Setting email tracking options

Email tracking saves emails sent about specific issues, requirements, requirement documents, test cases, and test runs with the item. Users can view tracked emails on the item Overview or Email tab in the Helix ALM Client or Email tab in Helix ALM Web.

When a tracked email is sent, it includes a tracking cookie that identifies the project, the email, and the item it was sent from. The email headers use either the user's email address or the project email notification account email address (if the email is sent by an automation rule) as the From user. The Helix ALM email tracking account name is used as the Reply To email address in the header of the tracked email.

If a reply to a tracked email is sent, the email is sent to the email tracking account specified in the Reply To header. The Helix ALM Server retrieves the email from the tracking account and uses the tracking cookie to identify the project and the email the reply was sent about. The reply email is then attached as a reply to the original email and forwarded to the email account of the user who sent the original email.

1. Click Server Options. You can also choose View > Server Options.

The Options dialog box opens.

2. Select Tracking from the Email category.

3. Select Enable tracking mail to track emails.

Note:  Use a dedicated account for email tracking purposes. All email received by the account is imported to Helix ALM and then deleted from the account. Helix ALM cannot differentiate between personal and business email.

4. Enter information about the email account used to send tracked email.

  • Select the email Protocol. You can use POP or IMAP.
  • Enter the Host IP address or domain name.
  • Select the SSL protocol to encrypt communication between the mail server and Helix ALM Server. You can use the Negotiate, SSL 3.0, STARTTLS 1.0, or TLS 1.0, 1.1, or 1.2 protocols. Select <not set> if you do not want to use a secure protocol.
  • Enter the Port number. The default POP port is 995 if you select an SSL protocol and 110 if you do not. The default IMAP port is 993 if you select an SSL protocol and 143 if you do not.
  • Enter the Username and Password if the host requires an authenticated login. The Helix ALM Server uses this information to log in to the email server to retrieve tracked email. Leave these fields empty if the host does not require authenticated login.
  • Enter the Return Email Address used by the Helix ALM Server to send tracked email. When a user replies to tracked email, the email is returned to the Helix ALM Server and then attached to the corresponding item before it is forwarded to the user who sent the original message.

5. Click Test Connection to validate the connection to the mail server.

The Connection Test Results dialog box opens. If the test connection fails, you can copy and paste the text into an email or text file and send it to your system administrator for help.

6. Enter the Time to wait for initial connection response.

This is the time the Helix ALM Server waits for an initial response from the email server. The valid range is 1-32767 seconds.

7. Enter the Time to wait for other connection responses.

This is the time the Helix ALM Server waits for connection responses from the email server. The valid range is 1-32767 seconds.

8. Select Automatically remove emails without tracking cookies from the mail server to delete emails that do not include a tracking cookie.

You may want to select this option if the email tracking account receives spam or other email you do not want to import into Helix ALM.

9. Select a Protocol to use to send tracked email. You can use POP, IMAP, or Exchange Online.

Exchange Online sends email via Microsoft Exchange Online. Additional configuration is required in Azure Active Directory before you can use the Exchange Online protocol with Helix ALM. See Setting up Azure Active Directory to use the Exchange Online protocol in Helix ALM.

Note:  If email tracking is configured to use the IMAP or POP protocol with an Exchange Online email address, we recommend changing it to use the Exchange Online protocol instead. Basic Authentication with the IMAP and POP protocols is deprecated with Exchange Online connections.

10. Enter the information about the email account used to send tracked email.

  • Host — Host used to send outgoing mail. Enter an IP address (e.g., 123.34.5.26) or your mail server’s fully qualified domain name (e.g., mail.yourcompany.com).
  • SSL — SSL protocol to use to encrypt communication between the mail server and Helix ALM Server. You can use the Negotiate, STARTTLS 1.0, or TLS 1.0, 1.1, or 1.2 protocols. Select <not set> if you do not want to use a secure protocol.
  • Port — Port number to use to send email. The default POP port is 995 if you select an SSL protocol and 110 if you do not. The default IMAP port is 993 if you select an SSL protocol and 143 if you do not.
  • Username and Password — Credentials if the host requires an authenticated login. The Helix ALM Server uses this information to log in to the email server to retrieve tracked email. Leave these fields empty if the host does not require authenticated login.
  • Enter the Return Email Address used by the Helix ALM Server to send tracked email. When a user replies to tracked email, the email is returned to the Helix ALM Server and then attached to the corresponding item before it is forwarded to the user who sent the original message.
  • Enter the Time to wait for initial connection response. This is the time the Helix ALM Server waits for an initial response from the email server. The valid range is 1-32767 seconds.
  • Enter the Time to wait for other connection responses. This is the time the Helix ALM Server waits for connection responses from the email server. The valid range is 1-32767 seconds.
  • Tenant ID — Tenant ID for the Azure Active Directory that Helix ALM is registered in.
  • Application ID — ID that Azure Active Directory assigned to the Helix ALM app registration.
  • Client secret — Client secret generated in Azure Active Directory for the Helix ALM app registration.
  • Email address —Email account in Exchange Online that Helix ALM will monitor for incoming emails. This is also known as the User Principal Name in Azure Active Directory.

11. Click Test Connection to validate the connection to the email server.

The Connection Test Results dialog box opens. If the test connection fails, you can copy and paste the text into an email or text file and send it to your system administrator for help.

12. Select Automatically remove emails without tracking cookies from the mail server to delete emails that do not include a tracking cookie.

You may want to select this option if the email tracking account receives spam or other email you do not want to import into Helix ALM.

13. Click OK to save the changes.