For instance if your database was set up as follows:

Your DSN that points to the SQL database: IMailDataSource The database that contains the table with the mail users: MailUsersDB A valid user with read/write access to the database or at least the table in the DB: WebMess The password for this user account: WMpassword

Then the entry for "ODBC System Datasource Name" would be: "IMailDataSource;UID=WebMess;PWD=WMpassword;DB=MailUsersDB"

Technically, this is a connection string, not a DSN. As a security measure, it would be a good idea to set up a special SQL user with limited permissions and use this in your connection string. Two reasons, first, IMAIL could (theoretically) run amok and trash your entire Database if the user supplied had unlimited rights (highly doubtful, but why risk it). Second, if you use an account that other people can log in with, then they will have access to your external IMAIL DB via the same account. Or even worse, a "curious" IMAIL admin could find this password and use this account. Limiting the account to just the IMAIL table will prevent any other data on the server from becoming accessible to someone who can see this log in info and use it to their own end.

Paranoid? Not really. Just security concious.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Len Conrad" <lconrad@go2france.com> To: <IMail_Forum@list.ipswitch.com> Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 8:33 PM Subject: Re: [IMail Forum] ==>>Use SQL Server 7 database for userauthentication?

> > >Hello All, > > Is it possible to use SQL Server 7 as the external > >database in imail to store the user list? If anyone > >has done this can you guide me with this? > >Regards, > >Imran. > > unsupported by ipswitch, but many people report success using this ODBC driver: > > http://home.att.net/~niceman/ > > > Len > > > > >