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