Depending on the server configuration, Domino supports multiple mail protocols (like POP3 and SMTP) and supplies its own mailing facility. The VA Smalltalk Domino Connection supports the built in mail system that is based on Domino databases. To integrate mail with the Domino Connection, make sure your Notes clients and the Domino servers are set up to support Notes Mail.

An important database in the Domino mail system is mail.box. If you want to send a document, you have to copy it to this database. The router task scans that database and delivers it to either the personal mail database of the recipient or to another server database for further routing. Depending on the mail setup (local or remote) the mail.box database is located on your Notes client or on a Domino server. To enable the router to determine the mail destination, you have to include a text field (either AbtLnItemText or AbtLnItemTextList) named "Recipients" in your document. The field must contain one or more valid mail addresses.

To find out which recipients can be reached from your mail domain, Domino utilizes the names and address book (usually called names.nsf). There are views in the names and address book which can be referenced to find valid recipients.

A third database is involved in a mail transfer: the users mail database. It serves as a message store and implements the mail applications when you use the Notes client. The personal mail database also serves as host database for the personal calendar and the user's ToDo list.

When you are disconnected from your mail server (this is the case when you use a "travel" or "island" setup), your mail.box is located on your Notes client installations data directory. On LAN based installations you will find your mail.box on the Domino mail server. If you are not sure about the mail server, ask your Domino administrator or look at your notes.ini. There is a entry named MAILSERVER which specifies the name of the server where your mail.box is set up.