Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!rpi!nyser!cmx!jmwobus
From: jmwobus@cmx.npac.syr.edu (John Wobus)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: New Host-Requirement RFCs
Message-ID: <1981@cmx.npac.syr.edu>
Date: 19 Oct 89 19:13:31 GMT
References: <1949@cmx.npac.syr.edu> <8910122223.AA06605@jessica.Stanford.EDU>
Reply-To: jmwobus@cmx.npac.syr.edu (John Wobus)
Organization: Northeast Parallel Architectures Center, Syracuse NY
Lines: 31

In article <8910122223.AA06605@jessica.Stanford.EDU> almquist@JESSICA.STANFORD.EDU writes:
>	As one of the authors of the Host Requirements RFCs, I don't
>think that there was ever any intention that a host would be
>non-compliant simply because it didn't choose to support certain
>applications.  In my opinion, a host which doesn't support email is
>compliant with the SMTP requirements of RFC1122.  However, if the vendor
>claims a compliant implementation of SMTP, you can expect that he will
>meet the requirements put forth in the SMTP chapter (and also the
>chapters describing protocols needed to support SMTP, such as TCP, DNS,
>...).
>> Perhaps it could also address the different protocols below IP too.
>	The Host Requirements RFCs defer to the Gateway Requirements RFC
>for layers below IP (since these are the same for hosts and gateways).
>						Philip

Thanks.  That is how I should have said it.

I have two other comments on other follow-ups to my original comment:
(1) When I referred to source routing, I meant IP source routing rather
    than mail source routing.  However, I don't mind hearing discussion
    of mail source routing.
(2) I have been reassurred to hear some of the authors remind us that
    vendors will comply.  However, I remain uncomfortable that my
    original comment hasn't brought forth even ONE protestation from
    any vendor, either on the list or private.  Nor did I hear even
    one vendor promise more than an "attempt" at Interop.

John Wobus
Syracuse University

P.S. The more I look at RFCs 1122 and 1123, the more impressed I am.