Postfix Components

The architecture of Postfix is quite different from that of a monolithic system such as Sendmail, which traditionally uses a single large program for its handling of email messages. Postfix breaks down tasks into separate functions using individual programs that each perform one specific task. Most of these programs are daemons, which are processes that run in the background on your system. The master daemon is started first, and it invokes most other processes, as needed. Postfix daemons that are invoked by the master daemon process their assigned tasks and terminate. They might also terminate after a configured amount of time or after handling a maximum number of requests. The master daemon is resident at all times, and gets its configuration information at startup from both main.cf and master.cf. See Chapter 4 for more information on Postfix configuration files.

Figure 3-1 depicts a high-level picture of the Postfix architecture. Broadly speaking, Postfix receives messages, queues them, and finally delivers them. Each stage of processing is handled by a distinct set of Postfix components. After a message is received and placed into the queue, the queue manager invokes the appropriate delivery agent for the final disposition of the message. The next few sections in this chapter discuss the details of each of the stages.

Figure 3-1. Broad view of the Postfix architecture

figs/psfx_0301.gif

Introduction

Prerequisites

Postfix Architecture

General Configuration and Administration

Queue Management

Email and DNS

Local Delivery and POP/IMAP

Hosting Multiple Domains

Mail Relaying

Mailing Lists

Blocking Unsolicited Bulk Email

SASL Authentication

Transport Layer Security

Content Filtering

External Databases

Appendix A. Configuration Parameters

Appendix B. Postfix Commands

Appendix C. Compiling and Installing Postfix

Appendix D. Frequently Asked Questions



Postfix(c) The Definitive Guide
Postfix: The Definitive Guide
ISBN: 0596002122
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 130
Authors: Kyle Dent D.

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