Server-side Concerns:

• Software Requirements & Platform Support
• Platform Performance/Resource Usage
• Virtual Support
• Security Support
• Session Management
• Protocol Support
• Configurability

Server Script

1. Assemble component software, compile and configure on Windows NT, Linux, Tru64 UNIX, Solaris with IIS, Apache, Netscape Enterprise/Fastrack, or proprietary server.
   1. Was any trouble encountered with the install?
   2. Did you compile or did it come with precompiled binaries?
   3. Was any software involved that excludes it from consideration?
   4. Was there any difficulty encountered in the base level configuration and launch of the software?
   5. How was the documentation on the installation procedure?
   6. Did you see any obvious security holes in the setup of the product?
2. Log on to the administrative console and configure support for a single server instance.
   1. Is the console web-based, terminal-based or both?
   2. Was the console intuitive and complete? Was it necessary to do custom configuration on a lower level?
   3. Any conflict with other processes on system?
3. Start a client session and check to see that everything is in working order
   1. Monitor system logs and software error logs for imapd/mail/software errors.
   2. Monitor system load levels.
   3. How exactly is the product allocating resources?
      1. Was it a CGI-based product?
      2. Was it integrated into the webserver on any level?
   4. Send mail and attachments, retrieve mail and attachments, delete mail, move messages, forward, etc. and check for errors.
4. Configure the server with multiple servers instances.
   1. How difficult was this?
   2. Was this within the supported configuration parameters or did you have to do additional work?

5. What security protocols does product support?
   1. Kerberos V4 or V5
   2. SSL
   3. SMTP Authentication
6. How does it store user data such as addressbooks, preferences, productivity information, etc.?
   1. Database? If so, what db products does it support.
   2. Flat file?
   3. None?
   4. Can the data be stored elsewhere (LDAP, e.g.)?
7. What type of session does the product use?
   1. Cookies? If so, can you manage cookies configuration in administrative console?
   2. Tokens/Tickets? If so, custom-based or standards-based?
8. Does the product support POP3 and/or IMAP?
   1. If yes to POP3, how does it support POP3?
      1. Is the use of POP3 a server specific configuration option or a user preference?
      2. If the POP server has been configured to retain the POP_DROP file, is the file retained?
   2. If yes to IMAP, how does it support IMAP?
      1. How does it support IMAP preferences like purging, deletion, folder creation, deletion and subscription and manipulation of messages between folders?
      2. Does it let you configure a default subdirectory in the user's folder to store message folders in?
      3. How is accouting information stored?
9. Can the administrator customize the user interface (banners, graphics, etc.)?
   1. Was the product intended to be customized?
   2. How difficult/easy is it to do this?
   3. Is it written in HTML or does it use some other scripting language?
10. Is source code available?
    1. If yes, how difficult is it to patch code?
11. What other features are supported that have not already been noted in our comments on the product?