The Server Administration menu on the Toolbar gives you a variety of features for working on and maintaining your server and lists.
The Server Administration Dashboard provides important information about the server, the current version you are running vs. the latest available version, license information, anti-virus information, and technical support information.
To open the dashboard, click Server Administration, and then select
Server Dashboard.
The top part of the Server Administration Dashboard is divided into four sections, providing information and reports about your server, license, anti-virus protection, and technical support.
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Life Buoy – This icon is used if the Server Administrator has enabled technical support, making it easy and convenient to send requests to L-Soft support. Once you click on this icon, an email message opens. Enter any information describing your problem. Please be as detailed as possible.
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The Server Information section displays a list of all server administrators and information about the LISTSERV version that you are running. LISTSERV checks this information against a file on the L-Soft server, and if the information is out of date, then you are prompted to download the latest version. This information can also be viewed by running the "
RELEASE" command. (Note that the version check requires javascript to function.)
The License Information section displays your license type, expiration date, serial number, plus other pertinent information regarding your LISTSERV license. If your license is about to expire or has expired, then the orange or red icon will appear and you will need to update it.
The Anti-Virus Protection section shows whether or not the built-in F-Secure Anti-Virus protection is enabled. If your anti-virus protection is about to expire, or if it is not available, then the orange or red icon will appear and you will need to update it.
The Technical Support section shows whether or not the license includes technical support. If it does, the
Life Buoy icon is shown, making it easy and convenient to send requests to L-Soft support. Once you click on this icon, an email message opens with information already entered, including various server and license information. Enter any additional information describing your problem. Please be as detailed as possible. If support is not available, or if it is about to expire, then the red or orange icon will appear.
To add or remove columns from the table, click the Edit Table option. This option is a great way to customize the information shown in the table, making sure only the information you want to see is visible. If you customize the table, then your changes will be saved in your preferences and will be automatically loaded every time you log in.
The Site Configuration wizard allows server administrators to change the LISTSERV site configuration directly through the Web Interface. The configuration variables have been divided into 13 tabs according to their function.
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My Configuration – Shows the current LISTSERV configuration. To edit the configuration variables from this tab, simply click the Expand Configuration Variables option.
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Domain – Shows the most essential configuration options related to the LISTSERV domain and its setup.
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SMTP – Shows configuration options related to SMTP server connections and mail delivery.
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Distribute – Shows configuration options related to Distribute workers and Distribute jobs.
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DomainKeys – Shows DomainKeys options and allows you to enter a private key for DomainKeys.
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Web Interface – Shows configuration options related to the LISTSERV Web Interface.
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Anti-Spam – Shows configuration options related to spam filtering.
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Anti-Virus – Shows configuration options related to anti-virus protection.
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Logs and Errors – Shows configuration options related to logs and error handling.
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Optimization – Shows configuration variables that allow you to fine-tune LISTSERV's operations.
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Database – Shows DBMS-related configuration variables.
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Debug – Shows debugging options.
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License – Shows a summary of your license and allows you to enter a new License Activation Key.
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To update your site configuration, click on the tab of your choice and locate the configuration variables that you want to change. Use the applicable drop-down menus and text boxes to make your changes, and then click the
[Update] button.
Notes: To only show the configuration variables that are defined, simply click the
Show Only Currently Set Variables option.
Some changes require a reload or restart, in which case you will be prompted accordingly.
Clicking on an individual configuration variable brings out a screen with only that variable as well as a full description. If you know exactly which configuration variable you want to change, you can use the
Find or Add Configuration Variable field to search for it.
Note: Not all configuration variables are listed using "Basic Mode" or "Tutorial Mode". For more information on these settings, go to the General Preferences tab under
Preferences.
As spam filters become more and more aggressive, there is a growing risk for legitimate email to be blocked or relegated to spam folders. The Deliverability Assessment tool allows LISTSERV system administrators to determine whether mail originating from their LISTSERV server is likely to be delivered to its final destination based on various standardized mail certification schemas.
To open the deliverability tool, click Server Administration,
Site Configuration, and then select
Deliverability Assessment.
To access the deliverability for your LISTSERV site, enter the Host Name and the
IP Address from which mail will be sent, and then click
[Submit].
The Deliverability Assessment screen refreshes and your test results are displayed. Each test response is self-documented and, where appropriate, contains links to external resources describing the protocol in question. Test results are displayed with the
Green Shield with a Checkmark,
Red Triangle with an Exclamation Mark, and
Orange Diamond with an Exclamation Mark icons to help the administrator quickly identify problem areas.
