Registering Users

  • Enabling Network Access for the CommuniGator and FaxSender Clients
  • Registering Users with the CommuniGate Server
  • Multi-User Licenses

    • The CommuniGate Server allows the administrator to register users (usernames), also called accounts. The CommuniGate Server stores mail directed to registered users in the user accounts. Registered users can retrieve messages from their accounts and submit messages to the CommuniGate Server for delivery, in several ways:

    Even if you do not have a network and your plan to use the CommuniGate System on a stand-alone computer only, you still may want to register multiple users to allow them to use this computer for messaging. Each user can be provided with a personal account and messaging environment. Even if you are the only person using this CommuniGate System, you may want to register multiple names, just to separate your business and private mail accounts, for example.

    Enabling Network Access for the CommuniGator and FaxSender Clients

    To allow network users to connect to the CommuniGate Server with the CommuniGator application (and/or the CommuniGate FaxSender print driver), the MacOS feature called program linking is used. If you plan to use the CommuniGate system on a stand-alone computer or if the clients do not plan to use the CommuniGator application or the CommuniGate FaxSender to access the Server, skip this section.

    Enabling Program Linking

    To enable network access, you should allow users to link to programs on the CommuniGate Server computer. Open the Sharing Setup (MacOS 7) or File Sharing (MacOS 8) control panel on the Server computer and make sure that the Program Linking is On. If it is off, click the Start button to turn on Program Linking.

    Note: If your CommuniGate Server computer runs the AppleShare software, use the AppleShare Admin application to turn on Program Linking.

    Registering CommuniGate Users with MacOS

    Open the Users & Groups control panel on the Server computer and use the New User command from the File menu to create a user descriptor for each CommuniGate user. You can choose any names for those users, but it is recommended to use the Owner Names used on their workstations. The Owner Name setting can be found in the Sharing Setup control panel on each workstation.

    Note: the names you create in the Users&Group control panel will be used as the E-mail account names for the CommuniGate users. You can use spaces in user names, but the underscore symbol (_) should not be used.

    For each user descriptor created, open the descriptor window, set the user password and select the Allow user to link to programs on this computer option.

    Note: If your CommuniGate Server computer runs the AppleShare software, the User&Groups panel is not available. Consult your AppleShare manual to learn how to register network users and how to allow them to link to programs on the server computer.

    MacOS and CommuniGate Registrations

    Now the network users can connect to the server computer using the names and passwords you have assigned, and they can link to the programs (including the CommuniGate Server) running on that computer. But this does not register those users with the CommuniGate Server: not all users that have access to the Server computer may have access to the CommuniGate Server. On the other hand, some users that are registered with the CommuniGate Server may be not granted access to the Server computer over the network. The figure below shows how names are processed when used by network and local users:

    Using the CommuniGator Client Software over Network

    After the network access via Program Linking is enabled, you can install the CommuniGator Client software on networked workstations. When you launch the CommuniGator application for the first time, it will ask you to select the computer running the CommuniGate Server (if your network has zones, you should select the proper zone first).

    When the proper computer is selected, you should see the CommuniGate Server application in the Programs list. Select it and click OK.

    The Program Linking dialog box appears and allows you to enter the name and the password. If the message Sorry, this user name was refused appears, then you are not allowed to link to the programs on the server computer. Check the Program Linking settings on the server computer as described above and try again.

    If the program linking options are set correctly, the message The server computer allowed you to connect, but your name is unknown to the CommuniGate Server appears. Return to the server computer and proceed with registering user names with the CommuniGate Server.

    Registering Users with the CommuniGate Server

    Each user should be registered with the CommuniGate Server to be able to use the CommuniGate services. Various access rights can be granted to users to allow them to reconfigure the CommuniGate Server, to monitor its activity, and to modify the shared data resources (fax cover pages, voice scripts, etc.) The user name Postmaster is always registered and it has all access rights assigned. When the CommuniGate Server is installed for the first time, the Postmaster is the only user registered.

    Connecting as the Postmaster

    When the CommuniGate Server is installed and it is running, you can connect to the Server using the CommuniGator client application. Login as the Postmaster from the Server computer:

    The Server and other menus should appear in the menu bar.

