Target Skills:

Ability to describe a basic messaging architecture.
 
     
     

Basic Messaging Architecture


In addition to the Clients, Messaging Servers, and Directory Servers discussed in the previous module, there are several other components that when all combined provide a basic messaging architecture for scalability and reliability. These include components for simplified retrieval of messages, internet connectivity, and message transferring.

Simplified Client Retrieval of Messages

It is often desirable to be able to assign users to messaging servers, without needing to reconfigure clients.  The Messaging Multiplexor can help achieve this, and is included with the Messaging Server 4.0 package.

Messaging Multiplexor

The messaging multiplexor is clever way of "hiding" the layout of your messaging servers from the end user clients, allowing assignment of users to messaging servers without having to configure the clients to the specific server.  All clients point to the multiplexor for retrieving incoming messages. 

When a client connects to a multiplexor, the multiplexor does an LDAP query of the Directory Server to find out which messaging server holds the user's messages.  It then connects the client to that server.  The multiplexor is essentially a proxy for IMAP4 and POP3 connections to messaging servers. 
 
 

     

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