Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP3, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP1
Topic Last Modified: 2006-07-24

Use the General tab on the Accepted Domain properties page to specify how Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 handles the e-mail messages that Exchange accepts.

An accepted domain is any Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) namespace for which an Exchange organization sends and receives e-mail. Accepted domains include those domains for which the Exchange organization is authoritative. An Exchange organization is authoritative when it handles mail delivery for recipients in the accepted domain. Accepted domains also include domains for which the Exchange organization receives mail and then relays to an e-mail server that is outside the Active Directory forest for delivery to the recipient.

Authoritative Domain

To specify that recipients in this domain have mailboxes in the Exchange organization, select this option.

Internal Relay Domain

To specify that recipients in this domain do not have mailboxes in the Exchange organization, but do have contacts in the address book, and that e-mail messages will be relayed for this domain through hub servers in the Exchange organization, select this option. 

External Relay Domain

To specify that recipients in this domain do not have mailboxes in the Exchange organization and that e-mail messages will be relayed for this domain through the computers that have the Edge Transport server role installed, select this option.

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