In response to student complaints, the Coral server used for student e-mail accounts was upgraded over spring break to accommodate the addition of address books and sent-mail folders.
The upgrade laid the groundwork for Tufts Computing and Communications Services (TCCS) to develop these features in the future, although it has yet to announce when the improvements will occur.
The e-mail service currently includes sent-mail folders and address books only when students access their accounts from Netscape Messenger on their personal computers. When a student uses Information Message Processor (IMP) webmail, which allows access to Trumpeter from any computer with an Internet browser, neither service is available.
Students have repeatedly complained about the lack of an address book and a sent-mail folder - as both features were previously available under the Emerald e-mail system. "Typing e-mails is much easier but I miss the address book and sent-mail folders," sophomore Gabrielle Eklund said.
TCCS University Systems Group upgraded the operating system "in order to bring it under the umbrella of their standard build and maintenance services," TCCS spokeswoman Kathleen Cummings said.
Trumpeter is an IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) server, a network standard that allows users to manage e-mail messages and folders from multiple locations and systems. IMAP users can choose to store their messages on their computer locally or on a network server.
During the upgrade, on March 16-17, students were unable to access their e-mail accounts for two days.
The switchover from the IMP, which provides webmail access to IMAP accounts, to an Information Management System (IMS) will create a foundation for a new webmail implementation. Cummings called the upgrade the "crucial first step" in providing the advanced functionality that students desire.
While current freshmen were issued Coral accounts upon arrival at the University last fall, the rest of the student body began the process of moving from the Emerald server to the Coral server on Feb. 6. Sophomores and juniors were required to change from Emerald to Coral, but seniors were given the option of whether to do so.
Some students had expressed anxieties about the changeover and its possible effects on the system. Nearly two months after the process began, however, Cummings said that students seem happy with the new service and the transfer process.
"We were very pleased with the migration process," she said. "Feedback that we received was overwhelmingly positive."
In keeping with efforts to improve the e-mail system, TCCS will soon assemble a team to evaluate webmail clients. Cummings said it will seek out student representation from both the undergraduate and professional schools to join the group.
