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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ihnp4!alberta!lake
From: lake@alberta.UUCP (Robert Lake)
Newsgroups: net.mail
Subject: Mail domain specification problem
Message-ID: <181@alberta.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Apr-84 13:47:49 EST
Article-I.D.: alberta.181
Posted: Wed Apr  4 13:47:49 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Apr-84 01:58:03 EST
Organization: U. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Lines: 53

We have 4 VAXen (alberta{ab}, cadomin{cd}, etc.) and 6 SUNs connected to
each other via an ethernet.  Plans call for all machines to be running 4.2
BSD by the end of the summer.  Recently we have been working on improving
mail communications with the MTS system (this system is serves most of the
university, including our undergraduates).  The MTS machine itself is part
of a network of about 6 MTS sites. Its name on this MTS-net is UQV-MTS.
Messages are exchanged betweeen MTS sites using the SMTP protocol.  What
we have done is write a program to communicate with UQV-MTS via `sendmail'
through an ethernet server. This allows any UNIX host to send/receive mail
with MTS (if this is desirable).

<----------------------ethernet----------------------------------------->
  T     T     T     T     T     T     T     T     T     T    T
  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |    |
 ab    cd    cv    ja    sw    sv    sb    sd    ss    sr   server
  |                                                          /
  |/|                                                       /
    |                                                    /|/
    |                                                   /
  ________________                                     /
  | phone lines  |     ________________________________
  | to UUCP net  |     |          UQV-MTS             |
  ________________     |(Main campus service computer)|
                       ________________________________
                                        /
                                       /
                                    /|/
                                   /
                        _________________________
                        | other MTS sites via   |
                        | Datapac               |
                        _________________________

Our problem (now that the software is basically working and before we allow
`users' on the system) lies with domain specification and whether to route
all mail through a single computer acting as an agent for mail delivery on
the network of UNIX (and UUCP) machines.

We are uncertain as to what the address format of messages bound from MTS
to UNIX should look like. 

Should all messages travelling in this direction go via one VAX only (e.g.
mail to 'cadomin!lake@alberta', where `alberta' and `cadomin' are machine
names)?  Or should a domain specification be made whereby our local network
itself is a domain (e.g. mail to 'cavell!lake@alta', where `alta' specifies
mail bound for our local ethernet & UUCP network)?

We are restricted by the MTS software to only one domain name (no dots!)
after the '@' sign.

We have studied RFC #822, and are still undecided as to what to do.  Please
mail ideas and opinions to ihnp4!alberta!lake.  Thanks in advance.