Re: Newbie to Exchange needs MX record info

I still don't get it, I took the cname records out for mail and set my mx
records to
pri=0 mail1.tektoneco.net
pri=10 mail.tektoneco.net
yet dnsreport doesn't like this at all, says thoses addressess resolve to
0.0.0.0, which I gues they should since we have no cname record for
mail.tektoneco.net. I am still confused on what the Exchange mail server URL
is. I would guess it must be xxxx.mydomain.com, so what is xxx using the
default SBS2003 setup.
Or otherwise where is the mailserver name determined by exchange.

Take a look at our domain tektoneco.net , right now it is very difficult for
me to make changes to the NS records as the owner want's me to go through him
on any changes to the domain. I have full control over the server.

I need to sit down and go through some basic Exchange documentation and/or
tutorials, but right now, it's almost all working, just this silly MX record
problem.
--
Gary Demi
Software & Communication Concepts, Inc.
Microsoft Registered Partner
Houston, & Phoenix



"Al Mulnick" wrote:

> CNAME records are discouraged from being used for mail handling.
> A records and MX records are the preferred method.
>
> Create an MX record for your domain, and whatever the A record is, it is.
>
> As for the ISP's, each one will vary. There is no value in checking to see
> if the sending host has an MX record as far as I'm concerned. SPF values
> are worse then worthless IMHO as they allow a spammer to publish and then in
> practice, many hosts would allow bypassing of normal checks.
>
> Some ISP's do reverse lookup on the host to see if it belongs to the domain
> that's sending. That's accomplished with a PTR record. You *should*
> configure a PTR record for your sending host.
>
> Can you post some of the NDR's you get for delivery if that doesn't clear
> some of your issues up and the recipient domain ISP name?
>
> Al
>
> "Gary Demi" <GaryDemi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:451DB892-823C-49EF-8569-A0C9CE761FA1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Thanks for the info.
> > I already have an 'A' record, it consists of @ and my IP address this
> > works
> > fine for http, https and ftp access (with associated CNAME records)
> >
> > For Exchange Mail 2003 As I understand It,
> > I create a 'Cname' record such as alias=mail , points to @ , ttl=3600
> > then the MX record
> > PRI=0, HOST=@
> >
> > This will allow other mail handlers to deliver mail to Exchange using
> > anybody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (actual domain removed).)
> >
> > Wil this also fix the problem of bounced outgoing mail, as apparently many
> > ISP's we send mail to apparently check to see if I am sending mail from a
> > legit domain?
> >
> >
> > Gary Demi
> > Software & Communication Concepts, Inc.
> > Microsoft Registered Partner
> > Houston, & Phoenix
> >
> >
> >
> > "Al Mulnick" wrote:
> >
> >> The help file that comes with Exchange would be appropriate. Search SMTP
> >> and
> >> or Internet.
> >>
> >> MX records are not "required" per se to deliver mail per RFC. However, it
> >> is
> >> a best practice to have one that designates the mail handler for your
> >> domain. This is accomplished by designating a host as a mail handler (MX
> >> is
> >> the designation for mail handler in DNS terms.)
> >>
> >> It is a best practice to designate a MX record that specifies a host by
> >> it's
> >> A record vs. any other type of record. During a SMTP transaction, the MTA
> >> (mail transfer agent) will receive a message. It will determine where to
> >> deliver that message and if it determines that message to be a remote
> >> MTA,
> >> it will then look at it's routing table to figure out if it knows how to
> >> contact that responsible MTA. If it doesn't have a specific route, it
> >> will
> >> then look to DNS and specifically will look for a MX record that
> >> specifies
> >> the mail handler for that domain (domain here is everything to the right
> >> of
> >> "@" in the address.) If an MX record does not exist, the MTA will look
> >> for
> >> an A record. If that doesn't exist, it will fail the delivery and return
> >> a
> >> non-delivery receipt (NDR). If an MX record does exist, it should
> >> reference
> >> an A record. Once that A record is discovered, it will be queried for
> >> it's
> >> IP address and a conversation will be started between the MTA's via the
> >> well
> >> known SMTP port, TCP 25. Messages will then be transferred and the
> >> recipient
> >> MTA will become responsible for the next step of delivery.
> >>
> >> Basically, that's how it works. Daniel Petri seems to have taken the
> >> time
> >> to explain it as well.
> >> http://www.petri.co.il/configure_mx_records_for_incoming_smtp_email_traffic.htm
> >>
> >> Having more than one MX record is done because the way SMTP mail works,
> >> it
> >> will try the lowest weighted (preferred) mail handler first. If it
> >> receives
> >> an error (depends on the error type), the sending MTA should then try to
> >> send to the next mailer listed. This provides some level of failure
