Note:- The server will be slow
- It's being hosted on an old Pentium 4 with only 512MB of ram (Zimbra is designed for server hardware)
- It's connected via an ADSL modem with poor upload rates
- Up-time may fluctuate: Can't connect? Call me. I probably shut it off as no one uses it.
Advantages of a local E-mail server
- Data is not sitting out on 1and1’s systems
- More control over the
city’s data
- Email for the entire
city can be backed-up daily without downtime
- Higher access speed due to its internal location
- Less of a hassle to log on (no need to append
@cityofstmarys to user name)
- Security: Works with SSL to encrypt traffic to and from
server
- Migration: Emails on 1and1 accounts can be transferred
to the new Zimbra server
- Can be used to archive
email
- Silent Forwarded: can be used to backup all received
Email to prevent accidental deletion
- Large scale environments - expandable, scalable
- Great management front-end, managed locally
- Granular control over users,
passwords, Global Catalog, Distribution Lists
- It uses an intuitive web-based AJAX interface
- Leader in free email systems
- Open sourced (free)- the source code is available to
the programming community
- Frequently updated
- Large community to support it
Disadvantages of a local E-mail server
- Serious hardware or software fault result in no service:
“all eggs in one basket”
- Note that DNS entries
can be made back to 1and1 to prevent lost mail
- Network downtime can prevent service
- Statistically not a
common occurrence
- Spammers and other malicious attackers could be a
threat (server must be publically available on the Internet)
- Getting immediate software support for a specific
problem can be slow (open sourced community verses a commercial community)
- Note that the open
sourced community is large and highly active
