Mail Server Configuration, Concept and Work Flow questions
 

Hi all,

I am very new in the Linux World, and I have too many questions regarding to the Mail Server Configurations, Concepts and Work Flows that cannot found by the Internet... even I read 20+ Howtos, tutorials, readme...

Background:

I would like to setup the mail solution with virtual domains and users like that (refer to some solution found in the Internet):

Mail Exchanger (mx1.example.com & mx2.example.com)
- Handle all incoming mail
- Postfix with Postgrey, DSpam, and ClamAV

Mail Server (mail.example.com)
- Handle clients send and receive mail (SMTP+TLS, IMAP, IMAPs, POP3, POP3s)
- Mailbox Storage
- Postfix, Dovecot

Database Server (internal only)
- Store the virtual domains and mailboxes information
- MySQL

All are using CentOS 5.2


Descriptions:

All mails comes in to the Mail Exchanger (mx), check with Greylist Policy, RBL, SPAM, Virus, if everything passed, the mail sends to Mail Server (via LMTP).

Clients sent mail though Mail Server (mail) with SMTP AUTH.

Clients receive mail though Mail Server (mail) by IMAP(s) and/or POP3(s).


Questions:

1. The scenario is good? Or any suggestions?

2. I cannot understood what the processing flow in the MX, Postfix how to know it should be send the "PASSED" mails to Mail Server via LMTP?

Or any resource, articles I can refer for the "master.cf" (not the readme only, for the readme, I only found the meaning, it is not enough for the newbie like me)?

3. Any details description for the "master.cf" I can refer to? Details mean what the process flowing, logic flow, with English descriptions.


Thank you for all of you the time to help the newbie like me.

Jack

Hi Jack,

I think you're on the right track and you have a very good setup. I understand your confusion with the different parts and agree that the documentation and tutorials are rather bad at explaining concepts and meaning -- I felt the same way when I was first setting up mail servers.

What helped me was to set up a few virtual machines or spare computers and just experiment. That's the best way to learn how the different parts work, how you can use different settings and techniques, etc.

There are two really good books on Postfix: The Book of Postfix from No Starch Press and Postfix from O'Reilly. I highly recommend reading them as they do go into some detail about the meaning of Postfix.

Joe

Joe,

Thank you for your suggestion, and I have read the book, Postfix from O'Reilly, from Google before. However, maybe I need more time to read and study again.

Jack