Administering Disk Space
The maximum number of registered user profiles is limited
inside the server computer, based on the maximum disk space
the server computer confines to such purpose. For example,
consider an environment where users can get registered
themselves using a web interface. In this case the web
interface must know how much disk space is available before
proceeding to register new mail accounts inside the server
computer and this way preventing any disk writing when there
isn't enough free space on disk to perform a new user
registration. Considering the server computer has confined
1GB of disk space to handle the mail service (e.g., mail
queues, mailboxes, etc.) and each user mailbox is 10MB, it
will be possible to provide self-registration through the web
interface for 100 users in total.
Another measure related to save disk space might be to remove
unused user accounts and their related files (e.g., mailboxes)
from the server computer. For example, consider an environment
where user accounts are automatically removed from the server
computer when they don't establish a connection with the
server computer in a period greater than 7 days since the last
valid connection established to the server computer. Once the
user account is removed, it is no longer functional of course,
and the person whom lost the account will need to create a new
one, assuming it want to have access to the mail service
again.