Microsoft requires DMARC for consumer domains and what it means for you
6 April 2025
Thomas Hampel
These days a number of customers are reaching out to us due to Microsoft's announcement to make DMARC mandatory.
Customers are afraid of their mails getting lost because Domino does not provide native DMARC support yet.
For outbound mails, DMARC just describes what a recipient server should do with an email.
By using a DNS TXT record in YOUR DNS, the recipient is instructued to do: Nothing, Quarantine, or Reject an email from a sender that does not meet your SPF record and doesnt provide a DKIM signature.
Sounds easy (+is easy) for Domino customers to set up - details at the end of this post
How will Microsoft's announcement affect you?
Let's take a look at the facts first:
- Microsoft's announcement will affect CONSUMER domains (=hotmail.com, live.com, outlook.com), but not other domains.
- Even after May 5th 2025, Microsoft will not reject your mails.
- Non compliant high volume senders (to consumer domains!) will find mails ending up in the junk folder of the recipient.
- A typical O365/Exchange Onprem customer using @YourDomain.com is not affected, for clarification see this official comment from Microsoft
This all is nothing new. Google also announced the same same, and it is in effect since February 1, 2024
Are you sending more than 5.000 mails PER DAY to @hotmail.com, @live.com, or @outlook.com or likewise for @gmail or @googlemail.com accounts?
Then you are a considered being a bulk sender!
Bulk messages often are marketing campaigns, targeting individuals only using generic MS or Google domains listed above. Essentially being B2C mailings.
You can still send mails to folks using those email domains. Just if your company sends more than 5.000 mails in a single day your mail might be put into the Junk folder if you have not added a DMARC record.
By the way, for marketing initiatives, mass mailings, etc, take a look at products like HCL Unica
However, if you want Domino to meet the DMARC requirements, all you have to do is to enable DMARC in DNS.
A prerequisite is having configured SPF and DKIM, both are standards Domino supports.
With those prerequisites being configured, enabling DMARC is quite simple.
For details see step by step instructions in this article and once done, run a DMARC check against your domain.
If you are looking for a Domino application to analyze DMARC Inbound reports, take a look at this template from NTF-Factory
As a side note:
Microsoft Exchange (onprem) does neither support DKIM nor DMARC - both would require 3rd party products (see this).
References:
- What is DMARC ?
- Ideas portal: DMARC Support for Domino
- Google's Announcement - effective Feb 1st 2024
- Microsoft's Announcement - effective May 5th 2025
- KB0103502 - Whitepaper: Understanding SMTP authentication and using DKIM and SPF
These days a number of customers are reaching out to us due to Microsoft's announcement to make DMARC mandatory.
Customers are afraid of their mails getting lost because Domino does not provide native DMARC support yet.
For outbound mails, DMARC just describes what a recipient server should do with an email.
By using a DNS TXT record in YOUR DNS, the recipient is instructued to do: Nothing, Quarantine, or Reject an email from a sender that does not meet your SPF record and doesnt provide a DKIM signature.
Sounds easy (+is easy) for Domino customers to set up - details at the end of this post
How will Microsoft's announcement affect you?
Let's take a look at the facts first:
- Microsoft's announcement will affect CONSUMER domains (=hotmail.com, live.com, outlook.com), but not other domains.
- Even after May 5th 2025, Microsoft will not reject your mails.
- Non compliant high volume senders (to consumer domains!) will find mails ending up in the junk folder of the recipient.
- A typical O365/Exchange Onprem customer using @YourDomain.com is not affected, for clarification see this official comment from Microsoft
This all is nothing new. Google also announced the same same, and it is in effect since February 1, 2024
Are you sending more than 5.000 mails PER DAY to @hotmail.com, @live.com, or @outlook.com or likewise for @gmail or @googlemail.com accounts?
Then you are a considered being a bulk sender!
Bulk messages often are marketing campaigns, targeting individuals only using generic MS or Google domains listed above. Essentially being B2C mailings.
You can still send mails to folks using those email domains. Just if your company sends more than 5.000 mails in a single day your mail might be put into the Junk folder if you have not added a DMARC record.
By the way, for marketing initiatives, mass mailings, etc, take a look at products like HCL Unica
However, if you want Domino to meet the DMARC requirements, all you have to do is to enable DMARC in DNS.
A prerequisite is having configured SPF and DKIM, both are standards Domino supports.
With those prerequisites being configured, enabling DMARC is quite simple.
For details see step by step instructions in this article and once done, run a DMARC check against your domain.
If you are looking for a Domino application to analyze DMARC Inbound reports, take a look at this template from NTF-Factory
As a side note:
Microsoft Exchange (onprem) does neither support DKIM nor DMARC - both would require 3rd party products (see this).
References:
- What is DMARC ?
