About
An SMTP email server in the email landscape is a server that implements the SMTP protocol in order to:
- send,
- receive and store email message
The normal destination is a box but the email may be forwarded to:
- a HTTP endpoint
- or another email
Note on POP and IMAP email server
This page is about a SMTP server, not about POP, IMAP server that help to manage the mailbox box (read, delete, …) from a desktop client
MDA and MTA are SMTP servers
Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) and Mail Delivery Agent (MDA) are other names for SMTP servers that emphasize the role that they have in the email processing.
If you want to know the basic of email, check this page: How does the email system work? SMTP, POP, IMAP explained
Management
Mx DNS records
The MX dns records points to the Mail Delivery SMTP server.
Implementation
Server Application
Below you will find some SMTP server implementation
- Sendmail - SMTP server: the first linux server
- Email - Postfix - SMTP server: the new sendmail
- Dovecot
- Halon
- Maildir
Language
Java:
- SubEthaSMTP is a Java library for implementing SMTP server functionality
- Apache James (netty based)
- Java Email Server (a Java SMTP and POP3 e-mail server)
- nsmtp - netty SMTP
Node:
For development, see How to test if an email was successfully send ?