> >> tolerance because you can have multiple hosts that receive mail for your
> >> domain. Should one be out of service, the other should pick up the
> >> slack.
> >> It's not a requirement.
> >>
> >> Typically, your ISP will offer queuing services. If your host should be
> >> down, they'll accept mail for your domain until you come back on-line at
> >> which time they'll dump the queued messages to your mailer. So in
> >> practice,
> >> you'll often see records that look like:
> >>
> >> yourdomain.net MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = smtp.yourdomain.net
> >> yourdomain.net MX preference = 50, mail exchanger = SMTP.yourISP.net
> >>
> >> Which would typically send mail destined for your domain to
> >> smtp.yourdomain.net. However, if that server were unavailable, a sending
> >> host would try to send the mail to the other server, SMTP.yourISP.net.
> >> When
> >> smtp.yourdomain.net came back into service, it would then receive the
> >> queued
> >> messages from the ISP MTA, SMTP.yourISP.net.
> >>
> >> One caveat to be aware of, is that some admins have configured their
> >> hosts
> >> to look for reverse DNS records as a way to reduce spam. I don't
> >> consider
> >> this effective, but that's my opinion. The reason I don't, is because I
> >> can
> >> have a sending host that is not also a receiving a host and therefore I
> >> wouldn't have a corresponding MX record. To have the sending and
> >> receiving
> >> host be the same, is more often done in smaller IT shops vs. the larger
> >> and
> >> global shops. By RFC, I am not required to have an MX record for a host
> >> that
> >> is sending only nor would I want to as there would be no path for that
> >> mail
> >> handler to ever deliver a message. A PTR record is a good idea for your
> >> sending host for the same reason. While not required, it is a good idea
> >> to
> >> more reliably transfer messages with your customers because some hosts
> >> are
> >> configured to check for a reverse lookup when receiving a message from
> >> your
> >> domain. Same goes with SPF records (you may want one); I don't spf
> >> records
> >> as effective nor desirable, but what do I know? ;)
> >>
> >>
> >> Does that help?
> >>
> >> Al
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> "Gary Demi" <GaryDemi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> >> news:1067F097-FA48-4B5F-97D3-5F0957549B12@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> >I thought two MX records where required. The MX records should read
> >> >something
> >> > liklike mail.yourdomain.com or smtp.yourdomain.com (what prefix does
> >> > Exchange
> >> > use, and what help file are you referring to?
> >> >
> >> > Thanks
> >> > --
> >> > Gary Demi
> >> > Software & Communication Concepts, Inc.
> >> > Microsoft Registered Partner
> >> > Houston, & Phoenix
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > "Al Mulnick" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Two MX resource records?
> >> >>
> >> >> MX resource records are used to designate mail handlers for your
> >> >> domain.
> >> >> The A RR is the host name, and the MX references the A.
> >> >>
> >> >> If you have the A already, you would have your lowest priority MX
> >> >> record
> >> >> specify the A record as the mail handler. You may also want a reverse
> >> >> PTR
> >> >> (some domains check this record when receiving mail from you), but
> >> >> that's
> >> >> up
> >> >> to you. The higher priority record, if you specify one, would
> >> >> typically
> >> >> be
> >> >> for a backup mail handler such as might be provided by your ISP.
> >> >>
> >> >> Check out the help files for more information regarding MX and A
> >> >> records
> >> >> and
> >> >> how to set this up. I believe it has mail flow pictures in there if
> >> >> that's
> >> >> helpful.
> >> >>
> >> >> Al
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> "Gary Demi" <GaryDemi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> >> >> news:9DEFC442-1929-4252-A261-BE4FFCA4A901@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> >> > We are running SBS2003 premium and starting to use exchange. Right
> >> >> > now
> >> >> > we
> >> >> > are
> >> >> > running one NIC behind a NAT router.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > We have access to the DNS records on out nameserver through ouw
> >> >> > domain
> >> >> > registrar.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > We have a public domain name pointing to the SBS2003 computer (via
> >> >> > the
> >> >> > A
> >> >> > record). To what URL do we point the two MX records (pri=0 &
> >> >> > pri-10)
> >> >> > so
> >> >> > that
> >> >> > Exchange Server is recognized as a mail server.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > A link to the the appropriate setup docs would be nice.
> >> >> > --
> >> >> > Gary Demi
> >> >> > Software & Communication Concepts, Inc.
> >> >> > Microsoft Registered Partner
> >> >> > Houston, & Phoenix
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>
.

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