Amazon EC2: How to configure web/email server for mailout/mailing lists

Originally posted by Chris here (unfortunately, it's incomplete). Please also note, that the easiest way to ensure good email deliverability is to use an SMTP relay. Confconsole now also includes a SMTP relay configuration option. This should be compatible with any TurnKey server with outgoing internet access (including AWS) and should also be compatible with custom SMTP providers. If you have troubles getting it working, please post on the forums.

This guide is currently being modified, it is incomplete so please check back later.

Mailing Lists and Notifications

Many companies use mailing lists in order to keep willing clients up to date, promote products and inform of changes. It is an important communication tool that has been eroded in the last decade by enormous amounts of SPAM and fraudulent phishing scams etc.

Even if you just use a server to send out alerts for administrators and have a few users being emailed this guide could be very important in order to stop ISP's blocking your email and worse reporting you to a blacklisting email abuse company like Trend Micro.

About this Guide

It is by no means a definitive guide as there are too many operators in place with differing management consoles to cover them all. The basics are covered and you should be able to apply this technique to your own situation, failing that you can ask for info in the original forum post!

Requirements

You must have the following

  • An Amazon account
  • A HUB account for ease of use
  • root access to your server
  • software for configuring your server (I use Putty but any SSH client is fine)
  • A server! - virtual or bare metal
  • A public static IP address

What I Use

  • My Hub account
  • A Micro Server with Joomla 1.6
  • Acy Mailing (PHPList would work well but thats another write up)
  • Putty

Assumptions

  • You know how to setup AWS, the HUB and provision servers
  • You have comand line skills
  • You can setup your website if necessary
  • You are familiar with postfix, Content Management Systems, DNS, SPF
  • You dont want to recieve emails on this server (Thats another tutorial I will do later)

Step By Step (go to step 3 if you already know how to start servers from the hub)

  1. Setup AWS account, sign up for the HUB
  2. Start a server (size is irrlevant). The only restriction at this point is that the appliance you are using has postfix. I am not entirely sure all images come with it but I know all the CMS' do.
  3. Once started 

Any questions feel free to ask over on the forum post!