Spooler, the Spooler dispatches the message to the appropriate transport provider based on message recipients and, finally, the transport provider takes over message delivery.

Since Microsoft overlooked security and identity issues in designing the MAPI Spooler, it cannot properly work with client applications that are services. For instance, the Spooler may not be able to access Mail Profiles due to incorrect security context, and may not receive new message notifications from a message store provider by way of window messages (every service runs in its own virtual desktop and window messages do not propagate between desktops). Because SecuriData Online Backup runs as a service on Windows NT / 2000 / XP, it must not use the MAPI Spooler. This means SecuriData’s Online Backup Service notifications will forever remain in the Outbox of the message store provider unless the latter is tightly coupled to a transport provider, so that the two can work out between themselves how to send the message without the intervention of the MAPI Spooler.

At this time, only the Microsoft Exchange Server mail client is known to offer tightly coupled message store and transport.

You can specify the message store and transport to be used by SecuriData’s Online Backup Service by creating a Mail Profile (see next section) and selecting it in DS-User Configuration.

To use SecuriData with non-tightly coupled transports, such as Internet Mail, you can force SecuriData’s online backup service to use the MAPI Spooler by setting the Registry value

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ DS-Client \ Parameters]
MailUsingSpooler

to a nonzero DWORD value. Keep in mind that such use is not supported by Windows NT architecture and errors are bound to ensue.

Make sure no other MAPI client applications are executed on the online backup service host computer.

How to Create a Mail Profile for SecuriData Online Backup Service

1. Have a mail account created on the mail server for use by SecuriData’s Online Backup Service.

2. Login to the Online Backup Service host computer using the “online backup service account”.

If the online backup host computer is running Windows NT / 2000 / XP, it is the account found in the Services Control Panel for online backup service. Don't forget to select the correct domain when logging in.

3. While logged in with the online backup service account, install your mail client (if not already installed) and use it to create a new (or edit an existing) Mail Profile.

a. Add to the Mail Profile a messaging service that includes a tightly coupled message store and transport, such as Microsoft Exchange Server, and configure this messaging service to use the mail account created in step 1;

b. Specify a message store added in 3.a as the default message store;

c. Move transports added in 3.a to the top of the transport order;

d. Specify the default address book of your choice;

e. Save the Mail Profile, start a mail application, configure it to use the Profile just created and proceed to send a test message.

Once you have successfully tested your Mail Profile, you may configure the online backup service to use it. (See Help > User Guide: Notification Tab).

Notes - SecuriData strongly recommends using SMTP notifications.