Probably the most heavily used part of an intranet has nothing to do with corporate databases, flashy Web pages, or multimedia content-it's the use of electronic mail. Corporate intranets can use a number of different e-mail programs, such as cc:Mail, Microsoft Mail, or Lotus Notes, among others. But the most common architecture underlying the use of intranet e-mail is the protocol called the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, or SMTP. Illustrated here is how SMTP is used to deliver mail within an intranet.

1. As is true with many intranet and Internet applications, SMTP uses client/server architecture. When someone wants to create a mail message, they use a mail user agent or user agent (MUA or UA)-client software that runs on a computer-to create a piece of electronic mail. This MUA can be one of any number of e-mail programs, and can run on a variety of different computers, including PCs, Macintoshes, and UNIX workstations. Popular MUAs include Pine for UNIX computers; Pegasus, Eudora, cc:Mail, and Microsoft Mail for the PC; and Eudora for the Macintosh.
2. After the message is completed, it is sent by the MUA to a program running on a server called a mail transfer agent (MTA). The MTA looks at the address of the intended recipient of the message. If the recipient of the message is on the intranet, the MTA sends the message to another server program on the intranet called a mail delivery agent (MDA). If, instead, the recipient is located on the Internet or another intranet, the file is sent over the Internet to the recipient. (See the next illustration on how mail is transferred among intranets.) The MDA looks at the address of the recipient, and sends the mail to the in box of the proper person.
3. Some mail systems use another e-mail protocol called the Post Office Protocol (POP) in concert with SMTP. With POP, e-mail is not delivered directly to your computer. Instead, the mail is delivered to a mailbox on a server. To get the mail, someone logs onto the server using a password and user name, and retrieves mail with their mail agent.
4. The recipient of the mail can now use a mail user agent to read the mail, file it, and respond to it.
5. SMTP can only handle the e-mail transfer of plain ASCII text files. In order to send binary files such as spreadsheets, pictures, and word processing documents, they must first be converted into an ASCII format by encoding them. The files can be encoded using a variety of methods, including uuencoding and Base64. Some e-mail software will automatically encode binary files. When an encoded file is received by someone, they decode it and then can use or view the binary file. Again, many e-mail packages automatically decode encoded files.

• Doktertomi.com : Free Inspirations, News, Guides, Tips and Tricks
• Makassar Today : Everything You Need To Know About Makassar
• Masterbiznet.com : Masternya Bisnis Internet
• Work in The Website : News, Guides, Tips and Tricks on Website Monitization and Advertising