A smart host is an intermediate mail server that handles mail delivery to a final destination, reducing the load on a primary mail server and offering benefits such as spam filtering, authentication, and backup. It is a widely used option for mail management.
A smart host is a mail server designed to act as a stopover along the way for mail delivery to a final destination. With a smart host, instead of sending mail directly from the sending mail server to the recipient mail server, the mail is delivered to the intermediate server and takes care of the delivery. There are a number of benefits to this server design and it is widely used around the world in a variety of settings.
Mail management can be a heavy load for a server. Mail servers have to process incoming and outgoing communications along with errors. Many are equipped to catch spam and malicious emails and this can take a long time to process. Maintaining a smart host allows people to maintain a single robust mail server, rather than trying to maintain several smaller mail servers, a concern of some large companies. It can also reduce your vulnerability to attack by narrowing down the weak points in a company’s computer system.
The smart host can also take over when a primary mail server goes down. Normally, people trying to send or receive mail through a bad server will get errors. With a smart host, the intermediate server can take over, handling mail requests until the primary server is backed up. This reduces problems such as garbled error messages, as well as eliminating user frustration related to problems sending and receiving e-mail, a potentially significant problem in an environment where people expect e-mail to mail works at all times.
The smart host can also offer authentication. Some email providers and Internet Service Providers, in an effort to curb malicious emails, have set up barriers designed to catch problematic emails. Using a smart host creates an opportunity for authentication, ensuring that the primary mail server is not locked down. In some cases, servers will not accept incoming mail sent directly from a sender and expect to see it delivered by a known smart host.
People have many designs to choose from when it comes to a mail server. This option can be discussed with IT personnel to see if it is appropriate for a given mail management need. If so, they can set up the server and set up their email programs to use it. Alternatives may be better suited for some applications and experienced and skilled technical personnel will know which choice would be best for a situation.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
