2.1 TCP/IP Link Open: Transfer between Post Offices Successful

This message flow diagram illustrates how a GroupWise message travels from one user to another between post offices in the same domain when the TCP/IP link between the post office and the domain is open.

Figure 2-1 Message Flow When the TCP/IP Link is Open

Table 2-1 Message Flow When the TCP/IP Link is Open Stages

Stage

Icon

Description

Sender

The user sends a message to recipients in a different post office in the same domain.

In this diagram, the access mode setting in the local post office is Client/Server Only.

Sender’s GroupWise Client

The GroupWise client communicates the message to the POA by way of TCP/IP.

POA for Sender’s Post Office

The POA receives the message from the GroupWise client and performs the following actions for the sender:

  • Adds the message to the message database (msgnnn.db) assigned to the sender.

  • Creates a pointer in the sender’s user database (userxxx.db) so the message appears in the sender’s mailbox as a sent item.

  • Places attachments larger than 2 KB in one of the post_office\offiles\fd0-F6 subdirectories and creates pointers from the message to its attachments. (For database efficiency, messages and distribution lists larger than 2 KB are also handled as attachments.)

  • Creates a copy of the message in the appropriate priority 0-7 subdirectory of the MTA input queue in the sender’s post office, in case the TCP/IP link to the MTA is currently closed.

POA for Sender’s Post Office

The POA then communicates the message to the MTA by way of TCP/IP, and deletes the copy in the MTA input queue because the TCP/IP transfer to the MTA was successful.

To see what happens if the TCP/IP link to the MTA is closed, see Section 2.2, TCP/IP Link Closed: Transfer between Post Offices Delayed.

MTA for Local Domain

The MTA receives the message and places it into the MTA “in progress” (gwinprog) queue.

MTA for Local Domain

The MTA then communicates the message to the POA in the recipient’s post office by way of TCP/IP. When the transmission is successful, the MTA deletes the message from the MTA “in progress” queue.

If the TCP/IP link to the recipient’s post office is closed, the message is placed in the closed post office’s holding queue in the MTA’s mslocal directory for later transfer. The resulting message flow is parallel to what occurs when a domain is closed. See Section 3.2, TCP/IP Link Closed: Transfer between Domains Delayed for a similar message flow that illustrates how messages to closed locations are handled.

POA for Recipient’s Post Office

When the POA receives the new message from the MTA, it places it into the MTA output queue in the post office (wpcsout\ofs\0-7) on behalf of the MTA. Then, the POA for the recipient’s post office performs the following actions:

  • Adds the message to the message database (msgnnn.db) corresponding to the one assigned to the sender.

  • Creates a pointer in the recipient’s user database (userxxx.db) so the new message appears in the recipient’s mailbox and updates the notification information in the user database so the recipient can be notified of the message.

  • Places attachments larger than 2 KB in one of the post_office\offiles\fd0-F6 subdirectories and creates pointers from the message to its attachments. (For database efficiency, messages and distribution lists larger than 2 KB are also handled as attachments.)

  • Creates a Delivered status message in the appropriate priority 0-7 subdirectory of the MTA input queue in the recipient’s post office. It also communicates the Delivered status message directly to the MTA by way of TCP/IP. When that transmission is successful, the copy in the MTA input queue is deleted.

POA for Local Post Office

The POA communicates to the GroupWise client by way of TCP/IP that a new message has arrived.

Recipient’s GroupWise Client

The Notify component of the recipient’s GroupWise client notifies the recipient that a new message has arrived.

Recipient

Each recipient opens the message in the GroupWise client.

Recipient’s GroupWise Client

Each recipient’s GroupWise client communicates the Opened status message to the POA by way of TCP/IP.

POA for Recipient’s Post Office

The POA for the recipient’s post office communicates the status message to the MTA by way of TCP/IP.

MTA for Local Domain

The MTA places the status message into the MTA “in progress” (gwinprog) queue.

MTA for Local Domain

The MTA communicates the status message to the POA for the sender’s post office by way of TCP/IP.

POA in Sender’s Post Office

The POA for the sender’s post office updates the sender’s message database (msgnnn.db) with the Delivered status information (and possibly Opened as well if the recipient has opened the message).

POA for Local Post Office

The POA communicates the status to the sender’s GroupWise client by way of TCP/IP.

Sender

When the sender checks the sent items in his or her mailbox in the GroupWise client, the message displays a status of Delivered for each recipient (and possibly Opened as well if the recipient has opened the message).