Chapter 14. Running a Dedicated Server
In this chapter, weâll discuss some of the motivations and challenges associated with running a dedicated IMAP server.
Whatâs a Dedicated Server?
One of Unixâs greatest strengths can also turn into a weakness. Just because you can provide a multitude of dissimilar services on a single server doesnât mean you should. Reduce the total number of services you offer on one server to one or two, and you may increase manageability, robustness, and security several-fold. On your mail server, this could directly translate to happier end users.
The goal of a dedicated server is to minimize administration and maintenance overhead while maximizing the performance of the service to which the server is dedicated. Then what is a dedicated server? Itâs a host tuned to provide a single service. A dedicated IMAP server, for example, would provide only IMAP services. It would not provide shell accounts (other than accounts required for system maintenance), IRC, Usenet, or any other service that is not directly required to provide IMAP service. Simply put, a dedicated IMAP server receives mail, deposits it in the mailstore, and provides access to the mailstore exclusively by way of IMAP.
Get Managing IMAP now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
