With Windows 95, you can support all the users in your workgroup on a single Microsoft Mail postoffice. Performance will vary depending on your postoffice computer, but for best results, no more than 50 users should be supported by this postoffice. If your organization grows larger, you can upgrade your postoffice to a full Microsoft Mail Server postoffice by installing the Microsoft Mail PostOffice Upgrade product.
The Windows 95 Workgroup Postoffice and the full Microsoft Mail Server postoffices are nearly identical, except for the following:
No executable files or Help files are in the workgroup postoffice structure. Microsoft Mail Server does include these files in its postoffice.
The postoffice in Windows 95 doesn't support connections to external postoffices or gateways.
Microsoft Mail Server includes an ADMIN account not created in Windows 95 mail.
Default ADMIN.TPL and ADMIN.INF files are created in Microsoft Mail Server to add the predefined extended user information in the workgroup postoffice structure.
Microsoft Mail Server includes an administration utility (ADMIN.EXE) that is used to administer and configure the postoffice from any workstation on the network.
Microsoft Mail Server includes support files for external postoffice mail transfer through a network or modem. Windows 95 mail does not.
Microsoft Mail Server includes a routing program, EXTERNAL.EXE, that routes mail between multiple postoffices and gateways.
Microsoft Mail Server includes client software for the Windows 3.1, MS-DOS®, and Macintosh® operating systems. Windows 95 does not.
You can upgrade your Windows 95 postoffice to a full Microsoft Mail Server postoffice by using the Microsoft Mail Postoffice Upgrade product. The upgrade package includes software, documentation, and licensing to extend the connectivity of your workgroup. It includes the following software components:
Software to upgrade your workgroup postoffice to a full Microsoft Mail Server postoffice.
Additional server software:
Advanced administration tools, including tools for routing, directory synchronization, network group names, user access privileges, mail log files, and deleting old mail and old Microsoft Mail accounts.
The Message Transfer Agent (external) component, which provides the process to connect postoffices (with a physical or asynchronous link) and the platform for remote access.
Windows 3.1, MS-DOS, Macintosh, and OS/2® Mail client software for people on your network who may not use Windows 95.
To route mail between multiple postoffices:
Purchase the Microsoft Mail Postoffice Upgrade for each workgroup postoffice you want to connect, and then follow the detailed directions that come with the Microsoft Mail Postoffice Upgrade.
Set up a dedicated MS-DOS–based machine to act as the "router." It will be running the EXTERNAL.EXE program included in the Postoffice Upgrade. Note that this MS-DOS–based computer needs networking software to connect to your postoffice servers. If the postoffices are stored on computers running Windows 95 or the Microsoft Windows NT™ operating system, then the MS-DOS–based computer needs a copy of Microsoft Windows® for Workgroups Add-On operating system upgrade for MS-DOS. If your postoffices are on Novell NetWare® servers, then your MS-DOS–based computer needs Novell client software for MS-DOS.
If the postoffices are not on the same LAN, then you need a dedicated MS-DOS computer to run EXTERNAL in each site, plus a modem for communicating to the other sites. Note that Microsoft also offers versions of EXTERNAL that run on OS/2 or Windows NT–based servers as an option.