Copyright © 2006
L-Soft international, Inc.
3/5/2010 10:05 AM
IMPORTANT: LISTSERV 15.0 requires a version 15.0 LAK! You
must obtain and install a LISTSERV version 15.0 product LAK prior to
upgrading your server, or LISTSERV will not start after the upgrade. |
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USABILITY: New and enhanced web interface design
USABILITY:
Tight integration with LISTSERV Maestro 3.0
USABILITY:
Background DISTRIBUTE delivery
USABILITY:
[HPO] DISTRIBUTE worker tuning
USABILITY:
[HPO, Non-VM] Rate-limiting delivery pools
USABILITY:
[Non-VM] QUERY FILE command available
OTHER: Miscellaneous Changes and Fixes
Important OS Support Information
LISTSERV is a well established email
software has always been renowned for its
reliability, scalability and industry-leading feature set. As the
importance of usability has grown, it has
become an integral part of any development, especially when
end users range from beginners to experts.
The new LISTSERV 15.0 interface was created with a
primary focus on usability.
The development team started out by
analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the existing Web
interface and deciding on an improved
navigational system. Technical experts and usability designers
worked together on creating the best
navigational structure that would provide quick and easy access to
the different sections throughout the Web
interface. Many existing sections were overhauled to make
them easier to digest. The challenge was to
provide users with as much power and functionality as
possible without overwhelming.
Several sections were divided into tabs,
which provide quick access and present information in a more
organized manner. Three modes -- Basic,
Expert and Tutorial -- were created to allow users to tailor the
Web interface according to their expertise
level. More advanced features are only shown in Expert Mode,
while instructions and tips only appear in
Tutorial Mode.
A test group, ranging from LISTSERV experts
to total beginners has tested the new user interface using a
test method based on heuristic evaluation
and usability check
engineering method for finding the usability
problems in a user interface design. Heuristic evaluation
involves having testers examine the
interface and judge its compliance in regard to recognized usability
principles. After careful consideration and
adjustments based on tester feedback, we are hopeful to have
crafted a user interface that provides the
best of both worlds, usability and functionality.
Project Coordinator
LISTSERV 14.5 administrators got a taste of what the
upcoming 15.0 web interface would look like in the Deliverability Assessment
tool introduced in that version.
Now LISTSERV 15.0 integrates that same look and feel
into an entirely new, modern, and easily navigable web interface. The enhancements require the latest version
of the WA CGI stage and new default templates, and include
Sites with heavy customization that are not ready to
migrate to the new templates will be pleased to know that their existing
templates will work with LISTSERV 15.0 and the latest WA.
LISTSERV Maestro is a
highly-intuitive, advanced e-mail communication solution. It allows you to manage and track
sophisticated, database-driven opt-in email campaigns with a powerful, yet
easy-to use Web interface.
LISTSERV Maestro has evolved significantly from
Version 1, a user-friendly interface to LISTSERV's DISTRIBUTE command, to
Version 2, to which was added a data warehouse to collect and store information
for both itself and for LISTSERV mailing
Now comes LISTSERV 15.0 and LISTSERV Maestro 3.0. The two interfaces have been completely
redesigned, merging the best features of each into the other, and allowing free
flow from one to the other.
While of course LISTSERV 15.0 can still function
independently of Maestro, the two products together offer the most
comprehensive email communications package on the market. With the recent addition of HDMail,
L-Soft's new High Deliverability mail engine, the L-Soft software suite has
become an email communications solution unmatched in deliverability, speed, and
ease of use.
A new background DISTRIBUTE delivery feature has been
implemented for high-volume LISTSERV HPO sites.
This feature is meant especially for sites signing messages with DKIM,
but also for sites using Embedded Mail Merge (EMM) that regularly send jobs
larger than 10K recipients. Such sites
may require faster processing in order to accommodate other jobs and
interactive requests in a timely manner, but by the same token may not need the
power of the dedicated DISTRIBUTE workers introduced in LISTSERV 14.4.
Background DISTRIBUTE is enabled by default for all
LISTSERV Classic HPO 15.0 sites. It can
be disabled if necessary by setting DEFAULT_DIST_BACKGROUND to 0 in the site
configuration file and restarting LISTSERV:
VM: |
DEFAULT_DIST_BACKGROUND =
0 |
VMS: |
DEFAULT_DIST_BACKGROUND
"0" |
unix: |
DEFAULT_DIST_BACKGROUND=0 export DEFAULT_DIST_BACKGROUND |
Win: |
DEFAULT_DIST_BACKGROUND=0 |
If the default is
changed, background DISTRIBUTE can be activated per DISTRIBUTE job with the new
DISTRIBUTE keyword BACKGROUND=YES.
Conversely, if the
default is retained, you can specify BACKGROUND=NO explicitly in a DISTRIBUTE
job to override the default. This is particularly recommended for test jobs.
