Difference between revisions of "Mail server"

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The ''Server'' may be one or more of the following:
 
The ''Server'' may be one or more of the following:
 
#'''[[Mail submission agent]]''' (also known as [[outgoing mail server]], [[message submission agent]] or by its acronym [[MSA]]), which is a computer application used to send [[email]]s;
 
#'''[[Mail submission agent]]''' (also known as [[outgoing mail server]], [[message submission agent]] or by its acronym [[MSA]]), which is a computer application used to send [[email]]s;
#[[Mail transfer agent]] (also known as [[message transfer agent]] or by its acronym [[MTA]]), which is a computer application used to transfer [[email]]s between computers;
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#'''[[Mail transfer agent]]''' (also known as [[message transfer agent]] or by its acronym [[MTA]]), which is a computer application used to transfer [[email]]s between computers;
#[[Mail exchanger]] (also known as [[mail relay]], [[message exchanger]] or [[MX]], and [[MX host]]);
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#'''[[Mail exchanger]]''' (also known as [[mail relay]], [[message exchanger]] or [[MX]], and [[MX host]]), which is a computer application that locates [[DNS record]]s such as [[MX record]]s and use those in order to route [[email]]s;
 
#[[Mail delivery agent]] (also known as [[incoming mail server]], [[message delivery agent]] or by its acronym [[MDA]]).
 
#[[Mail delivery agent]] (also known as [[incoming mail server]], [[message delivery agent]] or by its acronym [[MDA]]).
  

Revision as of 15:00, 19 June 2019

A mail server (hereinafter, the Server) is any software instance that transfers electronic mail messages from or to other Servers using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). The Servers may also take the messages from sender's mail user agents (MUAs) and deliver those to recipient's MUAs, usually, using POP3 and/or IMAP protocols.

The Server can also refer to mail server software. More broadly, email software refers to all the software utilized for both the Server and MUAs.


Categories

The Server may be one or more of the following:

  1. Mail submission agent (also known as outgoing mail server, message submission agent or by its acronym MSA), which is a computer application used to send emails;
  2. Mail transfer agent (also known as message transfer agent or by its acronym MTA), which is a computer application used to transfer emails between computers;
  3. Mail exchanger (also known as mail relay, message exchanger or MX, and MX host), which is a computer application that locates DNS records such as MX records and use those in order to route emails;
  4. Mail delivery agent (also known as incoming mail server, message delivery agent or by its acronym MDA).

Common senders submit their electronic mail messages to their MUA, which transfers the message to the mail submission agent, which transfers the message to either mail delivery agent or mail exchanger between the two. Finally, the mail delivery agent transfers the message to receiver's MUA.

Best practices