GENWiki

Network Working Group S. Sluizer Request for Comments: 786 J. Postel

                                                                   ISI
                                                             July 1981

                      MAIL TRANSFER PROTOCOL:
                  ISI TOPS20 MTP-NIMAIL INTERFACE

INTRODUCTION

 This document defines the ISI TOPS20s interface between the Mail
 Transfer Protocol (MTP) and the Network Independent Mail Protocol
 (NIMAIL) in terms of the files which implement it.  The internal
 structure and name of each file is described below.

 For a complete understanding of the MTP protocol as well as the terms
 used within this document, see RFC 780 "Mail Transfer Protocol", RFC
 784 "ISI TOPS20 Implementation", and RFC 785 "ISI TOPS20 File
 Defintitions".  The NIMAIL is documented in IEN 169, "A Simple
 NIFTP-Based Mail System".

DESCRIPTION

 1. NIMAIL to MTP

    NIMAIL will present mail for processing by MTP using the files
    specified in RFC 785.

 2. MTP to NIMAIL

    MTP will present mail for processing by NIMAIL in files of the
    following form:

       address <CR><LF>
       address <CR><LF>
       address <CR><LF>
       <CR><LF>
       Via: USC-ISIE; date-time <CR><LF>
       header
        .
        .
        .
       <CR><LF>
       body
        .
        .
        .

       Where each address is of the form:

Sluizer & Postel Page [1] 

July 1981 RFC 786 ISI TOPS20 MTP-NIMAIL Interface

          user%host%host%host@host

       And each address in the same file has the same "@host" part.

       The date-time will be in the default TOPS20 ODTIM format
       "dd-mmm-yy hh:mm:ss" (24 hour time).

    The files will named "arbitrary.NIMAIL.-1", where "arbitrary" will
    be somesort of date-time encoding for human uses.  The NIMAIL will
    not care in the least what the "arbitrary" part is.  These files
    will be placed into the NIMAIL directory on ISIE.

DISCUSSION

 The NIMAIL and MTP will each perform a transformation of the address
 information to create the appropriate input for the other system.

 NIMAIL to MTP

    The mail that arrives at NIMAIL with the information

       joe%hostx%hosty%hostz@isie

    will be presented to MTP with the information

       FROM: <NIMAIL@ISIE>
       TO: <@hostz,@hosty,joe@hostx>

 MTP to NIMAIL

    The mail that arrives at MTP with the information

       FROM: <sam@SRI-NIC>
       TO: <@ISIE,@hostz,@hosty,joe@hostx>

    will be presented to NIMAIL with the information

       joe%hostx%hosty@hostz

       Via: ISIE

Page [2] Sluizer & Postel