Power PTC Optional Configuration Items

Overview

This section includes configuration to Power PTC that isn’t required for Power PTC to function, but does add functionality to the product. This includes SMTP or mail server configuration and translations for end users.

SMTP Configuration

SMTP or mail server configuration will enable your Power PTC server to send out emails to external email accounts. In the context of Power PTC this is used for password recovery for end users as well as the ability to mass email all teachers with their schedule after conference scheduling has been closed. To configure SMTP setting perform the following:

  1. Log into the Power PTC web interface using an administrative account.
  2. Click on System Config.
  3. Click on Mail Setup.
  4. Set a valid name for SMTP server address.
  5. If your SMTP server isn’t listening on port 25 then set a valid SMTP Port.
  6. Set a valid email address to send the mail from by setting Sender Email Address.
  7. If you SMTP server requires authentication set the user name and password in SMTP Authentication Username: and SMTP Authentication Password:.
  8. If you SMTP server uses TLS, then check the corresponding box to enable it.
  9. To save your settings, click on Save Mail Settings.
Testing SMTP Configuration

It is recommended that you test your configuration to confirm that Power PTC is able to send email to external mail servers. To test your mail setup perform the following:

  1. First confirm that your Mail System Status is set to enabled.

    If you status is not set to enabled confirm your mail server settings.
  2. Click on the link Send Test Email.
  3. In the subsequent dialog box, enter a valid email address that you have access to view, then click Send Test Email. If you receive the email at the remote account, your email setup is then complete.
Troubleshooting Mail Server Problems

If you are having issues getting Power PTC to send email through an external server, we recommend testing Power PTC using Google’s Gmail as the SMTP server. This is not recommended for production environments, but is useful to confirm that your Power PTC server is capable of sending mail and that there are not any network issues preventing mail from being sent. This requires a valid gmail account to use for testing. To test using Google’s gmail, perform the following:

  1. Log into the Power PTC web interface using an administrative account.
  2. Click on System Config.
  3. Click on Mail Setup.
  4. For SMTP server address: set smtp.google.com.
  5. For SMTP Port: set 578.
  6. For Sender Email Address: set your gmail address.
  7. Set your gmail username and password in the fields SMTP Authentication Username and SMTP Authentication Password.
  8. Set User TLS to enabled.
  9. To save your settings, click on Save Mail Settings.
  10. Attempt to send a test email using the Send Test Email.

Translations

This feature is considered experimental!

Translations allow for parents to be able to schedule in their native language. Currently only Spanish is included. By default, translations are disabled, to enable translations perform the following steps:

  1. Log into the Power PTC web interface using an administrative account.
  2. Click on System Config.
  3. Click on Interface.
  4. Place a check in box next to Enable Translations.
  5. Then click on Save Settings.

After saving your settings, flag icons will appear in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. To switch a language, simply click on flag for the corresponding language.