Sending via SMTP Server. Causes? And a question.

[jjjjp]

When I send via SMTP server through a database on FM Server, is the IP address that sends out the SMTP command to the server that of the local computer on which the FM client is hosted, or does it correspond to the remote server on which FM Server is hosted? My impression is that it is the IP address of the local computer, since I have always assumed that the software is actually run locally, even if it is hosted remotely. Am I right?

Send to SMTP Server no longer works for me, and I suspect the problem stems from the tendency of my university to go overboard on protection after some serious ransomware attacks a couple of years ago among other threats. My tech support person at the university says that I must always be within the firewall where the Server sits, but that doesn't make any sense to me, because except for running Server side scripts, as we do once a day, I would never have been able even, e.g., to develop and test any of my scripts that sends emails via SMTP. I develop entirely locally.

Has the FM Support Team encountered instances of Send to SMTP no longer working as a result of creeping over-securitization? What might be some other reasons for sudden failure?

I know that sending by e-mail client is an option, but I have batch mail functions that depend on sending via SMTP. What do you advise?

[bcooney]

I’ve switched my clients to api services for email. SendGrid, postmark, ms graph. They are easy to implement and avoid all the hassle of smtp, plus you get html, templates, etc. 

You can see SendGrid, ms graph api integration code in our or product , LedgerLink. It’s a free download and completely unlocked. Check it out for just that. 
 

also this, 

 

[jjjjp]

Thanks for this.

Would I, then, have to replace each Send Mail in my code with a different script step? I gather most of the work would be setting the service up and learning it. Presumably these are paid services. It's possible my College already pays for MailChimp.

I'm guessing one can make the code sufficiently robust to survive a future switch to a different service.

I'd still like to try to salvage SMTP if I possibly can simply because of the time that would be involved in changing over. I set up alternative scripts that use the client's email program, so that may need to be our fallback. But doing our batch sends (25 to 30 emails) will be inelegant.

We also have an automated, once a day, script that sends mail, and it still works at least. But even it stopped working a year ago for security reasons, and I had to switch to a different SMTP server at our university and have a permission set up for mail from our FM Server's IP. The problem with SMTP mail from FM clients is, of course, that it can come from any IP address. I am quite sure IT will determine that increased security protocols are the source of the current failure.

[bcooney]

Yes, they are paid services, although some offer a limited free tier.
 

I now funnel all send email calls through to one script. As I said, LedgerLink is an example for the scripts. When I replaced the send mail script step, I had scattered them everywhere. I found them using FMPerception and refactored to the one master script that calls the api. 

[jjjjp]

Thanks for the tip on centralizing the sending of mail in one script. Where do I find the relevant information re LedgerLink? Not quite sure what it is. https://www.ledgerlink.co doesn't seem to be  primarily about mail. We don't have budget. Our resource is the time of the people who organize the teaching initiative FM supports and also code FM (me). But, again, if my college already subscribes to a suitable api service, then budget may not be a problem if we use that service.

[bcooney]

Ledgerlink is a product we sell for syncing quick books online. It’s a free download. i know you don’t need qbo sync. I thought you could look at its code for sending email via api, and you can copy paste to your solution. https://www.ledgerlink.co/docs/simple-starter/send-emails-to-customer/email-settings

[jjjjp]

Got it. Many thanks.