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SMTP Tests

The SMTP test monitors the amount of time required to connect to the SMTP service on a mail server and perform a null transaction. It can provide a baseline for the time required to send an e-mail.

Options and Arguments

Note: IPv6 addresses can be used, but they must be embedded in brackets, for example [0aff::230:6eff:fe4b:51db]:8080. Here 0aff::230:6eff:fe4b:51db represents the IPv6 address and 8080 represents the port number.

SMTP tests require the following specific options and arguments:

• SMTP Server. The hostname of the SMTP mail server, where the e-mail originates.
• SMTP Port. (Optional) The port on which the SMTP service is running. The default is 25.
• Mail Recipient. The e-mail account to which the test sends an e-mail.
• Mail Body Size. (Optional) The size of the test message to send. The default is 4096 bytes.
• Sender Hostname. The hostname of the sender. The default is the agent hostname.
• User Name. A valid user name for SMTP authorization.
• Password. A valid password for SMTP authorization. SRM stores the password in encrypted form (Optional for SMTP).

  Note: You must retype the password in the Verify Password field to verify that you have entered it correctly.

• Use SSL/TLS. (SMTP only) If the SMTP Server requires SSL/TLS authentication, select this checkbox option to enable Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security.

Specify these options and arguments when you create or modify tests.

Examples

This section includes examples of tests that monitor the amount of time required to send test emails from the mail server at mailserver.yourdomain to the account you@test.com.

Example 1: Testing email Send Time

Use this example to create a test that monitors the amount of time required to send a test email of 10,000 bytes from the mail server at mailserver.yourdomain to the account you@test.com every 60 seconds. The test waits up to 10 seconds for a successful response and calculates response time and availability statistics over the last 300 seconds (5 minutes).

To create a new test in a policy

1. Click + (New) on the Test Monitors toolbar.

   The New test pane appears.

2. From the Test Type list, select SMTP.
3. In the Description field, specify smtp_test.
4. In the Test Name field, specify SMTP Email Send Test.
5. In the Test Interval field, specify 60.
6. In the Test Timeout field, specify 10.
7. In the Samples Per Interval field, specify 1.
8. In the Statistics Window field, specify 300.
9. In the SMTP Server field, specify mailserver.yourdomain.com.
10. In the SMTP Port field, accept the default of 25.
11. In the Mail Recipient field, specify you@test.com.
12. In the Mail Body Size field, specify 10000.
13. In the Sender Hostname field, specify silver.
14. In the User Name field, specify SMTPuser.
15. In the Password field, specify SMTPpassword.
16. In the Use SSL/TLS field, click the check box.
17. Accept defaults for all other fields.
18. Click Save Test.

When you commit your changes, SRM adds an entry similar to the following to the svcrsp.cf file:

{ 
index=80 
type=smtp
desc="SMTP_Test" 
dest="mailserver.yourdomain.com:25" 
"username="SMTPuser" 
encoded=yes 
password:"c21o6BH12" 
args="to=you@test.com&size=10000&shost=silver&SSL=yes" 
interval=60 
samples=1 
timeout=10 
window=300 
tos=0 
limit=0 
status=active 
name="SMTP Email Send Test"
class=""
context=""
flags="1"
loglevel=1
}

Example 2: Testing email Send Time When Sender Host is an IPv6 Address

Use this example to create a test that monitors the amount of time required to send a test e-mail of 10,000 bytes from the mail server at mailserver.yourdomain to the account you@test.com every 60 seconds.

The sender host is an IPv6 address and the SMTP requires the IPv6 address be embedded in brackets. The IPV6: in [IPV6:address] is not mandatory, but the test will add it at runtime. The test waits up to 10 seconds for a successful response and calculates response time and availability statistics over the last 300 seconds (5 minutes).

To create a new test in a policy

1. Click + (New) on the Test Monitors toolbar.

   The New test pane appears.

2. From the Test Type list, select SMTP.
3. In the Description field, specify smtp_test_ipv6.
4. In the Test Name field, specify IPv6 SMTP Email Send Test.
5. In the Test Interval field, specify 60.
6. In the Test Timeout field, specify 10.
7. In the Samples Per Interval field, specify 1.
8. In the Statistics Window field, specify 300.
9. In the SMTP Server field, specify mailserver.yourdomain.com.
10. In the SMTP Port field, accept the default of 25.
11. In the Mail Recipient field, specify you@test.com.
12. In the Mail Body Size field, specify 10000.
13. In the Sender Hostname field, specify [IPV6:2000::36:543:2111].
14. In the User Name field, specify SMTPuser.
15. In the Password field, specify SMTPpassword.
16. In the Use SSL/TLS field, click the check box.
17. Accept defaults for all other fields.
18. Click Save Test.

When you commit your changes, SRM adds an entry similar to the following to the svcrsp.cf file:

{ 
index=80 
type=smtp
desc="SMTP_Test_ipv6" 
dest="mailserver.yourdomain.com:25" 
"username="SMTPuser" 
encoded=yes 
password:"c21o6BH12" 
args="to=you@test.com&size=10000&shost=[IPV6:2000::36:543:2111]&SSL=yes" 
interval=60 
samples=1 
timeout=10 
window=300 
tos=0 
limit=0 
status=active 
name="IPv6 SMTP Email Send Test"
class=""
context=""
flags="1"
loglevel=1
}

For information about errors you may encounter when running SMTP tests, see SMTP Test Error Codes.