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DomainKeys – Yahoo! is the most significant proponent of the DomainKeys system, which is a cryptographic authentication solution that adds signatures to email messages, allowing recipient sites to verify that the message was sent by an authorized sender and was not altered in transit. DomainKeys uses two keys, a public key and a private key, for this certification. The public key for the domain is stored in the DNS, and the corresponding private key is registered with LISTSERV. The Yahoo! Mail email service displays a notification for recipients showing users whether the mail is certified. Other email clients may have similar features. For more information about Yahoo! and DomainKeys, please refer to http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys.
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Sender Policy Framework (SPF) – Sender Policy Framework (also known as SPF) is an open DNS-based certification protocol used by recipient sites to verify that the originating IP address is authorized to send email for the domain name declared in the "MAIL FROM" line of the mail envelope. SPF is used to identify messages with forged "MAIL FROM" addresses. AOL and Pobox.Com are possibly the largest SPF users at this time. For more information about SPF, please refer to http://www.openspf.org/.
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Sender ID – Sender ID is a closed DNS-based certification protocol used to verify that the originating IP address is authorized to send email for the domain name declared in the visible "From" or "Sender" lines of the email message. Sender ID is used to prevent spoofing and to identify messages with visible domain names that have been forged. Sender ID is being backed by Microsoft primarily for its Hotmail and MSN services. For more information, please refer to http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/safety/technologies/senderid/default.mspx.
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Domain Name – This Interface also checks the DNS for the presence of A (address), MX (mail-exchanger), and PTR (reverse lookup) records for the host name being assessed. Many email providers require at least an A record, and many also require a PTR record, to certify that mail is actually originating from the host it claims to be coming from.
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There are three main types or styles of mailing lists, each with its own advantages for specialized use. Setting specific keywords to certain values and then editing various templates creates different types of mailing lists. The style of list will best determine the particular keywords and their settings in your list header. Your LISTSERV maintainer will be able to create a list based on the style you want or need. When requesting a new list, make sure you tell your LISTSERV maintainer what style of list you want. The three major types of lists are:
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One-Way Announcement Lists – The owner(s) and/or editor(s) of the list are the only people who are allowed to send messages to the subscribers. The communication flows one way – from the list administrators to the list subscribers. This type of list is primarily used for newsletters, product announcements, and dissemination of information that does not require feedback from the subscriber.
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Two-Way Discussion Lists – The list administrators and the list subscribers are both permitted to post messages to the list. The communication flows two ways - between the administrators and the subscribers, and back and forth between different subscribers. This type of list is primarily used for discussion groups engaged in the exchange of ideas and information centered on a specific topic.
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Moderated Lists – This type of discussion list has an editor or editors who review all incoming messages. The editor can then decide to allow the message to be sent to all the subscribers on the list, or not allow the message to be posted to the list. Moderated lists can be used to control the discussion by keeping off topic, inflammatory, or otherwise inappropriate messages from the reaching subscribers.
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There are other types of lists, for example you can use a list as an “auto-responder”. The three types listed here are the most common. See the
List Owner Manual for LISTSERV for more information on other list types.
One-way announcement lists or newsletters are types of lists where subscribers only receive information and do not interact with the other list members. This type of list is most commonly used for delivering news and media publications, company newsletters and any other types of announcements. For example, the “LISTSERV at Work” newsletter (see
http://www.lsoft.com/news/newsletter-us.asp) is sent quarterly to keep the L-Soft community informed and up-to-date with the company's latest developments. One-way lists are similar to print newspaper subscriptions. They often have large numbers of subscriptions and people sign on and off the list as they wish. Set up an announcement list by using one of the following sets of keywords.
The following table contains some header keywords that you may want to consider setting in addition to those in the above table. Keywords appearing without a suggested value may have multiple settings and/or options to consider. For more information about assigning keyword values, see the
List Keyword Reference document or the Keyword Wizard in the Web Interface.
Two-way discussion lists allow for interaction between group members. These open forums facilitate ongoing discussions among members. They are most commonly used for internal communication within an organization or group of people. For instance, many universities use secure "class lists" for interaction among students and teachers or to conduct remote teaching.
