New Server Setup - Setting up a mail relay using cPanel Mail Only Profile

[Matt Kachurak]

Thank in advance to all replies. Have a few questions and looking for guidance and clarification on a few things regarding email services to my clients. Here's the details.

1. I have server #1 that currently handles all websites, mail and as a database server (as well as database server)
2. I have server #2, a cPanel DNS only set up on another server (they are set up as a cluster presently)
3. Servers are both hosted on OVH network (Canada) and I have multiple IP addresses which can be moved to any server easily
4. I have IP addresses that register to both Canada and the USA
5. I am moving server #1 to a NEW cpanel hosting server, server #3 which will become the primary server for services (pertinent to a question regarding migration below)

The OVH network is known for spammy network issues with emails and I'm trying to mitigate or hopefully eliminate that. I would like to set up a mail server only instance. I am seriously contemplating setting up a "cPanel Mail Only" profile on a server but cannot find the information needed to answer the below questions.

1. If using the "cPanel Mail Only" profile, where is the email stored? Are emails stored on the MAIL ONLY server that I would set up or on the HOSTING server (server #1, mentioned above)? Is this a configuration setting to choose where email items are stored? From what I understand the mail only server is simply a RELAY where nothing is stored, if I'm not mistaken.

UNRELATED - but important questions:

When it comes to an IP address for the MAIL SERVER... as mentioned, I have access to both US and CA IP addresses. If I set the mail server IP to a US IP address, will it show that the email is coming from a US location, even if the IP to the SERVER is a CA IP? Meaning, that OVH Canada will supply me a server that has a CA IP address assigned which cannot be changed. If I assign a US IP to that server and use that US IP and create a subdomain, such as mail1.domain.com, will it show coming from a US IP?

Another question related to mail only server - if mail is NOT hosted on the cpanel mail only profile server, will a small vps work or will I need more than that to serve as a mail server.

I do have more questions, but it depends on the answers to the above. Thanks again everyone.

 

[cPRex]

Hey there! The short answer is that the emails are stored on the mail node system. This frees up disk space and CPU power on the parent machine. Backups also run on the parent, but are configured to grab the data from the child server. I have more details in an answer I wrote a while back here:

Version 94 Mail Node Production Questions

Now that 94 has been released, it's noted that mail nodes are now non-experimental. While there is information on how to create these nodes, there are not many faqs (none that I can find) on how these nodes work, mainly mail nodes. Existing accounts: 1. Does WHM pick up the mail accounts and...

forums.cpanel.net

For the IP address question, it would be the IP on the child server being used as the sender.

 

[Matt Kachurak]

Perfect - thanks cPRex.

Just to clarify, if the server has a set IP (CA) which I cannot change and I assign an IP (US) as the mail node sending IP, the mail will show coming from a US IP then? That is my goal.

Secondly, by the sounds of it, a small dedicated server will be needed for the mail node. Can emails be saved on the parent server or must be on the node? I have plenty of space on the parent, but by the sounds of it, the mail node will need more than a VPS 20GB drive.

 

[cPRex]

Just to clarify, if the server has a set IP (CA) which I cannot change and I assign an IP (US) as the mail node sending IP, the mail will show coming from a US IP then? That is my goal.

As far as I am aware with the current implementation, yes.

The whole point of the mail node is the get the data and processing off the parent, so there isn't a way to keep the data on the parent side.

 

[Matt Kachurak]

Great - thank you. Guidance from you guys is always stellar!

 

[cPRex]

Thanks! Let me know if you have any other questions!