Google Cloud - Server Mail Instance

Question

I am intending to install SENDMAIL as MTA Mail Server into a new INSTANCE dedicated exclusively (smarthost) to that on GCE running Linux Wheezy; I already have running an instance that holds the wordpress-website structure. Unfortunatly GCE does not have any INSTANCE to hold such service as it has for WORDPRESS.

My Question

I would like to know if anyone here has such experience that relates to this action to give me any advice.

Google Cloud Compute Engine (GCE) when relates to Mail advices to Postfix/SendGrid, as well as it informs the only ports to work with to SMTP, etc...but I don´t think Postfix/SendGrid being the best approach. I want to use my own hostname servername and setup MX Records, to work in paralel with the other web-site-driven-instance.

Regards,

Answer 1

I've sent mail from GCE instances before. It can be useful to mail logs, updates, alerts or what ever you want.

However, to send mail from a GCE instance, you NEED a non-GCE server through which you would relay mail. This is where SendGrid or other providers come in. You can authenticate to Google's Gmail SMTP servers as well if you use a Google Account.

In summary, here are your options:

1. Relay your messages via your own standalone SMTP server or some other third-party like SendGrid. See Google Cloud Platform docs for more info.
2. Use IMAP auth with Google Accounts so that you could send from Google's SMTP servers.
3. If you're a Google Apps for Work customer, you can use their SMTP relay service.

Just a GCE instance alone, won't be enough to send your mail.