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









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