| Explanation & Hint:
A Mail Transfer Agent (MTA)’s primary purpose is to deliver mail between servers. An MTA is responsible for transferring email messages from one computer to another using the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). The main function of an MTA is to route and deliver emails across networks, ensuring they reach their intended destinations. Here’s why the other options are not the primary purpose of an MTA:
- Manage the end user’s inbox: This is not the role of an MTA. Managing the end user’s inbox is typically handled by a Mail Delivery Agent (MDA) or directly by email client software.
- Filter out spam: While some MTAs can be configured to include spam-filtering capabilities, this is not their primary function. Spam filtering is often handled by specialized software or services that integrate with or work alongside MTAs.
- Serve email to end clients: Serving email directly to end clients is the role of a Mail User Agent (MUA) or an email client, and sometimes a Mail Submission Agent (MSA) when receiving outgoing mail from clients. It can also involve a Mail Delivery Agent (MDA) when it places the mail into the user’s mailbox.
- Act as a gateway between faxes and email: This is a specific function that would typically be managed by a gateway service specifically designed to integrate fax systems with email, not a standard function of an MTA.
Therefore, the primary purpose of a Mail Transfer Agent is to deliver mail between servers. |