Instead of creating
the outbound messages immediately, LISTSERV saves the relevant data in a
background queue. Each data file in the queue contains information for a
certain number of recipients. The
default is 10,000 and can be tuned with the new DIST_BACKGROUND_JOBSIZE site
configuration variable if required.
However, the default value should be a good balance between not creating
too many files, and not creating any huge files that take a long time to open.
With this setting, a job with 1M recipients will create only 100 files. Each
file is somewhere between 1M and 5M depending on the job.
The DISTRIBUTE
command completes as soon as the last data file is written (in much the same
way as when using DISTRIBUTE workers). In one test on a desktop PC, 10k
recipients took 0.3 sec elapsed time.
Background jobs are
processed in sequence, in the order in which they were created, with only one
job active at a time. Background delivery pauses immediately if LISTSERV has
any other work to do or any other mail to send, although it should be noted
that any mail already spooled will continue to be sent. For efficiency,
background delivery will not pause until at least x number of messages
have been sent. (This number is set by the new site configuration variable
DIST_BACKGROUND_CHUNKSIZE, which defaults to 50.) Progress messages are printed in the LISTSERV
log whenever a data file is finished and LISTSERV switches to the next one.
Background
distribution is compatible with delivery pools, and with the new SMTP rate
limiting feature discussed below.
This feature adds a
configuration variable that lets you limit the use of DISTRIBUTE workers to
oversize messages. If specified, DIST_FORWARD_MINSIZE is the minimum message
size, in kilobytes, to make use of the DISTRIBUTE workers. Jobs below that size
are processed locally. The message size is defined as the size, counting CRLF
terminators, of the contents of the DATA portion of the job.
To forward all messages over 250k to a DISTRIBUTE worker, you would thus use
the following:
DIST_FORWARD=[suitable worker pool definition]
DIST_FORWARD_MINSIZE=250
DIST_FORWARD_THRESHOLD=2
The purpose of this feature is to better control bandwidth. All jobs above a
certain size can be routed to a separate DISTRIBUTE worker, which in turn might
be configured to use a separate mail server with a bandwidth cap.
The DISTRIBUTE worker in question can run on older hardware as long as it has
plenty of disk space. It is expected to build a large queue when oversize jobs
are processed.
The threshold of 2 allows single-recipient test messages to be processed
locally (faster).
With non-VM LISTSERV HPO, it is now possible to
"rate-limit" LISTSERV's output to its SMTP_FORWARD host(s) by
defining limits for individual delivery pools (or server-wide if you do not
choose to implement separate delivery pools).
This is done by setting the site configuration variable SMTP_RATE_LIMIT
appropriately. For example, the
following setting rate-limits the entire server to 12Mbps of throughput to the
outbound forwarding host.
VMS: |
SMTP_RATE_LIMIT "12Mbps" |
unix: |
SMTP_RATE_LIMIT="12Mbps" export SMTP_RATE_LIMIT |
Win: |
SMTP_RATE_LIMIT=12Mbps |
Using the feature with delivery pools allows the
server administrator to limit the impact that large
VMS: |
SMTP_RATE_LIMIT "12Mbps AB:1.5Mbps
C:150kbps" |
unix: |
SMTP_RATE_LIMIT="12Mbps AB:1.5Mbps
C:150kbps" export SMTP_RATE_LIMIT |
Win: |
SMTP_RATE_LIMIT=12Mbps AB:1.5Mbps C:150kbps |
In this case, the entire server (including existing delivery pools that have not been otherwise specified) is limited to 12Mbps outbound, while pools A and B are limited further to 1.5Mbps and pool C is limited to 150kbps. Anything not mentioned is unlimited. In the above example, D is technically unlimited, other than for the overall 12Mbps limit for all traffic.
Each outbound
message belongs to exactly one pool and is subjected to exactly two rate
limits (either of which can be unlimited): the pool rate limit and the
overall rate limit. Whichever is strictest at this particular moment sets
the bar.
The formal syntax of SMTP_RATE_LIMIT is
SMTP_RATE_LIMIT=limit1 [limit2 [...]]
limit: [pools:]maxbps
pools: any valid pool names (as usual, the default pool
is '-'). When
specified, each
omitted, the overall rate limit is
defined.
maxbps: a positive number followed by 'kbps', 'Mbps' or 'Gbps' (case not
material). No space between the
number and 'kbps'.
Example:
SMTP_RATE_LIMIT=12Mbps AB:1.5Mbps C:150kbps
Please note carefully the following:
A basic version of QUERY FILE has been implemented for non-VM systems. While this has been done primarily to allow WA to query the presence of DEFAULT.DKIM, it can be used to query for any file known to LISTSERV. The syntax is the same as on VM, and the FLags options is recognized for compatibility, but does nothing.
QUERY FILE DEFAULT.DKIM
(abbreviation: Q F)
Sample output would be something like
DEFAULT
DKIM N/A
CTL 727 2005-11-25
or:
DEFAULT
DKIM N/A
CTL .
