How do I determine the primary email server for a domain? - WKB8419

OBJECTIVE or GOAL

Configure Waters Informatics software products with the name of an SMTP server, so that the software can send email notifications.

ENVIRONMENT

• NuGenesis 9
• NuGenesis 8
• Empower

PROCEDURE

The primary mail server for a domain is listed in the domain's public DNS records. It is known as an "MX" record within DNS.

The "MX" or "Mail Exchange" record is an entry in a DNS system that identifies the server responsible for sending email to recipients within the domain. Mail clients routinely query a domain's MX record when sending email, in order to initiate an SMTP session with the proper host in the receiving domain. The hostname within this record should be entered into Waters Informatics software products so that the systems can send email notifications.

How to obtain the MX record:

• Ask the IT department to identify the server.
• Use a free tool to query the domain's DNS server. There are many websites available that can perform this service
  1. www.dnsstuff.com. Click on "Mail Server Test Center".  Enter an email address into the input box and press Enter. The website will query the domain's DNS server and display its MX record
  2. nslookup: built into Windows servers and clients
     1. Start a command prompt with administrator rights
     2. Enter the command nslookup to start the program in interactive mode
     3. At the > prompt, enter the command: set type=MX
     4. At the > prompt, enter the name of the domain to query, such as waters.com
     5. The tool will query the MX record from the domain's DNS server and display it on screen

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION