MailHost

MailHost is a term used to describe a service or software package that hosts and manages email for one or more domains. It encompasses the infrastructure and software necessary to receive, store, route, and deliver messages, and to provide users with access to mail through clients or web interfaces.

In a typical MailHost deployment, core components include an email transfer agent that accepts and forwards messages, a mail delivery agent that stores messages in user mailboxes, and submission services that accept messages from clients. Mail data is stored in mailboxes or databases and accessed by mail user agents via IMAP or POP3. The service integrates with DNS records such as MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to ensure proper routing and to verify sender identity.

Core transport and access protocols are SMTP for message transfer, and IMAP or POP3 for retrieval, with SMTP submission increasingly secured via TLS. Webmail interfaces or mobile apps are commonly provided as part of the MailHost offering to give users browser- or app-based access.

Security and reliability are central concerns. Features typically include TLS encryption for in-transit protection, DKIM signing, DMARC policy enforcement, SPF validation, anti-spam and malware filtering, and regular backups. High-availability configurations employ redundancy, failover, and monitoring.

Usage and deployment models vary from on-premises installations for organizations with strict data control to cloud-based or managed hosting services that provide scalable mail hosting with minimal administration. Common considerations include compliance requirements, data sovereignty, performance, and cost.