Electronic Mail: SMTP, POP, and IMAP
Content
Email Four configurations of email architecture User agent Format of email SMTP POP3 and IMAP4
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What is E-mail?
Email, also known as electronic mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet . Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both should be online at the same time ,but today email systems are based on a store-and-forward model.
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20.1 ARCHITECTURE
To explain the architecture of email, we give four scenarios. We begin with the simplest situation and add complexity as we proceed. The fourth scenario is the most common in the exchange of email.
The topics discussed in this section include: First Scenario Second Scenario Third Scenario Fourth Scenario
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Figure 20.1
First scenario
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Note: When the sender and the receiver of an email are on the same system, we need only two user agents.
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Figure 20.2
Second scenario
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Note: When the sender and the receiver of an email are on different systems, we need two UAs and a pair of MTAs (client and server).
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Figure 20.3
Third scenario
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Note: When the sender is connected to the mail server via a LAN or a WAN, we need two UAs and two pairs of MTAs (client and server).
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Figure 20.4
Fourth scenario
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Note: When both sender and receiver are connected to the mail server via a LAN or a WAN, we need two UAs, two pairs of MTAs (client and server), and a pair of MAAs (client and server). This is the most common situation today.
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Figure 20.5
Push vs. pull
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20.2 USER AGENT
The user agent (UA) provides service to the user to make the process of sending and receiving a message easier.
The topics discussed in this section include: Services Provided by a User Agent User Agent Types Format of Email Email-addresses
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Figure 20.6
User agent Services
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Note: Some examples of command-driven user agents are mail, pine, and elm
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Pine User Agent
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Note: Some examples of GUI-based user agents are Eudora, Outlook, and Netscape.
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Ms Outlook
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Figure 20.7
Format of an email
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Figure 20.8
Email address
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20.3 MESSAGE TRANSFER AGENT: SMTP
The actual mail transfer requires message transfer agents (MTAs). The protocol that defines the MTA client and server in the Internet is called Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
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Figure 20.13
SMTP range
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Figure 20.14
Commands and responses
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Table 20.4 Commands
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Table 20.5 Responses
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Figure 20.17
Message transfer
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Figure 20.18
Connection termination
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Advantages SMTP
Very Popular
Supported on many platforms Low administration and implementation costs
Simple addressing scheme
Limitations in SMTP
Only uses NVT 7 bit ASCII format
How to represent other data types? (Answer :- MIME)
No authentication mechanisms Messages are sent un-encrypted Susceptible to misuse (Spamming, faking sender address)
20.4 MESSAGE ACCESS AGENT: POP AND IMAP
The third stage of mail delivery uses a message access agent; the client must pull messages from the server. Currently two message access protocols are available: Post Office Protocol, version 3 (POP3) and Internet Mail Access Protocol, version 4.
The topics discussed in this section include: POP3 IMAP4
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Figure 20.19
POP3 and IMAP4
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Post Office Protocol v3
Simple Allows the user to obtain a list of their Emails Users can retrieve their emails Users can either delete or keep the email on their system Minimizes server resources
POP illustration
Johns computer
Marys computer Local inbox
SMTP
Internet
POP
SMTP
SMTP Mail spool
Mail server
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Mail server
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Figure 20.20
POP3
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POP3
Advantages
Dont have to know the name of your machine POP mail server is installed on a computer always ON Use Windows interface to read email
The email at the mail server is popped to your local machine
Disadvantages
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Internet Mail Access Protocol v4
Has more features than POP3 User can check the email header before downloading Emails can be accessed from any location Can search the email for a specific string of characters before downloading User can download parts of an email User can create, delete, or rename mailboxes on a server
IMAP illustration
Johns home computer
Johns office computer
IMAP link Incoming/ Outgoing emails John inbox
IMAP link
Mail server (SMTP/IMAP)
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IMAP advantages Messages are accessible from any computer and webmail anywhere in the world sent messages and drafts are also stored on the server server-side spam filtering IMAP mail is backed up and can be restored ease of setting up additional computers to check your email, no need to copy anything from one computer to another
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IMAP disadvantages
Messages load slower, in particular the first time theyre read
Sensitive to size and requires periodic archival of email messages
Subject to storage quotas
Very few ISPs and email providers offer IMAP as it is considered a high end option and its complex for them to support
Not all email programs support it properly
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20.5 WEB-BASED MAIL
Some websites such as Hotmail , gmail and Yahoo provide email service to anyone who accesses the site. Mail transfer and retrieval requires the use of HTTP.
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Figure 23.19
Web-based e-mail, case 1
HTTP transactions
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Figure 23.20
Web-based e-mail, case 2
HTTP transactions
HTTP transactions
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