Here Comes toroMail!

With the beginning of the fall semester, our students will be using a robust new e-mail system. Called Mirapoint Message Server by its manufacturer, we call it toroMail. Mirapoint is an electronic "appliance", a hardware/software combined device that is designed for a specific purpose--in this case, e-mail. Actually, Mirapoint calls its product an "electronic toaster". Our sister campuses CSU Northridge and San Diego State are Mirapoint customers as well.

Service reliability is one of Mirapoint Message Server's strong points. Mirapoint boasts 99.999% uptime and supports their claim with field statistics. This is the primary reason we selected Mirapoint to replace Luminis, which has been lacking reliability.

The other benefit of the Mirapoint e-mail system is its simple implementation process. We implemented the new student e-mail system quickly. To increase service reliability, our Mirapoint e-mail service was installed on two servers. One of the servers is the primary e-mail engine and handles routine e-mail functions. The other server is reserved as a failover server. When the primary e-mail server encounters a problem and stops functioning, the second server will automatically take over the e-mail service and continue to route e-mail to students. This redundant sever deployment provides uninterrupted e-mail services to our students should the primary e-mail server fail. The two e-mail servers are powered through a heavy-duty UPS (uninterrupted power supply), which will keep the servers running when there is a power failure for a short duration and will allow us to turn off the servers graciously when there is an extended power failure.

Students don't need to panic about the change. Mirapoint offers an intuitive interface that includes basic help screens. There is no interruption to students for e-mail services. They can log into the toroMail URL (toromail.csudh.edu) with the same username/password they've used in the past. In addition, all of their old e-mail has been imported from the old e-mail servers to the new e-mail servers.  No lost messages. If they had an auto forward set in the old e-mail system, the auto forward configuration was also imported to the new e-mail system and remains functioning. Even their e-mail address books were imported to the new e-mail system.

IT is excited to offer this new e-mail service to students. The e-mail support line remains the same--telephone Marion at 310.243.2045 or e-mail support@cp.csudh.edu.