HELPDESKSetting up an autoreply
[Note: if you are unsure which system you are on please consult your local IT staff]
- On Exchange -use the out of office assistant on the tools menu.
- On Central Unix -use the VAC service to set up an autoreply:-
VAC quickstart
- Send a message to yourself with ++vac as the subject and the message you want to leave in the body.
- You should recieve a reply from the automated mail handler with a warning and action text.
- Reply to the message to turn the auto reply on
To turn VAC off - send an e-mail to yourself with --vac in the subject
- You should get a reply which will say your vac message has been cancelled
Detailed explanation
The VAC Service
========================== Introduction ============
(i) A VAC message can be used in an "auto-acknowledgment". This is when you want people who send you e-mail know that you are "off campus".
- You can install a VAC message by sending commands to the VAC mail-handler by e-mail.
- Note that the VAC mail-handler is fully automated - no human reads what you send to it.
Currently, the VAC mail-handler understands the following commands:
- ??vac Sends this file of helpful text.
- --vac Switches off your current auto-acknowledgment facility if any.
- ++vac DOES NOT switch on an auto-acknowledgment facility for you. Instead this command can ask the VAC mail-handler to store a new VAC message for you - but NOT to activate it. The VAC mail-handler then asks you to reply to confirm things before your auto-acknowledgment facility is activated.
WARNING: If you do reply you ARE activating a VAC message. This two-stage operation is for security reasons.
Your special VAC password can be supplied to provide single-stage activation. ++vac PASS This is a one-stage activation. "PASS" has to be a correct VAC password for the destination user. This password can be determined as indicated in example (b) below.
- These commands must occur in the "Subject:" header, and not in the body of an e-mail message
- That e-mail message should be sent to your own e-mail address.
- In the "Subject: ++vac" case, the body of the e-mail message can be your intended new VAC message.
(ii) The VAD Mail Handler is an associated facility which can be used to define additional recipients for your e-mail. Currently, the VAD mail-handler understands the following commands:
- ??vad Sends this file of helpful text (the same one as ??vac).
- --vad Cancels any additional recipients that were defined by a ++vad command for the destination user.
- ++vad DOES NOT switch on an additional recipients facility for you. Instead this command can ask the VAD mail-handler to store a new VAD set for you - but NOT to activate it. The VAD mail-handler then asks you to reply to confirm things before your set of additional recipients is activated.
WARNING: If you do reply you ARE activating the additional recipients that you specified earlier in your ++vad message. This two-stage operation is for security reasons. Your special VAC password can be supplied to provide single-stage activation. ++vad PASS This is a one-stage activation. "PASS" has to be a correct VAC password for the destination user. This password can be determined as indicated in example (b) below.
- These commands must occur in the "Subject:" header, and not in the body of an e-mail message.
- That e-mail message should be sent to your own e-mail address. In the "Subject: ++vad" case, the first non-blank line in the body of the e-mail message should contain the e-mail address(es) of the additional recipients. If there are several, keep them on one line and separate them with commas.
Examples ========
(a) Is the VAC facility available at my mail service destination? [It is available on the Central Unix (=udcf.gla.ac.uk=lenzie.cent.gla.ac.uk) server] Test this by sending the following message to ANY e-mail address which reaches you, e.g. if you are Flora Biggins send this message:-
------------------------------
To: F.Biggins@socsci.gla.ac.uk
Subject: --vac
message: Any old iron (or whatever)?
------------------------------
When the message arrives, if the message text has been changed to
**** VAC message handler response ****
**** Any current VAC message has been cancelled ****
then the VAC facility is active on your mail service.
(b) Installing and activating a VAC message (two-stage).
Send the following message to an e-mail address which reaches you, e.g. if you are Flora Biggins send this message:-
------------------------------
To: F.Biggins@socsci.gla.ac.uk
Subject: ++vac
Message:Hi, Thanks for your message.
I won't be able to check my e-mail after 25th July until 11th August.
Cheers, Flo Biggins
------------------------------
When the message arrives, the message text should have been changed as indicated below (in this case frb4h is Flo's underlying user account on Central Unix):
------------------------------
From: frb4h@udcf.gla.ac.uk
To: frb4h@udcf.gla.ac.uk
Subject: ++vac 649
**** VAC message handler response ****
**** WARNING: No correct VAC pass was supplied in ****
your Subject: ++vac line.
**** ACTION REQUIRED: Simply Reply to this message ****
**** (the Subject line has been amended to **** **** include your VAC pass), and your VAC ****
**** message will be set, either as below, or ****
**** otherwise to your previous VAC message ****
Hi, Thanks for your message.