.......... ........
if the file is defined but does not exist.
Note that certain files (including DKIM files) are defined implicitly by
LISTSERV and do not necessarily need an explicit entry in a CATALOG or FILELIST
file in order for LISTSERV to know about them.
That is the default non-VM query format, but customers with old VM scripts that
utilized LISTSERV's file server functions can also choose the old VM query
format, which results in the following sample output:
SERVICE
NAMES ALL LMC V
65 248 05/01/13 15:17:55
DOMAIN NAMES ALL LMC
. 0 0 ........
........
Choosing the query format is done by setting the Boolean value VM_STYLE_INDEX
in the site configuration (note that this setting centrally affects all file
server commands, not just QUERY FILE).
To use the VM query format, set VM_STYLE_INDEX to 1. To use the default non-VM style format, set
VM_STYLE_INDEX to 0 (or remove from, or comment out the variable in, the site
configuration file).
Examples (setting VM_STYLE_INDEX to 1 for VM-style format):
VMS: |
VM_STYLE_INDEX "1" |
unix: |
VM_STYLE_INDEX=1 export VM_STYLE_INDEX |
Win: |
VM_STYLE_INDEX=1 |
When using the VM-style format, your script should look for eight dots to identify a missing file.
When scripting using
either format, note that if your script does not find the line starting with
eight dashes, the command failed.
LISTSERV 15.0 requires that the Web interface (commonly known as "wa") is version 2.4.0b1 R2338 or later. To determine what version of "wa" you currently have running, browse to http://yourserver/path-to-wa/wa?DEBUG-SHOW-VERSION for unix, or http://yourserver/path-to-wa/wa.exe?DEBUG-SHOW-VERSION for Windows and OpenVMS).
In LISTSERV 15.0, the WA executable version is also displayed on the Server Administration Dashboard.
The following
miscellaneous fixes and changes are included in LISTSERV 15.0.
A list of operating
systems (and versions) under which LISTSERV is supported can be found at:
http://www.lsoft.com/products/listserv_os.asp
LISTSERV 15.0 is supported only under the operating systems found on that page.
Sites running older
versions of LISTSERV under operating systems which are no longer supported by
L-Soft should migrate to a different operating system. Please contact your
sales representative for further information.
Sites running the
Windows 95 shareware should note that their licenses will not activate the
product under Windows XP. Please contact your sales representative for
alternatives if you are planning to upgrade to Windows XP (optionally you may
migrate to the LISTSERV Lite Free Edition). Sites running the Windows 95 Lite
Free Edition can simply upgrade to the Windows NT/2000/XP LISTSERV Lite Free
Edition. You may also elect to continue running LISTSERV under Windows
95/98/Me, but there will be no further new versions or fixes for that platform.
IMPORTANT: Install your LISTSERV 15.0 product LAK before upgrading! A valid product LAK (License Activation Key)
with "REL=15.0" must be installed before upgrading or LISTSERV will
not start after the upgrade.
If you have not received a LISTSERV 15.0 product LAK, please contact
your sales representative or SALES@LSOFT.COM before upgrading!
To find out if you can upgrade to LISTSERV 15.0 with your current
license key, please issue a SHOW LICENSE command to LISTSERV and examine the
response. It will be similar to this:
License type: Permanent
Expiration date: None - perpetual license
Maintenance until:
Capacity: Unlimited
Version: 15.0
Serial number: XYZ-1
Build date:
Your license key will be valid for the 15.0 upgrade if your current LAK is for version 15.0 or higher.
Sites running LISTSERV
14.4 or later may use the LAK input tool in the Web Administration interface to
apply and check their new LAK before upgrading.
The installation
kits found on L-Soft's web site can be used either to install a new copy of
LISTSERV or to upgrade an existing installation. To download LISTSERV 15.0,
simply go to L-Soft's Web site and download an evaluation copy of LISTSERV or
LISTSERV Lite, then follow the installation instructions for your operating
system. The kits can be found at:
http://www.lsoft.com/download/listserv.asp
http://www.lsoft.com/download/listservlite.asp
1. This document
does not include upgrade instructions. Please see the installation guide
specific to your OS platform for upgrade instructions.
VMS: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/15.0/vmsinst.html
unix: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/15.0/unixinst.html
Windows: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/15.0/ntinst.html
VM sites currently
at the 1.8e or 14.x level should download ftp://ftp.lsoft.com/
2. The unix kit now
only requires a single download. You do not need to download a common.tar.Z
file as in previous versions, as those files are now included in the single
OS-specific installation file.
3. LISTSERV version
15.0 is available only for operating systems currently supported by L-Soft.
When browsing FTP.LSOFT.COM, you may find installation kits for other operating
systems, such as Ultrix or SunOS 4.x, but these kits will be based on older
versions and/or code bases. L-Soft no longer has development systems for
unsupported operating systems and is not in a position to compile LISTSERV 15.0
for these systems.