Configuring Direct Mailer

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Before you run Direct Mailer, you may want to review and modify the properties for controlling the way your jobs are run. The Direct Mailer properties operate at the global resource level.

The Direct Mailer resource connection string is set during the unpacking process. You can modify the Direct Mailer resource connection string to the DirectMailer database, which stores information such as mailing lists, messages, and direct mail event data.

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To modify the properties of Direct Mailer

To modify the Direct Mailer resource connection string

To modify the properties of Direct Mailer

  1. Expand Commerce Server Manager, open the Commerce Group you want to administer, and then click Global Resources.
  2. Right click Direct Mailer, and then select Properties.
  3. In the DirectMail on <server name>Properties dialog box, on the Properties tab, do the following:
Use this (Properties) To do this (Selected Property Value)
Delivery Locations Type the delivery location.

There must be at least one entry specified. You can use a drop directory, or an SMTP server address.

If you use a drop directory, your Direct Mail jobs are processed by an Exchange Server, which delivers the files asynchronously. Because the link between Direct Mailer and Exchange is asynchronous, the jobs may be delivered at a quicker rate.

If you use an SMTP server, which is included with Windows 2000 Server (or other Windows Server versions) the Direct Mail jobs are delivered synchronously.

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  • Commerce Server 2002 uses Collaboration Data Objects (CDO) that provides a set of COM interfaces through which Direct Mailer operates. Direct Mailer primarily employs two major interfaces: IMessage and IConfiguration, which enable you to compose, format, and send Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) messages over the network, as well as perform local delivery.

For information about configuring an SMTP Server for Direct Mailer, see Using Multiple Delivery Locations.
Delivery Method Type the value that determines how the mailings are to be delivered.

1 - SMTP Server

2 - Locally to a drop directory
Log Folder Path Type the location of the Direct Mailer operational log file.
Maximum Error Percentage Type the maximum percentage of non-fatal errors per job.
Maximum Thread Count Type the maximum number of threads per job.
Messages Per Hour Type the number of messages per hour that this server can produce.

If set to zero (0), Direct Mailer processes messages at the fastest possible rate.
Number of Retries Type the number of times a connection to the DirectMailer database is retried when a connection failure occurs. This property sets the number of retries used for delivery locations.

Once the number of retries has been exhausted, the active job is ended.
Performance Update Interval Type the performance update interval in seconds.
Pipeline Configuration File Type the location of the pipeline configuration file, DMLPipe.pcf.
Proxy Bypass Type the local computers where a proxy check is not required, or a value that represents all local computers.
Proxy Server Type the name of the proxy server to use.
Retry Interval Type the number of seconds before a connection to the database is retried.

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  • The Log Directory, Messages Per Hour, Proxy Bypass, Proxy Server, and Connection String properties are based on a per service instance. This means that any changes made to the values for these properties require Direct Mailer to be restarted. The remaining Direct Mailer properties are based on a per job instance and do not require Direct Mailer to be restarted.

To modify the Direct Mailer resource connection string

  1. Expand Commerce Server Manager, expand Global Resources, right click Direct Mailer, and then select Properties.

  2. In the DirectMail on <server name>Properties dialog box, on the Connection Strings tab, select Direct Mailer Database, and then click Modify:

  3. In the Data Link Properties dialog box, do the following:

    Use this To do this
    Select or enter a server name Select a server name from the drop-down list, or type the path to the server that contains the database you want to access.
    Use Windows NT Integrated security Click to specify that the provider request a secure (or trusted) connection to a SQL Server running on Microsoft Windows NT.

    This is the recommended configuration.
    Use a specific user name and password
    		Click to use a SQL Server user name and password to authenticate your logon information to the data source.

    This is not recommended.
    User name Type the user ID to use for authentication when you log on to the data source.

    This is not recommended.
    Password Type the password to use for authentication when you log on to the data source.

    This is not recommended.
    Blank password Select this option to return a blank password in the connection string. Not recommended.
    Allow saving password Select this option to allow the password to be saved with the connection string.
    Select the database on the server Select the database name that you want to access.
    Attach a database file as a database name Do not use this option. Commerce Server 2002 does not support Microsoft SQL Server version 6.5 or earlier.

  4. Click Test Connection to ensure that you have entered server and database information correctly, and then click OK to close the connection message.

  5. To close the Data Link Properties dialog box, click OK.

    In the Direct Mail on <server name> Properties dialog box, on the Connection Strings tab, the connection string appears in the Connection strings in this resource box.

  6. To exit the Direct Mail on <server name> Properties dialog box, click OK.

See Also

Securing the Direct Mailer Database

Using Direct Mailer and Windows Authentication

Direct Mailer Service Account

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