It's really nice standalone mail server.
Written in JAVA, can be scaled to high numbers of nodes.
I have used mysql based setup

| $JAMES_HOME/conf/database.properties

database.driverClassName=com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
database.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost/james
database.username=james
database.password=james
vendorAdapter.database=MYSQL
openjpa.streaming=false

Now download mysql jdbc driver from dev.mysql.com
Place file in $JAMES_HOME/lib/

now define it in environment

| $JAMES_HOME/bin/setenv.sh

CLASSPATH_PREFIX=../conf/lib/mysql-connector-java-5.1.15-bin.jar
export CLASSPATH_PREFIX

Controller port is defined in -$JAMES_HOME/conf/jmx.properties.
you can use jconsole to connect to your controller.
which allow you to manage services using GUI.

Also make usre you have define JAVA_HOME in you bash env.

now start your server using $JAMES_HOME/bin/james start