1. Introduction PowerMTA (PMTA) is a high-performance MTA (Mail Transfer Agent) designed for large-scale email delivery. It is optimized for volume, deliverability, and control over sending patterns. This guide walks through a full configuration from scratch. 2. Installation Overview While OS-specific steps vary, typical installation involves:
pmta check config # Validate syntax pmta reload # Graceful reload pmta restart # Full restart tail -f /var/log/pmta/pmta.log PowerMTA is powerful but requires careful tuning. Start with conservative throttles, monitor bounce logs, adjust domain stanzas based on ISP feedback, and use virtual MTAs to separate traffic types. Always test with low volume first, especially for new IPs/domains.
<log-file /var/log/pmta/panic.log> level panic </log-file> powermta configuration guide
<limit-group bulk> max-smtp-out 100 max-msg-rate 10000/h max-bandwidth 10M </limit-group> <virtual-mta marketing> limit-group bulk </virtual-mta>
<virtual-mta main> queue-type FIFO max-smtp-out 50 max-msg-rate 10000/h </virtual-mta> This guide walks through a full configuration from scratch
<source 10.0.0.5> default-virtual-mta transactional </source> Or via X-VMTA header injected by the sending application. Bind source IPs and optionally use SMTP authentication for injection:
<log-file /var/log/pmta/pmta.log> level info </log-file> Virtual MTAs isolate delivery streams. Define them with custom IPs, throttles, and queues. Restart & Verify After config changes:
<domain *> max-smtp-out 20 max-msg-rate 1000/h max-msg-per-connection 10 use-starttls yes </domain> <bounce-handler bounces@example.com> command /bin/cat >> /var/log/pmta/bounces.log </bounce-handler> Logging <acct-file /var/log/pmta/acct.csv> record job,vmta,domain,rcpts,status,dsn-status,time roll daily </acct-file> 16. Restart & Verify After config changes: