Sending email to an Exchange Server

[Frank]

I think I've confused myself completely here

I have used System.Web.Mail, but am not sure if this works with Exchange Server 5.5. I asked the client if they're email server supported SMTP, and got the following reply (exact quote):


Exchange 5.5 uses IMS connector for communication between the internal and the external world. IMS is based on SMTP Protocol.

For mail flow within the organization Exchange 5.5 uses Message Transfer Agent.



Does this mean that SMTP is not used on their internal LAN, and I can't use System.Web.Mail?

And if not, how do I send emails from within a stand alone VB.Net application?

BTW, the computer running the VB.Net program is Windows 2000 Pro and will NOT have Outlook installed.

Regards,
Frank

 

[DC]

Frank:

In the case of WebForms, SMTP email sending is a piece of cake, since it
relies on the server SMTP services being available.

On client WinForms, however, you have to do more work. If you use SMTP
(using System.Web.Mail) then you are forced to rely on SMTP services running
on each client, which will not be available in most cases.

If the computer does NOT have Outlook installed, you will not be able to use
Exchange, though. From my experience with Outlook and Exchange 5.5 - you
will need to log into an Outlook profile in order to create mail objects. If
the Exchange server is not available (which it wont because Outlook isnt
installed and a profile wont be created on the client), you wont be able to
call the Login method and pass it the necessary profile data. You dont HAVE
to specify a profile when you login - if you leave the Profile name blank it
uses the default profile on the client, but this still requires a profile be
present.

Sending email requires SOME kind of protocol. If Outlook isnt available,
perhaps you can connect to an SMTP server elsewhere, but this most certainly
prevents you from using Exchange to do things like save sent messages, for
example.

"Frank" <frank2003AToptusnetDOTcomDOTau> wrote in message

I think I've confused myself completely here

I have used System.Web.Mail, but am not sure if this works with Exchange
Server 5.5. I asked the client if they're email server supported SMTP, and
got the following reply (exact quote):


Exchange 5.5 uses IMS connector for communication between the internal and
the external world. IMS is based on SMTP Protocol.

For mail flow within the organization Exchange 5.5 uses Message Transfer
Agent.



Does this mean that SMTP is not used on their internal LAN, and I can't use
System.Web.Mail?

And if not, how do I send emails from within a stand alone VB.Net
application?

BTW, the computer running the VB.Net program is Windows 2000 Pro and will
NOT have Outlook installed.

Regards,
Frank

 

[Frank]

If the computer does NOT have Outlook installed, you will not be able to use
Exchange, though. From my experience with Outlook and Exchange 5.5 - you
will need to log into an Outlook profile in order to create mail objects. If
the Exchange server is not available (which it wont because Outlook isnt
installed and a profile wont be created on the client), you wont be able to
call the Login method and pass it the necessary profile data. You dont HAVE
to specify a profile when you login - if you leave the Profile name blank it
uses the default profile on the client, but this still requires a profile be
present.

So basically if I can't get access to a SMTP server, (and therefore can't use System.Web.Mail), then my only other option is to have a copy of Outlook installed on the machine so as to be able to send emails via an Exchange Server.

But if I automate Outlook, wont I end up tripping the security warnings? Kind of painful if your application is supposed to run un-attended!

Regards,
Frank

 

[lancer]

So basically if I can't get access to a SMTP server, (and therefore =can't use System.Web.Mail), then my only other option is to have a

copy = of

Outlook installed on the machine so as to be able to send

emails via = an Exchange Server.

But if I automate Outlook, wont I end up tripping the security
warnings? = Kind of painful if your application is supposed to run un-attended!

There are solutions that support queueing of messages - so
that if you cannot get a connection to an SMTP server you can queue the messages
to disk - and then send all of those queued messages whenever you are ready (and
can access the mail server). IP*Works! Is one of these
(http://www.nsoftware.com/products/showprod.aspx?part=IPN6-A).


Regards,
Lance R.
/n software
http://www.nsoftware.com/

-

 

[Frank]

There are solutions that support queueing of messages - so
that if you cannot get a connection to an SMTP server you can queue the messages
to disk - and then send all of those queued messages whenever you are ready (and
can access the mail server). IP*Works! Is one of these
(http://www.nsoftware.com/products/showprod.aspx?part=IPN6-A).

The problem here is I will never get access to a SMTP server.

After doing some searching around the web, it appears I could (might?) use CDO.

Is this possible in VB.Net with Exchange 5.5? If so, any pointers to some sample code?

Regards,
Frank