# Architecture: ContentStore Mailbox (SMTP Journal Solution)

This Architecture Planning guide illustrates how to plan and design an environment for ContentStore Mailbox (SMTP Journal Solution).

## Additional Information:

- ContentStore Mail Server Access Node (SMTP) & CI (Content Indexing) Access node:

  The Exchange package must be installed on the mailbox access node & the SMTP role must be enabled. For more information see, Configuring the ContentStore Mail Server (SMTP).

  The journaled messages are stored as messages on the ContentStore Mail Server Access Node (SMTP). After the messages are archived, you must run a cleanup job to delete the messages from the SMTP server.

  For more information, seeHardware recommendations.

  CI access node is required for content indexing operations as well as search based on message content and attachment content. The Web Server package must be installed on the CI access node.

  For more information, see Hardware Recommendations.

- Index Server:

  You must install the index server package for performing indexing, search, and analytics functions. The metadata and CI data is stored in the index server.

  For more information, see Hardware Recommendations.

## Load Balancing Technologies

To provide load balancing and fault tolerance, you can route the mail using multiple smart hosts in the Send Connector, MX records, or a hardware load balancer.

Note

Recommendation: Add the SMTP servers as smarts hosts to the Send Connector. If you have more than one smart host configured in the Send Connector, they will be used in rotation, so that all the smart hosts receive mail equally.

It does not require any new DNS zones, or the creation of MX records in DNS. It also allows you to select authentication and encryption methods on the connector.

The following table compares using multiple smart hosts in the Send Connector with the Hardware load balancer.

Method | Advantages | Disadvantages
--- | --- | ---
Multiple smart hosts in Send Connector | No Costs Secure, simple and quick High Availability | Failed hosts that will remain down for longer periods of time will have to be manually removed.
Hardware load balancer | Additional statistics and reporting Health checks Load balancing algorithms | Additional costs

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