Microsoft® Exchange Server is based on a client/server architecture. While Microsoft Exchange Server systems can have many different physical configurations, a typical installation will have some components located on a computer running Microsoft Exchange Server, others located on a computer running the Microsoft Exchange Client, and possibly others located on another computer running a server application of Microsoft Exchange Server.
Before deciding on the design of your client or server application, it is important to understand the basic categories of Microsoft Exchange Server architecture. These categories are:
For detailed information about Microsoft Exchange Server architecture, see the Microsoft Exchange Server documentation in the "Database and Messaging Services" section of the Microsoft Platform SDK.