internet mail server

Intranet Mail Server

What Is A Mail Server

A mail server (also known as a mail transfer agent or MTA, a mail transport agent, a mail router or an Internet mailer) is an application that receives incoming e-mail from local users (people within the same domain) and remote senders and forwards outgoing e-mail for delivery.

A computer dedicated to running such applications is also called a mail server. Microsoft Exchange, Gmail, Exim and sendmail are among the more common mail server programs. If a particular customer need to have his/her own Domain name to the email address/ addresses, customer should have the Mail Server facility.

Types of Mail Servers

Mail servers can be broken down into two main categories: outgoing mail servers and incoming mail servers.

Outgoing mail servers are known as SMTP, or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, servers.

Incoming mail servers come in two main varieties. POP3, or Post Office Protocol, version 3, servers are best known for storing sent and received messages on PCs' local hard drives. IMAP, or Internet Message Access Protocol, servers always store copies of messages on servers. Most POP3 servers can store messages on servers, too, which is a lot more convenient.

How Mail Server Works:

The mail server works in conjunction with other programs to make up what is sometimes referred to as a messaging system.

As a rule, the system uses SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) or ESMTP (extended SMTP) for sending e-mail, and either POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) or IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) for receiving e-

What is a Mail Server?

A mail server is an application that receives email from email clients or other mail servers. It is the workhorse of the email system.

A mail server usually consists of a storage area, a set of user definable rules, a list of users and a series of communication modules.

A mail server (sometimes also referred to an e-mail server) is a server that handles and delivers e-mail over a network, usually over the Internet. A mail server can receive e-mails from client computers and deliver them to other mail servers.  

How Does E-mail work:I. MESSAGE SENDER uses mail software, called a

client, to compose a document, possibly including attachments such as tables, photographs or even a voice or video recording.

II. INTERNET MAIL ADDRESSES attached to each message are in the form "mailbox@domainname" - one specific example being "webmaster@seniorindian.com." The multipart domain name in the above example denotes a top-level domain (".com") following the second-level domain ("seniorindian"). A message is delivered to an individual or a group by the mailbox name ("webmaster").

III. MAIL SUBMISSION SERVER converts the domain name of the recipient’s mail address into a numeric Internet Protocol (IP) address. It does this by querying domain name servers interspersed throughout the Internet.

IV. ROUTERS dispersed throughout the Internet read the IP address on a packet and relay it toward its destination by the most efficient path.

V. DESTINATION MAIL SERVER places the packets in their original order, according to the instructions contained

How Email Really Works

i. Sender creates and sends an emailii. Sender's MDA/MTA routes the emailiii. Network Cloudiv. Email Queuev. MTA to MTA Transfer

Mail Server Protocols

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It's a set of

communication guidelines that allow software to transmit email over the Internet. Most email software is designed to use SMTP for communication purposes when sending email and it only works for outgoing messages. When people set up their email programs, they will typically have to give the address of their Internet service provider's SMTP server for outgoing mail. There are two other protocols - POP3 and IMAP - that are used for retrieving and storing email.

An SMTP server performs two functions: Verifies proper configuration and grants permission to a

computer attempting to send a message. Sends an outgoing message to a predefined destination and

tracks the successful delivery of the message. If it is not deliverable, a message is sent back to the sender.

 What is a POP3?

POP3, which is an abbreviation for Post Office Protocol 3, is the third version of a widespread method of receiving email.

POP POP is the older design, and hails from an

era when intermittent connection via modem (dial-up) was the norm.  POP allows users to retrieve email when connected, and then act on the retrieved messages without needing to stay "on-line."  This is an important benefit when connection charges are expensive.

IMAP

IMAP is the newer protocol and oriented toward a "connected" mode of operation.  The standard IMAP procedure is to leave messages on the server instead of retrieving copies, so email is only accessible when "on-line."  

Preparing Active Directory

Just as Active Directory forms the backbone of a Windows network, it also forms the backbone of an Exchange Server 2007 deployment.

A. Setting Domain and Forest Functional LevelsB. Extending the Active Directory SchemaC. Setting Legacy PermissionsD. Preparing the Active Directory Schema from

the Command Line E. Organization Name LimitationsF. Preparing the Infrastructure for Exchange

Installation

Exchange Server 2007 Installation Requirements

Server with a 64-bit processor and a 64-bit operating system1 GB of RAM (2 GB recommended)A minimum of 1.2 GB of hard disk spaceActive Directory ServiceDHCPRemote Installation Service (RIS) Internet Information Server (IIS)

Install Exchange Server 2007

1. For our installation, we will be using the Exchange Server

2007 Setup Wizard. So start by logging on to the server on

which you want to do the install and insert the Exchange Server

2007 DVD into the DVD drive. Setup.exe will automatically

start.

2. On the Start page complete steps 1 through 3:

3. The physical installation of Exchange Server is the fourth

step in the installation process. Once you’re ready to continue,

click on:

Step 1: Install .NET Framework 2.0The first step in the Exchange Server 2007

installation process is to install version 2.0 of the .NET Framework.

Step 2: Install Microsoft Management Console (MMC)

Exchange Server 2007 requires version 3.0 of the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).