- Ideas portal: DMARC Support for Domino
- Google's Announcement - effective Feb 1st 2024
- Microsoft's Announcement - effective May 5th 2025
- KB0103502 - Whitepaper: Understanding SMTP authentication and using DKIM and SPF
Tagged with: Mail
Balkonsolar - year two in review
2 January 2025
Thomas Hampel
It's been two years ago when I installed two solar panels on my balcony to produce my own power.
I've already blogged about it at length last year.
Now another year has passed and I'd like to review it again because some parameters have changed.
1. The cost of power per kW has reduced from € 0,49 to € 0,35 per kWh
2. Panels are now positioned at an angle instead of just hanging at 90degrees
3. New solar panels are cheaper than ever before.
so lets take a look 2024.
I've done a first assessment exactly one year ago, so now its time to review the second year of running my own mini solar power production at home.
Following are the plain unfiltered figures:
Produced : 552,53 kWh, so 121,81 kWh more than last year.
I've returned 109 kWh to the grid (for free) due to producing more than what I have used, mainly because I was on vacation away from home.
At a current price of € 0,35 / kWh it results in savings of € 193,39 for 2024, compared to € 210,62 for 2023
This is about 17 Eur less than last year where power was more expensive a year ago : € 0,49 vs. € 0,35 / kWh.
Also this is indeed a high cost per kWh compared to € 0,32 / kWh which you could get with a new contract - however, last year it was the cheapest option for us.
I am including the energy I have returned to the grid worth € 38,15 in my savings calculation because it was on me to use it.
Here is the chart showing power production over the course of the year.
In this year, the month of August seemed to be the best month, shortly followed by July - both months providing a good amount of sunlight and power output.
When putting 2023 and 2024 side by side, you can see what a difference it makes to mount panels at an angle.
I have to admit, I have certainly not mounted my panels in the most optimal position. However, it really makes a difference!
Overall a 28% more output from exactly the same modules.
Ok, great - now what's next?
UPGRADE! This year the legal situation changed in Germany. It is now allowe to run with an 800W inverter while I'm still using the basic 600W inverter.
I already bought the new inverter, but have not found time to do the upgrade. Overall I'm not expecting a huge power boost, but a small 10% to maybe 20% imporvement during peak season in summer.
TCO
Price for new solar panels has dropped to <60 Eur / piece for a 450 Wp panel, e.g. Trina Solar.
EUR 110,- for 2x Panels (€ 55,- each)
EUR 110,- for 1x Hoymiles HM-800
EUR 80,- for panel mount/equipment
EUR 50,- for some 5m solar power cables,adapters and other small parts
= EUR 350,-
Given current figures, the entire investment would have already payed off in just two years!.
Just because I bought my equipment at a slightly higher price it will take another year for me to get a return on invest.
Conclusion:
Is it (still) worth it ?
Need to repeat my previous statement from 2023 : Absolutely YES YES YES YES!
Even at current energy prices and prices of new solar panels you'll have a return of invest in under two years.
That is comparable to an interest rate of >50% - where on earth do you get that for your bank account?
My advise:
Dont wait, START NOW and install as many solar panels as you (leagally) can.
This year I helped two more friends with buiding their own "Balkonkraftwerk".
It's been two years ago when I installed two solar panels on my balcony to produce my own power.
I've already blogged about it at length last year.
Now another year has passed and I'd like to review it again because some parameters have changed.
1. The cost of power per kW has reduced from € 0,49 to € 0,35 per kWh
2. Panels are now positioned at an angle instead of just hanging at 90degrees
3. New solar panels are cheaper than ever before.
so lets take a look 2024.
I've done a first assessment exactly one year ago, so now its time to review the second year of running my own mini solar power production at home.
Following are the plain unfiltered figures:
Produced : 552,53 kWh, so 121,81 kWh more than last year.
I've returned 109 kWh to the grid (for free) due to producing more than what I have used, mainly because I was on vacation away from home.
At a current price of € 0,35 / kWh it results in savings of € 193,39 for 2024, compared to € 210,62 for 2023
This is about 17 Eur less than last year where power was more expensive a year ago : € 0,49 vs. € 0,35 / kWh.
Also this is indeed a high cost per kWh compared to € 0,32 / kWh which you could get with a new contract - however, last year it was the cheapest option for us.
I am including the energy I have returned to the grid worth € 38,15 in my savings calculation because it was on me to use it.
Here is the chart showing power production over the course of the year.
In this year, the month of August seemed to be the best month, shortly followed by July - both months providing a good amount of sunlight and power output.
When putting 2023 and 2024 side by side, you can see what a difference it makes to mount panels at an angle.
I have to admit, I have certainly not mounted my panels in the most optimal position. However, it really makes a difference!
Overall a 28% more output from exactly the same modules.
