haim@grumpy.sarnoff.com (Haim Shvaytser x2085) (04/18/91)
What are the advantages/disadvantages of a distributed mail configuration versus a centralized mail configuration? Which is easier to maintain, which is more secure, and which is more "standard"? What are the main reasons for a domain to switch from a distributed mail configuration to a centralized mail configuration? Do you know of a domain that actually switched? haim@utdallas.edu
carlo@ghost.unimi.it (Carlo Bolchini) (04/20/91)
In comp.mail.misc you write: >What are the advantages/disadvantages of a distributed mail configuration >versus a centralized mail configuration? Which is easier to maintain, which >is more secure, and which is more "standard"? Standard? You talked about configuration, which must meet your local requirements (or am I wrong?). I think there is nothing standard in configurations. My experience told me that is much simpler to maintain a centralized mail configuration, not a distributed one. This way you have to maintain only few "mail servers" and do a little on the other nodes. I mean, for example you have to work hardly on few hosts to configure/maintain/etc. and have a simple and possibly equal configuration on the other sites. I think this fact should be clear. Using centralized configurations you have to configure/etc. at least two hosts, one for backup in case one goes down, and do some Name Server config/maint. (in case you're working with Unix). BTW, what kind of systems/platforms you plan to use? >What are the main reasons for a domain to switch from a distributed mail >configuration to a centralized mail configuration? Do you know of a domain >that actually switched? We are actually switching to a new domain. Since the number of hosts we're planning to connect is high, it would be a suicide to maintain/configure/etc.. every site with a distributed solution. In part we have switched to a centralized solution and we will convert totally after the switching will be finished. I replyed to the group because I hope that could be intereseting to open a discussion on this - it interests me too :-). -- Carlo Bolchini Phone : +39-2-7575242 Computer Science Dept, Milan University Fax : +39-2-76110556 Via Moretto da Brescia, 9 Telex : 335199 - MIDSII I-20133 Milano - Italy - `92 Europe E-Mail : carlo@ghost.unimi.it