The role of a mail server is to handle incoming and outgoing emails for its users. It receives incoming emails, stores them in a mailbox, and delivers them to the intended recipient. For outgoing emails, it receives them from the user, processes them, and sends them to the recipient’s mail server.
The technical description of the process involves various components and protocols. When an email is sent, it is first delivered to the sender’s email client, which then connects to the sender’s mail server using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). The mail server then checks the recipient’s domain name to identify the recipient’s mail server.
Once the recipient’s mail server is identified, the sender’s mail server establishes a connection to it and sends the email through the SMTP protocol. The recipient’s mail server then delivers the email to the intended recipient’s mailbox using either the Post Office Protocol (POP) or Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). The recipient can then access the email using their email client.
Overall, the mail server plays a crucial role in ensuring that emails are delivered securely and efficiently between different users and domains.