Ok, great - now what's next?
UPGRADE! This year the legal situation changed in Germany. It is now allowe to run with an 800W inverter while I'm still using the basic 600W inverter.
I already bought the new inverter, but have not found time to do the upgrade. Overall I'm not expecting a huge power boost, but a small 10% to maybe 20% imporvement during peak season in summer.
TCO
Price for new solar panels has dropped to <60 Eur / piece for a 450 Wp panel, e.g. Trina Solar.
EUR 110,- for 2x Panels (€ 55,- each)
EUR 110,- for 1x Hoymiles HM-800
EUR 80,- for panel mount/equipment
EUR 50,- for some 5m solar power cables,adapters and other small parts
= EUR 350,-
Given current figures, the entire investment would have already payed off in just two years!.
Just because I bought my equipment at a slightly higher price it will take another year for me to get a return on invest.
Conclusion:
Is it (still) worth it ?
Need to repeat my previous statement from 2023 : Absolutely YES YES YES YES!
Even at current energy prices and prices of new solar panels you'll have a return of invest in under two years.
That is comparable to an interest rate of >50% - where on earth do you get that for your bank account?
My advise:
Dont wait, START NOW and install as many solar panels as you (leagally) can.
This year I helped two more friends with buiding their own "Balkonkraftwerk".
Tagged with: Solar
Bug: Mail routing and mail rules stop working after restarting Domino
13 December 2024
Thomas Hampel
*** ALERT ***
Development team just identified a new issue which will affect ALL Domino server versions as of TODAY ( 13th of December 2024 )
Starting as of today, if you restart your Domino server, a router error will result in delivery failures due to a routing loop.
Mail rules will also start failing. It is a date/time issue in our code.
What is affected is outbound mail only. Inbound mail is working fine
It's a bug that seems to exist since 30+ years and has not been spotted by IBM nor by Lotus.
We will of course provide a fix as soon as possible for all Domino versions that are in support.
Furthermore for older versions in extended support, customers with an extended support agreement will be provided with a fix as well.
For now, to avoid the problem please avoid restarting your servers and also please DO NOT attempt to fix the issue by changing operating system time into the past.
If you have restarted Domino and you or your customers are experiencing issues please contact support to open a case referencing SPR# BRISDBWRXJ .
*** UPDATE ***
The first set of fixes are available for download now at https://my.hcltechsw.com/ :
- Domino 14.0.0FP3 IF1 - Windows+ Linux
- Domino 14.0.0FP2 IF2 - Windows
- Domino 12.0.2FP5 IF1 - Windows + Linux
- Domino 11.0.1FP9 IF1 - Windows + Linux
*** UPDATE 2 ***
Second batch of updates is now available, now adding AIX:
- Domino 14.0.0FP3 IF1 - Windows + Linux + AIX
- Domino 14.0.0FP2 IF2 - Windows + Linux + AIX
- Domino 12.0.2FP5 IF1 - Windows + Linux + AIX
- Domino 11.0.1FP9 IF1 - Windows + Linux + AIX
If you have opened a ticket and have installed the fix successfully, please don't forget to close the support ticket afterwards.
Further information will be provided in this article
Reference:
https://support.hcl-software.com/csm?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0118192
*** ALERT ***
Development team just identified a new issue which will affect ALL Domino server versions as of TODAY ( 13th of December 2024 )
Starting as of today, if you restart your Domino server, a router error will result in delivery failures due to a routing loop.
Mail rules will also start failing. It is a date/time issue in our code.
What is affected is outbound mail only. Inbound mail is working fine
It's a bug that seems to exist since 30+ years and has not been spotted by IBM nor by Lotus.
We will of course provide a fix as soon as possible for all Domino versions that are in support.
Furthermore for older versions in extended support, customers with an extended support agreement will be provided with a fix as well.
For now, to avoid the problem please avoid restarting your servers and also please DO NOT attempt to fix the issue by changing operating system time into the past.
If you have restarted Domino and you or your customers are experiencing issues please contact support to open a case referencing SPR# BRISDBWRXJ .
*** UPDATE ***
The first set of fixes are available for download now at https://my.hcltechsw.com/ :
- Domino 14.0.0FP3 IF1 - Windows+ Linux
- Domino 14.0.0FP2 IF2 - Windows
- Domino 12.0.2FP5 IF1 - Windows + Linux
- Domino 11.0.1FP9 IF1 - Windows + Linux
*** UPDATE 2 ***
Second batch of updates is now available, now adding AIX:
- Domino 14.0.0FP3 IF1 - Windows + Linux + AIX
- Domino 14.0.0FP2 IF2 - Windows + Linux + AIX
- Domino 12.0.2FP5 IF1 - Windows + Linux + AIX
- Domino 11.0.1FP9 IF1 - Windows + Linux + AIX
If you have opened a ticket and have installed the fix successfully, please don't forget to close the support ticket afterwards.