    If you have registered the name Postmaster with the Users&Groups control panel on the Server computer, you can connect as Postmaster from any workstation on your network.

    Creating User Accounts

    Choose Users from the Server menu. The list of the registered user names appears and the New button allows you to add new user names. It is recommended to use only letters, digits and spaces in user names. The underscore symbol (_) is used to substitute spaces in user names when messages are sent via the Internet, so you should not use that symbol in user names: use spaces when necessary.

    Note: If you plan to use CommuniGate with individual POP accounts created for your CommuniGate users on the Internet System Provider (ISP) computer, it is recommended to register CommuniGate users using the names of their POP accounts. For example, if the user John Smith plans to use a POP account jsmith@provider.com, you should register him with the CommuniGate Server as jsmith rather than John Smith. Make sure that the name jsmith is registered with the User&Groups control panel and that this name can be used to link to the programs on the server computer.

    If a user connects to the CommuniGate Server using Program Linking, the registered name should be exactly the same as the user name set in the Users&Group control panel. In order to simplify registration, the Users list contains the names from the Users&Group control panel, marked with the bullet (·) symbol. Instead of creating a new name, you can select a bullet-marked name, click the Open button and set the Can Connect option for that user.

    Note: if you remove such a user from the CommuniGate System later, the user name will still appear in the Users list, but it will have the bullet mark again: the bullet-marked names are the names of the users who can Link to Programs on the Server computer, but who are not registered with the CommuniGate Server.

    Assigning Access Privileges

    When you register a new user name with the Users List window, or select an existing user name in the list and click the Open button, a window appears and displays the access rights assigned for that user. For regular users, select the Can Connect option only. If a user should have access to some management functions, select the required options.

    Can Connect to Server Over Network
    this message indicates that the user name is registered on the Server computer with the Users&Groups control panel, and that the Allow user to link to programs on this computer option is selected for this user.
    can connect to the server
    if this option is not selected, the user is not allowed to use the CommuniGate Server at all;
    can monitor services
    if this option is selected, the user can see the Server menu and can open the Monitor and Queue windows, as well as the Log windows;
    can interrupt services
    if this option is selected, the user can use the Interrupt Service and the Interrupt Line commands in service menus;
    can configure services
    if this option is selected, the user can configure the Server (the General, Dialer, Router and other settings); the Service Setting and the Line Settings commands are enabled in service menus;
    can edit server resources
    if this option is selected, the user can edit all resources (except the User Descriptors) stored on the Server;
    can edit address books
    if this option is selected, the user can edit server­based address books; if this option is not selected, the user can only view server-based address books and retrieve address records from them.
    can assign privileges
    if this option is selected, the user can modify user descriptors.
    can specify rules
    if this option is selected, the user can edit the User Rules that specify auto-processing of that user mail.
    is a Postmaster
    if this option is selected, the user is a postmaster: the user will see all mail directed to the local name Postmaster in the In Box; also, the user is allowed to remove messages from the Server queues.
     
    User Settings
    use this button to invoke a dialog window which allows you to change various user settings such as user's real name and special From address.
    User Rules
    use this button to set up user's mail processing Rules.

    After you have modified a User Descriptor, the new options will be in effect the next time that user connects to the CommuniGate Server.

    Testing User Accounts

    When user names are registered, it is possible to connect to the Server using their names. Try to connect from the server computer first:

    If you use a name that has not been registered or the User Settings for that name have the Can Connect option disabled, you will see one of the following error messages:
    You are not granted access to the server
    or
    The server computer allowed you to connect, but your name is unknown to the CommuniGate Server.

    If a user name has been registered with the Users&Group control panel, you should be able to access the Server from any other computer on your network, using the password set for that user name in the Users&Group control panel.

    Multi-User Licenses

    The CommuniGate Server allows you to register up to 5 user names (besides the built-in Postmaster name) without purchasing a multi-user license.

    If you need to register more than 5 users, contact Stalker Software or your local dealer and order a license for as many users as you need.

    After CommuniGate Users are registered, the CommuniGate System can be used as a LAN E-mail system.