Email Service Enhancements

From EXACT v12.8 the Email Service is located only on the dental practice server. It runs automatically for server and all workstations, even if your practice previously had manual-start settings, so your practice requires software and hardware that enables automatic connection to the Internet.

Benefits of the v12.8 enhancements:

• Email transmission is more reliable.
• Any practitioner can monitor the email service status (functioning or not functioning) within EXACT:
  • EXACT notifies practitioners if emails are not being sent.
  • Any practitioner can restart the email service from within EXACT.

    - This restart applies to all workstations.

• The Email Setup Wizard is simpler and includes more intuitive settings for controlling the rate of emails being sent from the practice (to mitigate against Internet Service Providers identifying bulk emails as automated spam).

Email service runs only on the practice server (not on workstations):

From v12.8 the Email service runs only on the server (no longer on workstations).

To this end, the following applies:

• The email service installation files are no longer included in the EXACT workstation installer.
• The email service is set to automatically launch on the server, even if your practice previously manually ran the service.

  The Configure > Email Parameters... Email Setup Wizard has a server connection statement:

  "You should ensure that the server has the necessary hardware and software to connect to the internet."

  

Regular email service check in:

The email service regularly runs a self-test function to monitor correct functioning and to alert on failures.

It writes to the database(s) that it services each time that it passes this test. If the test fails (but the service is still running) it also writes the diagnostic log information back to the database.

Each EXACT workstation silently checks that these regular check-ins are occurring. So long as the email service is functioning correctly, the workstation displays a non-flashing status indicator whose tooltip states that the service is operating normally:

When the workstation misses a check-in or records a failure, it flashes the email service not available indicator, and practitioners then click this indicator to display the diagnostic log.

Email Server Failure indication as a popup:

Email Setup Wizard:

From v12.8 the Email Setup Wizard has been modified as follows:

• No dial up Internet options.
• The Test button tests the currently running email service, rather than just the ISP credentials. This provides an improved indication of whether the current configuration is correct at setup time.
• To reduce the chances of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) flagging an EXACT account as sending spam, the Email Setup Wizard includes a constraint on the rate of emails being sent per minute. By default this is 40 emails per minute, but you can change this interval up or down as required.

The email service no longer by default checks only the last logged in database

If Genuine Server Check is active the email service sends and receives emails for all genuine databases.

If Genuine Server Check is inactive the email service sends and receives email for all databases except those with 'demo', 'training' 'test', 'trial' or 'backup' in the name.
The Login check is synchronised with this test, so practitioners receive the "This may not be your real database" warning when logging on to these databases.

To check the status of the Email Server and restart it if required

Any user can view the Email Server status and restart the server - there is no access restriction.

Display of a status change may take up to 15 minuites.

1. Look at the status icons in the top right corner of the EXACT window, and locate the icon on the lower line:

   

2. Hover your cursor over the cursor for a tooltip message.

   You will see one of these statuses:

   

   NOTE: From change of status to the display of that status change may take up to 15 minuites.

3. If the Email Server is not running, click the indicator to display the Email Server not responding window:

   

4. Read the message and then click the Restart Email Service button.
5. Check the status indicator again within a few minutes to ensure that it is running. If not, refer to your IT technician or the EXACT Support Desk.