Sun Internet Mail Server is an extensible framework of independent modules that create an enterprise-wide, open standards-based, scalable electronic message handling system.
A message handling system is the combination of message user and transfer agents, message stores, and access units that together provide electronic mail.
The components of this message handling system are:
|
|
Message Access and Store. Message Access and Message Store are the repositories of user messages, and the means to retrieve and process those messages. Sun Internet Mail Server supports both the Internet Message Access Protocol version 4 (IMAP4) and the less flexible but widely-implemented Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3). |
|
|
Internet Message Transfer. The Internet Message Transfer Agent (IMTA) is responsible for the routing, transfer, and delivery of Internet mail messages. The Sun Internet Mail Server includes a fast, scalable, and flexible IMTA. This replaces the Sendmail utility that is bundled with most UNIX® systems and was used in Sun Internet Mail Server 2.0. |
|
|
Sun Directory Services. The directory is the central repository for meta-information: user profiles, distribution lists, and other system resources. Sun Internet Mail Server is bundled with a dedicated Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory service, but is specifically designed to use any directory service compatible with LDAP version 2. |
|
|
Administration Services. The administration of Sun Internet Mail Server is a comprehensive GUI-based installation, configuration, and monitoring environment. Sun Internet Mail Server is based on the JavaTM Management Application Program Interface (JMAPI) framework. |
|
|
Sun Messaging Connectivity Services. Provides batch-mode connectivity to proprietary message transfer systems. These include the "LAN Mail" systems Lotus cc:Mail and Microsoft Mail, and the mainframe-base IBM OfficeVision (PROFS). |
Refer to Chapter 6, "System Architecture" for detailed descriptions of each component.