How to Configure the SMTP Resource on a Windows 2000-Based Server Cluster (280400)

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Part 1: Set Up the SMTP Resource for Clustering

In clustering, a node is a system that has a working installation of Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and the Cluster service. You can create a new virtual server on your nodes for clustering, rather than re-configuring your default SMTP virtual server.

Before performing the steps listed in this article, you need to configure IIS 5.0 so that it is set up as a cluster resource, as described in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: After you configure IIS as a cluster resource, you are then ready to set up an SMTP resource on the cluster.

Part 2: Set Up the SMTP Virtual Server for Clustering

1. Ensure that SMTP Service is installed on both cluster nodes:
   1. Click Start, Click Control Panel, and then click Add/Remove Programs.
   2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components, and then verify that SMTP Service is listed under Internet Information Services.
2. Make sure to configure the SMTP service to start manually, and that it is using the local system account. You can confirm this at the following location:
   
   
   1. Click Start, Click Programs, Click Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
   2. Double click Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP), and then on the General tab, set Startup Type to Manual.
   3. On the Log On tab, select the Local System account setting, and then repeat for both nodes.
   IMPORTANT: From here on out, complete these steps from a single-node. When you have finished, you will run the IIS Synchronization command, to synchronize all IIS information on your node with the other nodes in the server cluster.
3. Right-click My Computer on the desktop, click Manage, expand Services and Applications in the left pane, and then expand Internet Information Services.
4. Right-click the default SMTP virtual server, click Properties, and then, on the General tab, click Advanced.
5. Under IP address, double-click (All Unassigned).
6. In the Identification dialog box, change TCP Port from the default number, "25". Any unassigned port works. It is important to change this port number to avoid conflict with the new SMTP virtual server that you will be creating for clustering. Type in the new port number (such as "20", making sure that it is unique), and then click OK.
7. Create a new SMTP virtual server:
   1. Right-click Internet Information Services in the left pane, click New, and then click SMTP Virtual Server.
   2. When you get to the Select Home Directory, and Default Domain screen of the New SMTP Virtual Server Wizard, be sure to type paths to the shared resource to be used in clustering, and not to a local hard drive. In Select IP Address, use the default (All Unassigned). In Select Default Domain, type the name of your domain.
8. After you create the new SMTP virtual server, you may have to manually start this new SMTP Virtual Server from within the Services item. Make sure to use the default TCP port on the new virtual server, port 25.
9. Start Cluster Administrator. Follow the wizard, and associate a resource type to the new SMTP virtual server.
   1. In Cluster Administrator, select the group that contains Internet Information Server, right-click Internet Information Server in the left pane, click New, and then click Resource.
   2. Click SMTP Server Instance from the Resource type list, type a descriptive name in the Name box (this is used for cluster administration purposes only), and then click Next.
   3. Make sure that all nodes are listed under Possible Owners, and then click Next.
   4. In the Dependencies dialog box, add IIS Server, as well as the physical disk, network name, and the IP address resources from the IIS group.
   5. In the Parameters dialog box, be sure to select your new SMTP virtual server from the list, and not the default SMTP virtual server.Click Finish.
      
      NOTE: Fore more information about the Cluster Administrator, refer to your Windows 2000 Advanced Server documentation.
10. Run the IIS Synchronization command to synchronize all IIS information on your node with the other nodes in the server cluster:
    1. At a command prompt, go to the \WINNT\System32\Inetsrv folder on your node, and then type iissync servername, where servername is another node in the server cluster. See your IIS documentation for more information on the IIS Synchronization command.
       
       NOTE: After you synchronize the server cluster nodes, you may still have to check the TCP port numbers on your newly created SMTP virtual server as well as on the default virtual server. Specifically, when you are viewing your local node from other nodes in the server cluster, make sure that the TCP port settings are identical to those on the local node. On all nodes, the default SMTP virtual server should no longer be pointing to the default port (25), while the new SMTP virtual server should be assigned port 25. Settings must be identical on every node for clustering to work.