Setting Up a Virtual Host Without an IP Address

If you use a virtual IMail domain without an IP Address, IMail Server assigns the virtual IP address. This method lets you have a virtual mail domain without an IP address. After you set up a virtual IMail domain, use an MX record in your DNS to point the virtual mail domain to a real IP address.

Important: Whether you use a real IP address or a virtual IP address, you need to make the proper DNS entries for your mail mail domain(s). If you use a virtual IP address, the MX record (in DNS) for the mail domain must point to a real IP address.

There are several limitations to a virtual IMail domain without an IP address:

• Users must log in to mail accounts on the mail domain by specifying their User ID as userid@virtualhost, where userid is the User ID and virtualhost is the host name. This associates the IMail Server with the correct virtual IMail domain.
• LDAP server does not work with virtual IMail domains that do not use an IP address.

When to use IP-less Virtual IMail Domains

Virtual IMail domains without IP addresses are recommended when you have a shortage of IP addresses or when you want to forward all mail for a domain to a user at another domain.

Example:

Your primary domain is called abracadabra.com. You want all mail that is sent to merlin.com to be forwarded to info@abracadabra.com. To accomplish this:

1. Set up a virtual IMail domain without an IP address for merlin.com and do not create any users for merlin.com.
2. Set up a nobody alias for merlin.com pointing to a user ID on abracadabra.com. All mail to any user at merlin.com is sent to the specified user at abracadabra.com (in this case, info@abracadabra.com).