Microsoft KB Archive/175988

= XFOR: Not All IMAP Clients Are Built Alike =

Article ID: 175988

Article Last Modified on 10/28/2006

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Standard Edition

-



This article was previously published under Q175988



SUMMARY
If you use Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 and want to run IMAP clients against an Exchange Server computer, you need to be aware that not all IMAP clients are alike.



MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 is IMAP4 Rev 1 compliant, which is covered by RFC 2060. IMAP comprises over 30 commands, through which messages can be searched, fetched, and expunged from the Exchange Server computer. IMAP is well suited for online and offline use. IMAP can connect to multiple mailboxes (providing permissions are in place) and public folders, and can be used for non email purposes, such as news services.

IMAP is powerful and flexible. Microsoft and the many other makers of IMAP clients showcase IMAP functionality in different ways. For example, some clients do not have a folder view and some do. Some clients show all folders associated with the mailbox account and others require the user to subscribe to them. Users that run multiple IMAP clients may not find consistent results across every client they use. As a result, users and administrators may look to the Exchange Server computer as the source of some IMAP client problems.

Microsoft has tested over a dozen IMAP clients since it committed to IMAP protocol support for Exchange Server 5.5, and testing continues. When Microsoft sees client behavior that may be interpreted as server trouble, that information is posted in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. A number of articles already exist, and more will be added as the product matures.

Exchange Server 5.5 is IMAP neutral, and it accepts and responds to IMAP commands assembled by the client. Though the clients use a common framework (RFC 2060), not all clients work the same. When performance questions arise, administrators can activate detailed IMAP protocol logging, and they can view the IMAP conversation.

Additional query words: IMA

Keywords: kbinfo KB175988

-

[mailto:TECHNET@MICROSOFT.COM Send feedback to Microsoft]

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.