I won't be able to check my e-mail after 25th July until 11th August.
Cheers, Flo Biggins
------------------------------
You reply to the above message as indicated (you don't even have to include the message text in your reply). When the message arrives, the message text should have been changed as indicated below.
------------------------------
From: frb4h@udcf.gla.ac.uk
To: frb4h@udcf.gla.ac.uk
Subject: Re: ++vac 649
**** VAC message handler response ****
**** A correct VAC pass was supplied this time, so ****
**** your VAC message has been (re)-set as follows: ****
Hi, Thanks for your message.
I won't be able to check my e-mail after 25th July until 11th August.
Cheers, Flo Biggins
------------------------------
Note that the VAC pass for Flora Biggins's underlying e-mail account is 649. This was found to be the case when Flora's ++vac message to herself arrived in her mailbox. The VAC pass, which is specific to your underlying (Unix mail server) account, should be kept confidential.
(c) What does the auto-acknowledgment look like?
Suppose that Roger Stebbens sends Flora a message during her absence about a meeting on the 4th of August. He will receive the following auto-acknowledgment reply:-
------------------------------
To: R.Stebbens@vet.gla.ac.uk
From: University.of.Glasgow.Mail.Handler (for frb4h)
Reply-To: frb4h@udcf.gla.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Subject: Meeting on the 4th [ I am off campus ]
Hi, Thanks for your message.
I won't be able to check my e-mail after 25th July until 11th August.
Cheers, Flo Biggins
------------------------------
Why the frb4h? This is because frb4h@udcf.gla.ac.uk is the underlying mail account for F.Biggins@socsci.gla.ac.uk
(d) Installing and activating a VAC message (one-stage).
Send the following message to an e-mail address which reaches you, e.g. if you are Flora Biggins, and you now know your VAC pass, then send this message:-
------------------------------
To: F.Biggins@socsci.gla.ac.uk
Subject: ++vac 649
Hi, Thanks for your message. I won't be able to check my e-mail after 12th September until the 22nd. Cheers, Flo Biggins
------------------------------
When the message arrives, the message text should have been changed as indicated below:
------------------------------
From: F.Biggins@socsci.gla.ac.uk
To: F.Biggins@socsci.gla.ac.uk ~
Subject: ++vac 649
**** VAC message handler response ****
**** A correct VAC pass was supplied this time, so ****
**** your VAC message has been (re)-set as follows: ****
Hi, Thanks for your message.
I won't be able to check my e-mail after 12th September until the 22nd.
Cheers, Flo Biggins
------------------------------
(e) Installing and activating VAD additional recipients (this is the one- stage example - the two stage operation is similar to the two-stage VAC operation as in the examples above).
Send the following message to an e-mail address which reaches you, e.g. if you are Flora Biggins, and you now know your VAC pass, then send this message:-
------------------------------
To: F.Biggins@socsci.gla.ac.uk
Subject: ++vad 649 R.Hall@socsci.gla.ac.uk , M.Small@arts.gla.ac.uk
------------------------------
When the message arrives, the message text should have been changed as indicated below:
------------------------------
From: F.Biggins@socsci.gla.ac.uk To: F.Biggins@socsci.gla.ac.uk
Subject: ++vad 649 **** VAD message handler response ****
**** Additional recipients for your mail have ****
**** been set using the following line: ****
R.Hall@socsci.gla.ac.uk , M.Small@arts.gla.ac.uk
------------------------------
This means that future e-mail messages to F.Biggins@socsci.gla.ac.uk would be delivered to three addresses in all, until a --vad command was used to cancel the additional recipients.
Notes =====
(i) Auto-acknowledgment messages are not sent in response to messages which originate from e-mail servers or e-mail distribution lists, etc.
(ii) A particular auto-acknowledgment message will only be sent at most once per day to a specific sender.
(iii) If the "word" $SUBJECT occurs in your auto-acknowledgement message, then in the acknowledgement message that is sent out, that "word" will be replaced by the content of the "Subject:" header line of the message received. For example, you could say Your message about $SUBJECT will be dealt with when I return.
(iv) If you supply no message text in a Subject: ++vac request, then your previous (or failing that a default) acknowledgment message will be installed.
(v) VAC settings only operate if your e-mail is actually being delivered to your mailbox on the mail server. They are suspended if you install an auto-forward which involves no local delivery, e.g. if you create a .forward file in your home directory specifying only a different e-mail address (see also the output from the Unix command man forward).
(vi) Please report faults to postmaster@gla.ac.uk
