Understanding the transport pipeline

The transport pipeline consists of the following services:

Front End Transport service on Mailbox servers This service acts as a
stateless proxy for all inbound and (optionally) outbound external SMTP traffic
for the Exchange 2016 organization. The Front End Transport service doesn't
inspect message content, doesn't communicate with the Mailbox Transport
service, and doesn't queue any messages locally.
Transport service on Mailbox servers This service is virtually identical to
the Hub Transport server role in Exchange Server 2010. The Transport service
handles all SMTP mail flow for the organization, performs message
categorization, and performs message content inspection. Unlike Exchange
2010, the Transport service never communicates directly with mailbox
databases. That task is now handled by the Mailbox Transport service. The
Transport service routes messages among the Mailbox Transport service, the
Transport service, the Front End Transport service, and (depending on your
configuration) the Transport service on Edge Transport servers. The Transport
service on Mailbox servers is described in more detail later in this topic.
Mailbox Transport service on Mailbox servers This service consists of
two separate services:
o Mailbox Transport Submission service This service connects to
the local mailbox database using an Exchange remote procedure call
(RPC) to retrieve messages. The service submits the messages over
SMTP to the Transport service on the local Mailbox server or on other
Mailbox servers. The Mailbox Transport Submission service has access
to the same routing topology information as the Transport service.
o Mailbox Transport Delivery service This service receives SMTP
messages from the Transport service on the local Mailbox server or on
other Mailbox servers and connects to the local mailbox database
using RPC to deliver the messages.
The Mailbox Transport service doesn't communicate with the Front End
Transport service, the Mailbox Transport service, or mailbox databases on
other Mailbox servers. It also doesn't queue any messages locally.
Transport service on Edge Transport servers This service is very similar
to the Transport service on Mailbox servers. If you have an Edge Transport
server installed in the perimeter network, all mail coming from the Internet or
going to the Internet flows through the Transport service Edge Transport
server. This service is described in more detail later in this topic.
The following diagram shows the relationships among the components in the
Exchange 2016 transport pipeline.
Note:

Although the diagrams in this topic show the components on a single Exchange
2016 server, communication also occurs between those components on different

Exchange 2016 servers. The only communication that always occurs on the local
Exchange 2016 server is between the Mailbox Transport service and the local
mailbox database.
Overview of the transport pipeline in Exchange 2016

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How messages from external senders enter the transport pipeline
The way messages from outside the Exchange organization enter the transport
pipeline depends on whether you have a subscribed Edge Transport server deployed
in your perimeter network.
Inbound mail flow (no Edge Transport servers)
The following diagram and list describe inbound mail flow with only Exchange 2016
Mailbox servers.

1. A message from outside the organization enters the transport pipeline

through the default Receive connector named "Default Frontend <Mailbox
server name>" in the Front End Transport service.

2. The message is sent to the Transport service on the local Mailbox server or on
a different Mailbox server. The Transport service listens for messages on the
default Receive connector named "Default <Mailbox server name>".
3. The message is sent from the Transport service to the Mailbox Transport
Delivery service on the local Mailbox server or on a different Mailbox server.
4. The Mailbox Transport Delivery service uses RPC to deliver the message to
the local mailbox database.
Inbound mail flow with Edge Transport servers
The following diagram and list describe inbound mail flow with an Edge Transport
server installed in the perimeter network

1. A message from outside the Exchange organization enters the transport

pipeline through the default Receive connector named "Default internal
Receive connector <Edge Transport server name>" in the Transport service
on the Edge Transport server.
2. In the Transport service on the Edge Transport server, the default Send
connector named "EdgeSync - Inbound to<Active Directory site name>"
sends the message to a Mailbox server in the subscribed Active Directory
site.

3. In the Front End Transport service on the Mailbox server, the default Receive
connector named "Default Frontend<Mailbox server name>" accepts the
message.
4. The message is sent from the Front End Transport service to the Transport
service on the local Mailbox server or on a different Mailbox server. The
Transport service listens for messages on the default Receive connector
named "Default <Mailbox server name>".
5. The message is sent from the Transport service to the Mailbox Transport
Delivery service on the local Mailbox server, or on a different Mailbox server.
6. The Mailbox Transport Delivery service uses RPC to deliver the message to
the local mailbox database.
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How messages from internal senders enter the transport pipeline
SMTP messages from inside the organization enter the transport pipeline through
the Transport service on a Mailbox server in one of the following ways:
Through a Receive connector.
From the Pickup directory or the Replay directory.
From the Mailbox Transport Submission service.
Through agent submission.
The message is routed based on the routing destination or delivery group.
Outbound mail flow (no Edge Transport servers)
By default, in a new Exchange 2016 organization, there's no Send connector that's
configured to send messages to the Internet. You need to create the Send connector
yourself. After you do that, Outbound mail flow occurs as described in the following
diagram and list.