Step 3: Install Microsoft Windows PowerShell

Exchange Server 2007 is written in such a way that anything that can be done through the Exchange Management Console can also be scripted through the Microsoft Command Shell.

Step 4: Install Microsoft Exchange1. Click on the "Install Microsoft Exchange" link to view the screen

shown in Figure.

Server Roles

1.Edge Transport 2.Hub Transport 3.Client Access 4.Mailbox 5.Unified

Messaging

Mailbox

The Mailbox node allows us to manage Mailbox server role settings that apply to your entire Exchange 2007 organization. We can maintain existing or create new address lists, managed custom folders, messaging records management (MRM) mailbox policies, and offline address books (OABs).

Create Mailbox

Managing Mailbox Features

We can manage functionalities at the user level, enabling or disabling the following features:OWA

Exchange ActiveSyncUnified Messaging MAPI access.

Mailbox Feature’s

Mailbox Quota

Quota MessagesA quota message is an e-mail message that is automatically sent by Microsoft Exchange to the owners of a mailbox or a public folder when a size limit (called a storage quota) for the mailbox or public folder is exceeded.

Managing Quotas

Set Mail Flow setting

Managing Address Lists Address lists are managed in the Exchange Management Console on the Mailbox node under Organization Configuration in the console tree. They can be found by selecting the Address List tab in the results pane.

Create Address List

SMTP ConnectorsExchange 2007 requires connectors to send and receive e-mail messages. You don't have to configure connectors to send and receive e-mail internally.

The connectors between Hub Transport servers in the organization are implicit and are computed by using the IP site link information that is stored in Active Directory. To send and receive e-mail outside the Exchange organization, Send connectors and Receive connectors are required.

Send Connectors

A Send connector controls outgoing connections from the organization. Send connectors are not scoped to a single computer.

Create a New Receive Connector

In Exchange 2007, the Receive connector is a "receive listener." This means that the Receive connector is listening for incoming connections that match the settings of the Receive connector.

SMTP receive Connector

Enable or Disable a Receive Connector

In Exchange 2007, you use Receive connectors to accept e-mail messages from remote e-mail systems. Multiple Receive connectors can exist for an organization to support the need for specific configurations.

Managing E-Mail Address Policies

For a recipient to receive or send e-mail messages, the recipient must have an e-mail address. E-mail address policies generate the primary and secondary e-mail addresses for your recipients (which include users, contacts, and groups) so they can receive and send e-mail.

Distribution Group

Use the Distribution Group node to manage mail-enabled distribution groups (which include security groups) and dynamic distribution groups. You can create new distribution groups, and remove, disable, or configure existing distribution groups.

Dynamic Distribution Groups

Dynamic distribution groups are distribution groups whose membership is based on specific recipient filters rather than a defined set of recipients.

Distribution Group

Unified Messaging

Use the Unified Messaging Server node to configure voice messaging, fax, and e-mail messaging into one store that users can access from a telephone and a computer.

Mailbox

Use the Mailbox node to manage mailbox users and resource mailboxes. Resource mailboxes include room and equipment mailboxes.

Disconnected Mailbox

Use the Disconnected Mailbox node to view and connect disabled mailboxes. Disconnected mailboxes are retained based on the configured mailbox database limits.

Transport Rules

The transport rules that you configure on one Hub Transport server are applied through Active Directory to all other Hub Transport servers in the Exchange 2007 organization. The transport rules that you configure on an Edge Transport server are applied only to e-mail messages that pass through that specific Edge Transport server.

Mail Flow Tools

The Toolbox contains the following analysis, mail flow, and diagnostic tools:

•Mail Flow Troubleshooter

•Message Tracking tool

•Queue Viewer

Managing Storage Groups

Managing storage groups includes creating a new storage group, configuring a storage group, removing an existing storage group, and moving a storage group path.

Creating a DatabaseYou can add mailbox databases or public folder databases to storage groups. For information about how to create a new public folder database

Create Database

Transport Rules work

There are three stages in creating a transport rule: conditions, actions and exceptions. These stages are shown during the process of creation within the “New Transport Rule Wizard”.

MAIL CONTACTS

Mail contacts   These are mail-enabled Active Directory contacts that contain information

about people or organizations that exist outside your Exchange organization.

Managing Message Tracking

1. Enable or disable message tracking. The default is enabled.

2. Specify the location of the message tracking log files.

3. Specify a maximum size for the individual message tracking log files. The default is 10 MB.

4. Specify a maximum size for the directory that contains the message tracking log files. The default is 250 MB.

5. Specify maximum age for the message tracking log files. The default is 30 days.

Managing Agent Logging

Connection Filter agent Content Filter agent Edge Rules agent Recipient Filter agent Sender Filter agent Sender ID agent

Event Log Levels

In part one of this article series we saw how the event log level was set to Medium for folder access. We saw how this was set in the Manage Diagnostics Logging Properties wizard, a reminder of which is pictured in Figure 11 below.

Bibliography

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete ReferenceBy Richard Luckett, William Lefkovics, Bharat Suneja

  Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Administrator's Pocket

Consultant Second Edition By William R. Stanek

  Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference

By Richard Luckett  Mastering Microsoft Exchange Server 2007

By Barry Gerber and Jim McBee

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