Further information will be provided in this article
Reference:
https://support.hcl-software.com/csm?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0118192
Tagged with: Domino
Dezember 2024: AcceptIT Anwendertage in Paderborn + Dusseldorf + Leipzig + Stuttgart
28 November 2024
Thomas Hampel
Nächste Woche bin ich als Sprecher bei den AcceptIT Anwendertagen 2024 am 3. Dezember 2024 in Paderborn dabei.
Die Anwendertage sind eine Roadshow mit 4 Events verteilt über Deutschland um Teilnehmern eine kurze Anreise zu ermöglichen.
Es gibt einen Überblick zu allem was es in Notes/Domino usw. neues gibt und was mit Domino 14.5 demnächst erscheint.
Wir reden auch über IT Sicherheit, Datenschutz und Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) ohne Cloud.
Nach dem Auftakt in Paderborn geht es nach Düsseldorf (5.12.) und dann in der folgenden Woche nach Leipzig (10.12.) und Stuttgart (12.12.).
Man darf sich übrigens noch anmelden:
3. Dec 2024 - Germany/Paderborn
Accept IT Anwendertage - Event website
5. Dec 2024 - Germany/Düsseldorf
Accept IT Anwendertage - Event website
10. Dec. 2024 - Germany/Leipzig
Accept IT Anwendertage - Event website
12. Dec. 2024 - Germany/Stuttgart
Accept IT Anwendertage - Event website
Nächste Woche bin ich als Sprecher bei den AcceptIT Anwendertagen 2024 am 3. Dezember 2024 in Paderborn dabei.
Die Anwendertage sind eine Roadshow mit 4 Events verteilt über Deutschland um Teilnehmern eine kurze Anreise zu ermöglichen.
Es gibt einen Überblick zu allem was es in Notes/Domino usw. neues gibt und was mit Domino 14.5 demnächst erscheint.
Wir reden auch über IT Sicherheit, Datenschutz und Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) ohne Cloud.
Nach dem Auftakt in Paderborn geht es nach Düsseldorf (5.12.) und dann in der folgenden Woche nach Leipzig (10.12.) und Stuttgart (12.12.).
Man darf sich übrigens noch anmelden:
3. Dec 2024 - Germany/Paderborn
Accept IT Anwendertage - Event website
5. Dec 2024 - Germany/Düsseldorf
Accept IT Anwendertage - Event website
10. Dec. 2024 - Germany/Leipzig
Accept IT Anwendertage - Event website
12. Dec. 2024 - Germany/Stuttgart
Accept IT Anwendertage - Event website
Tagged with: Events
Welcome Domino License Analysis Utility (DLAU) 1.2.6
20 November 2024
Thomas Hampel
Hi Folks,
the new version 1.2.6 of the Domino License Analysis Utility (DLAU) has just been published.
The tool allows customers to analyze their current environment to identify the license needs.
What's has changed in this release?
- Issue #79 - “External Org” users getting improperly categorized as Known Guests
- Issue #78 - External users by organization name is case sensitive
- Issue #72 - Directory Assistance processed differently based on sequence of loading server docs
- UI/UX Issues in Scan Wizard: “Environment Scan Results” is not displaying the list of additional Domino Directories found
- UI/UX Issues in Scan Wizard: “User Report Tool” Scan tab should no longer allow the user to change the location of the User Report Tool.
- User Report Tool Selection Change
Here is a direct link to the download page for DLAU V1.2.6
For more details and to download the latest version see
https://opensource.hcltechsw.com/domino-license-analysis-utility-DLAU/
PS: As mentioned in our privacy statement, the tool performs all activity in your environment with no data being sent back to HCL without your explicit consent.
Hi Folks,
the new version 1.2.6 of the Domino License Analysis Utility (DLAU) has just been published.
The tool allows customers to analyze their current environment to identify the license needs.
What's has changed in this release?
- Issue #79 - “External Org” users getting improperly categorized as Known Guests
- Issue #78 - External users by organization name is case sensitive
- Issue #72 - Directory Assistance processed differently based on sequence of loading server docs
- UI/UX Issues in Scan Wizard: “Environment Scan Results” is not displaying the list of additional Domino Directories found
- UI/UX Issues in Scan Wizard: “User Report Tool” Scan tab should no longer allow the user to change the location of the User Report Tool.
- User Report Tool Selection Change
Here is a direct link to the download page for DLAU V1.2.6
For more details and to download the latest version see
https://opensource.hcltechsw.com/domino-license-analysis-utility-DLAU/
PS: As mentioned in our privacy statement, the tool performs all activity in your environment with no data being sent back to HCL without your explicit consent.