Managing Email - cPanel and MS Exchange 2003

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ajobbins

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#20704 3-Apr-2008 16:42

I currently have several domain name for which I am managing the email and webs for on a Linux box via cPanel (I lease some server space from an Auckland based host on an Auckland based server).

What I am wanting to do is have it so that the main for the domains comes to an Exchange Server 2003 box first, and if for some reason that server is down it fails over to the cPanel box.

There are settings for MX records in cPanel but I am not quite sure what to set them to. I want the DNS for the domain to continue to be handled by the cPanel server as this is very stable and has redundancy.

Can someone offer any tips on how to configure this? I koow cPanel well but an new to Exchange.

sleemanj

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#120885 3-Apr-2008 21:23

There are settings for MX records in cPanel but I am not quite sure what to set them to. I want the DNS for the domain to continue to be handled by the cPanel server as this is very stable and has redundancy.

You need two MX's in the domains zonefile (do it in WHM, or manually, whatever). Set priority for the exchange MX to 10, the priority for the failover (cpanel) MX to 20. How you later get the mail from the failover to the exchange when it comes back is up to you (you could perhaps simply get the exchange server to grab it via pop from the failover and redeliver it).

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James Sleeman
I sell lots of stuff for electronic enthusiasts...

Ellipsis

142 posts

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#122407 9-Apr-2008 20:41

Oh. I have the exact same thing on my server. I have small business with pop connector though..

Simonm

181 posts

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#129209 7-May-2008 18:56

James has it correct, use MX priorities.

Be aware that some outgoing mail servers (and commonly spammers) may not follow your priorities, but instead send to which ever MX record they want.

ajobbins

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#129285 8-May-2008 08:18

Thanks guys. I have this working well with the MX records

slotherby

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#131627 18-May-2008 18:14

How do you get your mail from your secondary server back into Exchange?

ajobbins

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#131662 18-May-2008 21:56

I've only had to do it once, but I simply download from the POP3 into outlook, and store it in the exchange mailbox. Its only me using the server ATM. Once more users on will look at a better approach.