SLOX does not include a utility to migrate from Exchange. We asked the company’s technical support department about this;
they recommended we purchase a migration tool from Binary Tree called CMT (Common Migration Tool).
CMT installed on our Windows XP workstation. Initial attempts to run it generated the error “unable to log into top level
folder.” To resolve this, we had to log in to the workstation as an Exchange administrator, a fact that Binary Tree’s documentation
neglected to mention. Also missing were online help files for this section, making this part of the migration something of
an adventure.
After we used CMT to extract the data, we moved back to the SLOX server, encountering several problems in the process. The
first arose when we tried to import the data using the included SLOXMigration.pl tool. This did not work properly due to a
missing Perl module that should have been included with the installation. After a little digging, however, we were able to
manually install the module and continue.
Another interesting problem occurred when we manually created users from the Web interface. Each attempt failed the first
time and then succeeded the second. We e-mailed SLOX’s technical support staff about this but never received a reply.
Although the iSLOX MAPI connector for Outlook worked well for mailbox items, attempting to view public folders generated a
WebDAV error. The Webmail interface proved more usable than the Outlook connection because the public folder problem seemed
to be specific to iSLOX.
Another issue with SLOX is that unlike most of the other products we tested, which use either IMAP or a proprietary protocol,
SLOX relies on POP3. By default, POP3 downloads messages from the server to the client and then deletes them from the server.
Unless this setting is manually changed on the client, messages cannot be opened in Webmail after they’ve been opened in Outlook
because they are no longer on the server.
SLOX uses the open source Postfix mail system as its MTA (mail transfer agent), a nice choice instead of relying on something
proprietary. Several add-on options such as anti-virus and anti-spam can be configured on Postfix.
On the installation front, SLOX has no peer. After that, however, migration from Exchange proved difficult, and its MAPI connector
isn’t the best. But for folks familiar with Suse and willing to learn its quirks, SLOX is a stable platform backed by a vendor
known for solid technology.
Scalix 9.0.1
The Scalix messaging solution is definitely not a newcomer. With a sweet price point and all the features you’d expect, there’s
a lot to like about Scalix 9.0.1 — although we ran into some problems with its documentation.
We tested Scalix on RHEL 3.0. Because RHEL’s one of the recommended OSes, the documentation came with instructions on which
packages to include during the installation.
Only one glitch arose during the initial installation. Per Scalix’s instructions, we downloaded and installed the newest versions
of the Java SDK and Apache Tomcat’s application server. The new version of Apache caused the Web interface to fail, although
we were able to resolve this issue with a call to Scalix support.
The Web administration tool includes an easy-to-use rules wizard that helped with the initial configuration. A series of tools
are included for Exchange-to-Scalix migration, including scripts to create Scalix accounts and to populate directory information.
Populating the Scalix directory with Exchange user information is accomplished with a shell script.
The shell scripts were easy to use, except for one initial problem: They appeared to have been created with a Windows text
editor. Our initial attempt to run the scripts failed, and we had to run the Linux dos2unix tool to convert the files.
Scalix includes a third-party mailbox migration tool from CompuSven. The tool runs on a Windows workstation and uses an account
that has Exchange admin rights in the domain. After we created the user accounts using the shell scripts, we used CompuSven
to pull mailbox data from Exchange.
Gordano Messaging Server 10.05
Gordano Software, gordano.com
|
 Good 7.6 |
|
| criteria |
score |
weight |
| Manageability |
8 |
25% |
 |
| Security |
7 |
25% |
|
| Features |
8 |
15% |
|
| Setup |
8 |
15% |
|
| Support |
7 |
10% |
|
| Value |
7 |
10% |
|
|
|
Cost:
As tested, with messaging, calendaring, Webmail, and anti-virus and anti-spam modules, $34,401
Platforms:
AIX, Linux, Solaris, Windows NT/2000/XP
Bottom Line:
GMS proved a robust messaging solution despite providing only one distinguishing feature, real-time migration. A stumble with
our initial version gave us pause, but this excellent late-beta replacement demonstrated some impressive performance stats
and changed our mind.
|
|
About our Reviews and Scoring Methodology
|
|
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
Microsoft, microsoft.com
|
| Good 7.3 |
|
| criteria |
score |
weight |
| Manageability |
8 |
25% |
|
| Security |
6 |
25% |
|
| Features |
9 |
15% |
|
| Setup |
8 |
15% |
|
| Support |
7 |
10% |
|
| Value |
5 |
10% |
|
|
|
Cost:
Base server, $5,500; 500 client access license upgrades at $95 each, $47,500
Platforms:
Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server (recommended)
Bottom Line:
For IT admins set in their Windows ways, Exchange remains an attractive option, except for its price tag. Redmond continues
to add features that outstrip those offered by its Penguin rivals, although many are aimed at the enterprise rather than the
more narrowly focused midsize business.
|
|
About our Reviews and Scoring Methodology
|
|
Novell Suse Linux Openexchange 4.1
Novell, novell.com
|
| Good 7.6 |
|
| criteria |
score |
weight |
| Management |
8 |
25% |
|
| Security |
7 |
25% |
|
| Features |
7 |
15% |
|
| Setup |
9 |
15% |
|
| Support |
8 |
10% |
|
| Value |
6 |
10% |
|
|
|
Cost:
As tested, $27,225 (purchased in 20-user packs)
Platforms:
Suse Openexchange (platform integrated)
Bottom Line:
SLOX is an easy-to-install, easy-to-maintain messaging server based on Postfix and backed by an industry powerhouse, although
for how long is difficult to tell. Administration is straightforward, and administrators familiar with Postfix will certainly
find SLOX attractive.
|
|
About our Reviews and Scoring Methodology
|
|
Scalix 9.0.1
Scalix, scalix.com
|
| Good 7.3 |
|
| criteria |
score |
weight |
| Manageability |
7 |
25% |
|
| Security |
7 |
25% |
|
| Features |
7 |
15% |
|
| Setup |
8 |
15% |
|
| Support |
7 |
10% |
|
| Value |
8 |
10% |
|
|
|
Cost:
As tested, 500 flat user licenses at $60 each, $30,000
Platforms:
Linux Red Hat Enterprise Server 3.0, Suse Standard or Enterprise Server (Fedora Core for evaluation purposes only)
Bottom Line:
Scalix is a mature messaging platform with a solid management and Webmail interface. We stumbled during migration and could
have used a break from the command line. Although it lacks the advanced features larger competitors provide, Scalix easily
delivered the functionality required for our test.
|
|
About our Reviews and Scoring Methodology
|
|
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