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Email Web Servers Isps: What Are The Types of Mail Servers?

A mail server is a computer system that sends and receives email using standard email protocols like SMTP, IMAP, and POP3. Mail server software allows a system to function as a mail server by creating and managing email accounts for hosted domains. Popular mail server options include Microsoft Exchange Server for Windows and Exim, Dovecot, and Courier for Linux. Mail servers can be on-premises, where the organization manages physical servers locally, or cloud-based, where a third-party vendor hosts the servers virtually.

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129 views4 pages

Email Web Servers Isps: What Are The Types of Mail Servers?

A mail server is a computer system that sends and receives email using standard email protocols like SMTP, IMAP, and POP3. Mail server software allows a system to function as a mail server by creating and managing email accounts for hosted domains. Popular mail server options include Microsoft Exchange Server for Windows and Exim, Dovecot, and Courier for Linux. Mail servers can be on-premises, where the organization manages physical servers locally, or cloud-based, where a third-party vendor hosts the servers virtually.

Uploaded by

Divya Sharma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A mail server (or email server) is a computer system that sends and

receives email. In many cases, web servers and mail servers are


combined in a single machine. However, large ISPs and public email
services (such as Gmail and Hotmail) may use dedicated hardware for
sending and receiving email.
In order for a computer system to function as a mail server, it must
include mail server software. This software allows the system
administrator to create and manage email accounts for
any domains hosted on the server. For example, if the server hosts
the domain name "techterms.com," it can provide email accounts
ending in "@techterms.com."
Mail servers send and receive email using standard email protocols.
For example, the SMTP protocol sends messages and handles
outgoing mail requests. The IMAP and POP3 protocols receive
messages and are used to process incoming mail. When you log on to
a mail server using a webmail interface or email client, these protocols
handle all the connections behind the scenes.
Mail server software is available for multiple platforms. The most
popular mail server for Windows is Microsoft Exchange Server,
an enterprise product used by large businesses. However, many other
options exist, including Ipswitch IMail Server, IceWarp Mail Server,
MailEnable, and hMailServer. Popular Linux options include Exim for
sending mail and Dovecot and Courier for receiving mail.

What are the types of mail servers?


Mail servers can be divided into two categories: incoming mail servers and
outgoing mail servers.

An incoming mail server stores mail and sends it to a user's inbox. Post Office
Protocol 3 (POP3) and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) are the two
main types of incoming mail servers.
POP3, for example, downloads email from a server and stores incoming email
messages on a single device until the user opens the email client. Once the
user downloads the email, it is automatically deleted from the server, unless
the "keep mail on server" setting is enabled. Many internet service
providers offer their users POP3 email accounts, as they are more space
efficient.

IMAP servers enable users to preview, delete and organize emails before
transferring them to multiple devices from the email server. Copies of emails
are left on the server until the user deletes them.

An outgoing mail server operates by having a user's machine communicate


with Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), which handles the email delivery
process. SMTP servers work with other types of mail servers, namely POP3
or IMAP, to send emails from email clients.

On-premises vs. cloud mail servers


Email servers can be located on premises or be cloud-based. On-premises servers are
physical servers that are at an organization's location. The organization must manage
and maintain all servers and infrastructure. Cloud-based servers are virtual and are
hosted using cloud computing. There is no one right option for every organization, as it
depends on the business.

On-premises mail servers use the organization's servers, receiving all emails and
sending them to an indexed database. On-premises servers typically require a larger
upfront investment for hardware, installation and management. The potential for
scalability is also less immediate compared to email servers hosted in the cloud. The
organization is responsible for providing security.

Cloud-based email servers, such as Amazon Simple Email Service ( SES), operate the
same way as on-premises servers, but the data is stored in a cloud environment that a
separate vendor provides. There is typically a monthly fee included, set up as a pay-
as-you-go pricing method. Scaling is usually easier and more immediate compared to
on-premises servers since an organization is just using more of the vendor's resources
instead of having to add more physical server space. The cloud vendor provides
security.

Considerations for choosing a mail server


An organization must take the following into account before choosing a mail server:

 Security. Email services should use advanced tools to protect information. Other


features an email provider may provide include encryption, antimalware, spam
filtering and data loss prevention tools.

 Cost. On-premises email servers cost more upfront but also provide more fine-
grained control over systems and security. Cloud-based email services typically
have less upfront cost and require less maintenance.

 Archiving and storage. Ensure a vendor offers sufficient storage for email archiving.


Some services may also offer an option to move old messages to an archive
automatically.

 Compatibility. Email services may also offer options to sync with web-based and
mobile applications, such as email, calendar and contact applications.
What are examples of mail servers?
There are many different free and paid mail servers that use SMTP. Some examples
are the following:

 Amazon SES is a cloud-based platform with an SMTP interface.

 Halon MTA is an email operations and security platform that uses SMTP.

 Microsoft Exchange Server is a paid email, calendaring, contact, scheduling and


collaboration platform that is deployed on the Windows Server operating system.

 OpenSMTPD is a free MTA developed as part of the OpenBSD


 Open-Xchange is a free web-based collaboration and office productivity software
suite with email and scheduling capabilities.

 Oracle Beehive is a paid collaboration platform that combines email, instant


messaging and conferencing.

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