16.1 Chapter Objectives

• Identify critical OpenVMS MAIL components

• Configure mail logical names

• Compress user mail files

• Fix message count mismatch problems

• Create and maintain distribution lists

16.2 Introduction

This chapter focuses on OpenVMS MAIL system-management tasks and techniques for using MAIL as a system-management tool. In environments where mail is heavily utilized, you must perform a number of mail-management tasks on a regular basis. Otherwise, system performance suffers, and excessive disk space is consumed.

16.3 System Profile Database

The system profile database contains an entry for each OpenVMS MAIL user that describes how mail options are configured and the user s new message count. You can view a user s entire profile only by executing the SHOW ALL command from the user s account as follows:

MAIL> <b class="bold">show all</b> Your mail file directory is FACULTY:[DMILLER.MAIL]. Your current mail file is FACULTY:[DMILLER.MAIL]MAIL.MAI. No folder is currently selected. <a name="781"></a><a name="IDX-326"></a> The wastebasket folder name is WASTE. Mail file FACULTY:[DMILLER.MAIL]MAIL.MAI         contains 24415 deleted message bytes. You have 0 new messages. You have not set a forwarding address. You have not set a personal name. Your editor is defined by the file SYS$LOGIN:MAIL_EDIT.COM. CC prompting is disabled. Automatic copies to yourself are disabled. Automatic deleted message purge is enabled. Your default print queue is SYS$PRINT. You have not specified a default print form. 

As awkward as it may seem, this cannot be done from the SYSTEM account. A freeware tool is available that will allow the manager...