Unlike a one-way list, a discussion list not only allows, but also encourages interaction between members who are part of the group. Every member can write to the list, and in doing so, all members will receive a copy of the message. In this way, discussions can take place and views can be exchanged among a large number of people. Two-way discussion lists can be
public or
private depending on the way the list is configured.
Public lists allow anyone to join and participate.
Open public discussion lists tend to be large with many messages being posted (high volume). They can take up a lot of server space and they can be open to spamming, spoofing, and flaming if there are no security measures in place.
Closed or
private two-way discussion groups can also be large and high volume, depending on the topic of the list, or they can be medium sized or very small. Subscriptions are monitored and are often subject to approval by a list administrator. Subscribers communicate amongst themselves on a specific topic. Incidents of spamming and flaming are generally low because only subscribers can post to the list, and their subscription request has been reviewed. Set up a discussion list by using one of the following sets of keywords.
The following table contains some header keywords that you may want to consider setting in addition to those in the above table. Keywords appearing without a suggested value may have multiple settings and/or options to consider. For more information about assigning keyword values, see the
List Keyword Reference document or the Keyword Wizard in the Web Interface.
Similar to the two-way discussion list, a moderated list allows for the exchange of postings between subscribers and administrators, but an editor or moderator receives all incoming messages. The editor or moderator then decides to accept the message and post it to the list, or reject the message and not post it to the list. Lists can be set up with more than one moderator and they can take turns reviewing messages in a “round robin” fashion or all moderators can receive all messages.
Moderated lists can be of any size and subscriptions can be open or closed, depending on the type of list you want. Spamming and flaming are much less likely to happen on this type of list because all the postings are subject to approval by a person before they can be posted to the list.
Moderators receive and review postings sent to the list, and either approve them to be sent through the list or reject them to prevent them from being sent to the list. If there are multiple moderators, the list postings can be sent to each moderator in turn in a “round-robin” fashion or to all moderators. In the “round-robin” scenario, each message is sent to only one moderator for approval, sending one message to each moderator in the order listed in the list header before cycling back to the first moderator. The “round-robin” scenario allows a heavy load to be shared among several moderators. In the scenario where messages are all sent to all moderators, the first moderator to get to each message can approve or reject it. You would use this latter scenario if you want approvals to be made as soon as a moderator is available to review it.
The editors are those addresses that are allowed to send messages to the list without requiring moderation. The first address listed in the “Editor” keyword definition is known as the “primary” editor. If there is no “Moderator” defined, the primary editor is used as the sole moderator. The primary editor must always be an individual email address, but subsequent editors can be a list name enclosed in parentheses, meaning that all the subscribers on that list are allowed to post without being moderated. As a result, you can set up a separate list whose members are the editors of this one (and where subscriptions are closed). If you use the current list name, you have what is known as a “self-moderated” discussion list: subscribers can post without their messages being moderated, but posts from non-subscribers must be approved (see Section 3.4.2
Two-Way Discussion Lists). Set up a moderated list by using one of the following sets of keywords.
Note: When creating lists with the Web Interface under Unix and VMS (with PMDF), it is still necessary to make the mail aliases required in 7.2.1 (for Unix) or 7.2.2 (for VMS). The Web Interface will not make these aliases for you.
To start creating a mailing list, select Server Administration,
Mailing Lists, and then
List Creation. The List Creation Screen opens. Enter the
List Name,
List Title, and then select the
List Creation Method. The following creation methods are available:
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Create From Template – When starting a list from scratch, another fast method is to pick from a library of pre-made templates (which you can extend yourself to add templates matching your specific needs). If selected, see Section 3.5.2 Creating a List from a Template.
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Clone List – If the list you are about to create is very similar to an existing list, it is usually faster to clone the original list and make a few final touches as necessary. If selected, see Section 3.5.3 Cloning a List.
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Paste List Header – If you are knowledgeable about list headers and individual keywords, you can enter the list header keywords directly into the list header editor. This method can be useful if you are migrating a list from another LISTSERV server and you have been sent a copy of the original list configuration by email. If selected, see Section 3.5.4 Using the List Header Editor to Create a List.
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To create a list using the List Creation Wizard, select Server Administration,
Mailing Lists, and then
List Creation. The List Creation Screen opens.
