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