1. The Mailbox Transport Submission service uses RPC to retrieve the outbound
message from the local mailbox database.
2. The Mailbox Transport Submission service uses SMTP to send the message to
the Transport service on the local Mailbox server or on a different Mailbox
server.
3. In the Transport service, the default Receive connector named
"Default <Mailbox server name>" accepts the message.
4. What happens next depends on the configuration of the Send connector:

Default The Transport service uses the Send connector you created
to send the message to the Internet.
o Outbound proxy The Transport service uses the Send connector you
created to send the message to the Front End Transport service on the
local Mailbox server or on a remote Mailbox server. In the Front End
Transport service, the default Receive connector named "Outbound
Proxy Frontend <Mailbox server name>" accepts the message. The
Front End Transport services sends the message to the Internet.
Outbound mail flow with Edge Transport servers
If you have an Edge Transport server installed in the perimeter network, outbound
mail never flows through the Front End Transport service. Outbound mail flow with
an Edge Transport server is described in the following diagram and list.
o

1. The Mailbox Transport Submission service uses RPC to retrieve the outbound
message from the local mailbox database.

2. The Mailbox Transport Submission service uses SMTP to send the message to
the Transport service on the local Mailbox server or on a different Mailbox
server.
3. In the Transport service on a Mailbox server in the subscribed Active Directory
site, the default Receive connector named "Default <Mailbox server name>"
accepts the message.
4. The message is sent to the Edge Transport server using the implicit and
invisible intra-organization Send connector that automatically sends mail
between Exchange servers in the same organization.
5. In the Transport service on the Edge Transport server, the default Receive
connector named "Default internal Receive connector <Edge Transport
server name>" accepts the message.
6. In the Transport service on the Edge Transport server, the default Send
connector named "EdgeSync - <Active Directory site name> to Internet"
sends the message to the Internet.
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Understanding the Transport service on Mailbox servers
Every message that's sent or received in an Exchange 2016 organization must be
categorized in the Transport service on a Mailbox server before it can be routed and
delivered. After a message has been categorized, it's put in a delivery queue for
delivery to the destination mailbox database, the destination database availability
group (DAG), Active Directory site or Active Directory forest, or to the destination
domain outside the organization.
The Transport service on a Mailbox server consists of the following components and
processes:
SMTP Receive When messages are received by the Transport service,
message content inspection is performed, transport rules are applied, and
anti-spam and anti-malware inspection is performed if they are enabled. The
SMTP session has a series of events that work together in a specific order to
validate the contents of a message before it's accepted. After a message has
passed completely through SMTP Receive and isn't rejected by receive
events, or by an anti-spam or anti-malware agent, it's put in the Submission
queue.
Submission Submission is the process of putting messages into the
Submission queue. The categorizer picks up one message at a time for
categorization. Submission happens in three ways:
o From SMTP Receive through a Receive connector.
o Through the Pickup directory or the Replay directory. These directories
exist on Mailbox servers and Edge Transport servers. Correctly
formatted message files that are copied into the Pickup directory or the
Replay directory are put directly into the Submission queue.
o Through a transport agent.
Categorizer The categorizer picks up one message at a time from the
Submission queue. The categorizer completes the following steps:
o Recipient resolution, which includes top-level addressing, distribution
group expansion, and message bifurcation.
o Routing resolution.

Content conversion.
Additionally, mail flow rules that the organization defined are applied. After
messages have been categorized, they're put into a delivery queue that's
based on the destination of the message. Messages are queued by the
destination mailbox database, DAG, Active Directory site, Active Directory
forest, or external domain.
SMTP Send How messages are routed from the Transport service depends
on the location of the message recipients relative to the Mailbox server where
categorization occurred. The message could be routed to one of the following
locations:
o To the Mailbox Transport Delivery service on the same Mailbox server.
o To the Mailbox Transport Delivery service on a different Mailbox server
that's part of the same DAG.
o To the Transport service on a Mailbox server in a different DAG, Active
Directory site, or Active Directory forest.
o For delivery to the Internet through:
A Send connector on the same Mailbox server.
The Transport service on a different Mailbox server.
The Front End Transport service on the same Mailbox server or a
different Mailbox server (if outbound proxy is configured).
The Transport service on an Edge Transport server in the
perimeter network.
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Understanding the Transport service on Edge Transport servers
The components of the Transport service on Edge Transport servers are identical to
the components of the Transport service on Mailbox servers. However, what actually
happens during each stage of processing on Edge Transport servers is different. The
differences are described in the following list.
SMTP Receive When an Edge Transport server is subscribed to an internal
Active Directory site, the default Receive connector named "Default <Edge
Transport server name>" is automatically configured to accept mail from
internal Mailbox servers and from the Internet. When Internet messages
arrive at the Edge Transport server, anti-spam agents filter connections and
message contents and help identify the sender and the recipient while the
message is being accepted into the organization. The anti-spam agents are
installed and enabled by default. Additional attachment filtering and
connection filtering features are available, but built-in malware filtering is not.
Also, transport rules are controlled by the Edge Rule agent. Compared to the
Transport Rule agent on Mailbox servers, only a small subset of transport rule
conditions are available on Edge Transport servers. But, there are unique
transport rule actions related to SMTP connections that are available only on
Edge Transport servers.
Submission On an Edge Transport server, messages typically enter the
Submission queue through a Receive connector. However, the Pickup
directory and the Replay directory are also available.
o

Categorizer On an Edge Transport server, categorization is a short process

in which the message is put directly into a delivery queue for delivery to
internal or external recipients.
SMTP Send When an Edge Transport server is subscribed to an internal
Active Directory site, two Send connectors are automatically created and
configured. One named "EdgeSync - <Active Directory site name> to
Internet" is responsible for sending outbound mail to Internet recipients; the
other named "EdgeSync - Inbound to <Active Directory site name>" is
responsible for sending inbound mail from the Internet to internal recipients.
Inbound mail is sent to the Front End Transport service on an available
Mailbox server in the subscribed Active Directory site.