34.1 Email Delivery¶
Acinta Server sends distribution e-mails and status reports through your mail server (SMTP). If the project has an Email server in its project options, that one is used – see The Email Server in 26.2 Project Options (build 20219 and later). Otherwise Acinta Server uses its own mail settings, described below – part of the server's Project and mail settings. The run log names the mail server used.
Datashop's File → Send by email is different: it opens the user's own e-mail program with a PDF attached – see 17.2 PDF and Email.
The Mail Settings¶
Open them with Configure Server on Enterprise Manager's Server page, EnterpriseManager.exe /serverconfig, or the first-start wizard of AcintaServer.exe.
| Setting | Meaning | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Host: | The SMTP server, e.g. smtp.office365.com |
127.0.0.1 |
| Port: | e.g. 25, or 587 for STARTTLS | 25 |
| TLS/SSL | Encrypt with STARTTLS (TLS 1.2) – use with port 587. Port 465 (implicit SSL) isn't supported. | off |
| From address: | The sender address of all e-mails | |
| From name: | The sender name | AcintaServer |
| Connect timeout: | Milliseconds to wait for the mail server | 30000 |
| Authentication type: | Basic (User name:, Password:) or OAuth2 for Microsoft 365 (TenantID:, ClientID:, Client secret:, UPN:, Scope:, Authentication URL:) | Basic |
The same dialog has Acinta files path:, Active project: and Web files path: – see 33.1 Acinta Server about Active project.
[!IMPORTANT] The server reads its settings from
AcintaServer.msxin its program folder, and only when it starts. After changing settings, restart the service and send a test distribution. If the changes don't take effect, run Enterprise Manager on the server as the same Windows user who installed it, or ask Acinta support – Enterprise Manager may save the settings in its own settings file.
The password and client secret are stored obfuscated, not encrypted, in the settings file – limit access to the server's program folder.
Testing¶
Send test mail (Enterprise Manager Server page, or /testmail) asks for an address and sends a test e-mail. Check that it arrives – the message A test email has been sent! doesn't guarantee it was delivered. A distribution's Test... button checks the content but sends nothing – see 18.9 Testing a Distribution.
How Distributions Are Sent¶
- Each e-mail is tried up to 10 times, with short pauses, before it counts as failed. If the mail server stops answering for 2 minutes in the middle of sending (encryption, login or the message itself), Acinta Server gives up that attempt and tries again – up to 10 times – before the e-mail counts as failed (build 20328 and later; before, a silent mail server could block the run).
- The Sender set in a distribution changes only the sender's name; the address always comes from From address:.
- Collated e-mails over 20 MB are zipped; other e-mails aren't checked for size, so very large attachments may be rejected by the mail server.
- After each run, the status report shows what was sent and what failed – see 18.8 Status Reports and Troubleshooting.
Microsoft 365¶
For Microsoft 365, choose OAuth2 and register an app in Microsoft Entra ID with permission to send mail; enter its tenant ID, client ID and secret, and the mailbox (UPN:) to send from. Basic authentication (user name and password) is disabled in many Microsoft 365 tenants.
Troubleshooting¶
When Acinta Server can't connect to the mail server, its log says Cannot connect to the mail server: with the reason, followed by the settings it used – host, port, TLS/SSL, connect timeout, and the authentication with user name or UPN, never the password – and where to change them: Enterprise Manager's Configure Server, with a link to AcintaServer.msx, or the project's Email server option (build 20069 and later). A failed login is logged the same way as Login to the mail server failed (TLS negotiation or authentication):; with OAuth2, the log also says if the UPN is missing or no access token could be obtained (build 20210 and later).
Problem: Email settings are incorrect: Host name or Port number incorrect. - Solution: Check Host: and Port:, and that the server can reach the mail server (firewall).
Problem: The mail server rejects the login. - Solution: Check user name and password, or switch to OAuth2 for Microsoft 365. Check TLS/SSL with port 587.
Problem: Some recipients don't get e-mails. - Solution: Read the status report – failed addresses are listed. Large attachments may exceed the mail server's limit.