MHS: Definition of Gateway

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Mail Gateway to MHS, version 3.0

A gateway, when used in conjunction with electronic mail systems, is designed to connect two or more dissimilar mail systems. For example, in order to link two dissimilar mail system called A and B, the gateway sends and receives messages from mail system A using the protocols associated with that mail system and it sends and receives messages from mail system B using the protocols associated with mail system B.

The gateway changes all the protocols necessary between the two mail systems, but it does not change the actual data being sent; that is, what you send is what is received by the destination mail system.

Gateways are not always able to provide every service requested by a mail system since they are limited by the services available at the other mail system. For example, one mail system may support registered mail. When it sends a registered mail message through the gateway to another mail system, that receiving mail system must be able to support registered mail. If the mail system does not support registered mail, this service has no use when communicating with this mail system.