Information Systems:Mail flow

This page attempts to discuss mail flow rules and their business impact e.g. their desired function and the rationale behind their implementation.

A mechanism to set up "rules" specifying actions when certain criteria are met (i.e. matching certain message properties) is central to most mail server systems. In MDaemon, this is known as the Content Filter. In Exchange, there is a Rules section within Mail flow.

Noteworthy Mail Rules

Substitute Reply-to header for document distribution emails

Implemented in: MDaemon

Document distribution emails describe emails such as remittance advices, A/R statements, invoices (PDF copy), purchase orders etc. These stem from JetForm (ultimately ASW), or custom mailer scripts on Bart, and therefore use the generic email accounts unipharm@unipharm.com and uphadmin@unipharm.com. Recipients that then naturally hit reply in their client will unknowingly send to these email addresses, which are forwarded to IT.

The Content Filter rules that pertain to this policy work by looking for properties specific to these emails and then changing the Reply-To header. For example, in A/R statement, the subject always contains "AR STATEMENT" and a From: header of unipharm@unipharm.com. Replies to these emails should go to accountsreceivable@unipharm.com, and so the rule specifies this as the Reply-To.

Note that the rules avoid changing the From: header. This should not be modified (i.e. it should remain as unipharm@unipharm.com or uphadmin@unipharm.com), because recipients may have email rules in place to detect this, or more importantly, machine recipients (servers that accept PO emails) may already be set to only accept messages from these addresses. The Reply-To header is more appropriate as it is only implicated when replying to the message.

Include staff in shareholder correspondence

Implemented in: Exchange

When emails are sent to shareholder distribution lists, it is currently a "business rule" to BCC select staff members, with the intent being so that staff remain informed of any mass correspondence in the case they receive calls and questions regarding said correspondence. Rather than implement this business rule by including staff members in the distribution lists (which simply, is bad design), it is more apprporiate to institute a rule to achieve this same outcome. By doing this, you can also specify the senders to which this rule applies, because some senders that use distribution lists traditionally may intend to send only to recipients suggested by the list name (sending to shareholders should only go to shareholders, because the name of the list is...Shareholders!).

Exempt messages to email order addresses from most scanning

Implemented in: Exchange, MDaemon

There are still numerous shareholder stores (big ones at that) that use POS systems or versions of POS systems which transmit orders via email. These orders go to certain email addresses. Rules are set in both Exchange and MDaemon to relax/bypass the regular spam/threat scanning for messages intended for these addresses. The premise is that the priority of having these messages delivered trumps the low risk of impact from any email threats that are accepted. This is because the IBM i, where these messages eventually arrive, can't execute these threats anyway, and the i has demonstrated an admirably unwavering patience in dealing with unsolicited spam/bulk email.