Enter the List Name,
List Title, and then select the
Wizard (Step-by-Step). Click the
[Next ->] button to continue. The List Type screen opens. Enter the
List Owner, and then select the type of list you’d like to create. Your choices are
Announcement List (see Section 3.4.1
One-Way Announcement Lists),
Unmoderated Discussion List (see Section 3.4.2
Two-Way Discussion Lists), and
Moderated Discussion List (see Section 3.4.3
Moderated Lists).
Click the [Next ->] button to continue. The Miscellaneous screen opens.
Define how subscriptions are handled and which users can send messages to the list. This screen will vary slightly depending on the type of list you’re creating. Click the
[Next ->] button to continue. The Archives screen opens. Click the
List Archives drop-down menu to define whether or not you want to archive messages posted to the mailing list. If posted messages are archived, then click the
Access to List Archives drop-down menu to choose whether the archives will be available to the public or to subscribers only. Finally, define whether to create the archive directories manually or to let LISTSERV do it for you. Click the
[Next ->] button to continue. The Summary screen opens. Review your selection, and then click
[Create].
When starting a list from scratch, another fast method is to pick from a library of pre-made templates (you can add templates that match your specific needs). Selecting a template allows you to set dozens of options at once, without having to answer as many questions or worry about making a mistake.
To create a list from a template, select Server Administration,
Mailing Lists, and then
List Creation. The List Creation Screen opens. Enter the
List Name,
List Title, and then select the
Create From Template. Click the
[Next ->] button to continue. The List Type screen opens.
Enter the List Owner and then click the
Select Template drop-down menu to select the template you want to use. Click the
[Next ->] button to continue. The Archives screen opens.
Click the List Archives drop-down menu to define whether or not you want to archive messages posted to the mailing list. If posted messages are archived, then click the
Access to List Archives drop-down menu to choose whether the archives will be available to the public or to subscribers only. Finally, define whether to create the archive directories manually or to let LISTSERV do it for you. Click the
[Next ->] button to continue. The Summary screen opens. Review your selection, and then click
[Create].
To clone a list, select Server Administration,
Mailing Lists, and then
List Creation. The List Creation Screen opens. Enter the
List Name,
List Title, and select
Clone List. Click
[Next->] to continue. The List Type screen opens. Enter the name of the original list in the
List to be Cloned field.
Finally, click [Next->] to create your list based on the original list header. The Summary screen opens. Review your selection, and then click
[Create].
If you are knowledgeable about list headers and individual keywords, you can also enter the list header keywords directly into the list header editor. This method can also be useful if you are migrating a list from another LISTSERV server and you have been sent a copy of the original list configuration by email.
Important: Do not paste the old list title if you are migrating from another server.
To create a list using the List Header Editor, select Server Administration,
Mailing Lists, and then
List Creation. The List Creation Screen opens. Enter the
List Name,
List Title, and then select
Paste List Header.
Click [Next->] to continue. The Summary screen opens with the list title already entered into the text box. Enter or paste the list header into the text box, and then click
[Create] to create the new list.
To Delete a list, click Server Administration,
Mailing Lists, and then
List Deletion. The List Deletion screen opens. From here, you can completely delete a list, its archives, and any associated files from your LISTSERV instance. Use the
Select List drop-down menu to find the list you want to delete, and then click
[Update].
Note: If you are in Expert Mode, then you can shorten the number of lists in the
Select List drop-down menu by entering a text string that appears in the list name in the
Narrow field or the list owner name in the
Owner field. Any text entered here will automatically expand to using a wildcard at the beginning and at the end of the string, so any list name containing the text string will appear in the drop-down menu. You can also shorten the list by entering a number in the
Items field.
The list header and a table containing a list of associated archive and log files are displayed. Check the files, if any, that you want LISTSERV to delete and click the
[Delete List] button to delete the list. Confirm the list deletion by clicking the
[Confirm] button. A report will appear on your screen indicating which directory and files were deleted from the server.
Important: Once deleted, a list and its archives are
not recoverable.
The LISTSERV Command Interface is used for submitting LISTSERV commands that are not otherwise facilitated by the Web Interface. See Appendix A:
Command Reference Card for a listing of all commands.
For some commands, the response is automatically displayed by the Web Interface. For others, a special command parameter must be used in order to display the response in the browser, otherwise the response is sent by email. In addition, other commands are only able to respond by email.
To access the LISTSERV Command Interface, click on the Server Administration menu, and then select
LISTSERV Command.
The Command Interface can only be used for single line commands. In particular, the PUT command will not work through the Web Interface. Multi-line commands must be sent by email.
