MX RECORDS

[efrat]

Hi All
Can someone know what is MX -records
And for what use them

Thanks
Efrat

[dwhawley]

are you playing around in a wins or dns server database? if that is the case, i believe MX stands for mail exchange. they identify the mail servers on your network. knowing where you are finding this record would be helpful.

[Clunietp]

from the DNS Server help files in Win 2K, its a pretty good explanation


Mail exchanger (MX) resource records
The mail exchanger (MX) RR is used by e-mail applications to locate a mail server based on a DNS domain name used in the destination address for the e-mail recipient of a message. For example, a DNS query for the name "example.microsoft.com" could be used to find an MX RR, enabling an e-mail application to forward or exchange mail to a user with the e-mail address "user@example.microsoft.com."

The MX RR shows the DNS domain name for the computer or computers that process mail for a domain. If multiple MX RRs exist, the DNS Client service attempts to contact mail servers in the order of preference from lowest value (highest priority) to highest value (lowest priority). The following shows the basic syntax for use of an MX RR.

mail_domain_name IN MX preference mailserver_host

By using the MX RRs shown below in the example.microsoft.com zone, mail addressed to user@example.microsoft.com is delivered to user@mailserver0.example.microsoft.com first if possible. If this server is unavailable, the resolver client can then use user@mailserver1.example.microsoft.com instead.


@ IN MX 1 mailserver0
@ IN MX 2 mailserver1

Note that the use of the at sign (@) in the records indicates that the mailer DNS domain name is the same as the name of origin (example.microsoft.com) for the zone.