35.7 Cross-Platform Issues in the Post Office

GroupWise is designed to function in a variety of environments. The GroupWise Windows client runs on the following platforms:

The GroupWise Linux/Mac client runs on the following platforms:

In addition, GroupWise users can access their mailboxes without using a GroupWise client through the following applications:

Post offices can be located on the following platforms:

The GroupWise agents can run on the following platforms:

In general, GroupWise is most efficient if you match the agent platform with the network operating system, so the POA and the post office should be on the same platform, and the client should be on a compatible platform. Those with mixed networks might wonder what combinations are possible. You have several alternatives.

35.7.1 Client/Post Office Platform Independence through Browser Technology

If your GroupWise users want to access their mailboxes through POP3, IMAP4, or SOAP clients, it makes no difference what platform their post offices are located on. However, users are limited to the client capabilities of their POP3, IMAP4, or SOAP clients.

If you install GroupWise WebAccess on a Web server, GroupWise users can still access their mailboxes through their browsers and with more native GroupWise features available. See WebAccess for more information.

35.7.2 Client/Post Office Platform Independence through Client/Server Mode

The GroupWise 6.5 and later Windows client and the Linux/Mac client require Client/Server access mode. With this configuration, it makes no difference what platform users’ post offices are located on. The GroupWise client accesses the post office by communicating with the POA using TCP/IP, which is a platform-independent protocol.

35.7.3 POA/Post Office Platform Dependencies Because of Direct Access Requirements

The POA must have direct access to the post office directory. Therefore, the POA must be able to log in to the server where the post office is located and must be able to write to the databases and directories located in the post office.

Although the recommended configuration is for the POA and the post office to be on the same platform and preferably on the same server, some variation is possible. The table below summarizes the various combinations of POA and post office platforms and indicates which combinations work for direct access and which ones do not for GroupWise 8:

Table 35-1 POAs and Platforms Supported for Direct Access

 

NetWare POA

Linux POA

Windows POA

Post Office on NetWare

Yes

Not supported1

Yes

Post Office on Linux

Not supported1

Yes

Yes

Post Office on Windows

No2

Yes

Yes

Post Office on Macintosh

No3

No3

No3