Hardware Components of a Mail Configuration

A mail configuration requires three elements, which can be combined on the same system or provided by separate systems:

• A mail host - A system configured to handle email addresses that are difficult to resolve

• At least one mail server - A system configured to hold one or more mailboxes

• Mail clients - Systems that access mail from a mail server

When you want users to communicate with networks outside your domain, you must also add a fourth element, a mail gateway.

Figure 33-1 shows a typical electronic mail configuration, using the three basic mail elements plus a mail gateway.

Figure 33-1 Typical Electronic Mail Configuration

Each element is described in detail in "Hardware Components of a Mail Configuration".