Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site hou3c.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!hou3c!ESTEFFERUD@usc-ecl.ARPA From: ESTEFFERUD@usc-ecl.ARPA Newsgroups: net.mail.msggroup Subject: Re: Ibm (bitnet) mail to Dec (Arpanet) Message-ID: <942@hou3c.UUCP> Date: Sat, 10-Nov-84 20:33:00 EST Article-I.D.: hou3c.942 Posted: Sat Nov 10 20:33:00 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 13-Nov-84 04:35:47 EST Sender: ka@hou3c.UUCP (Kenneth Almquist) Lines: 52 To: blarson@usc-ecld Cc: info-nets@mit-mc.ARPA, msggroup@brl.ARPA In-Reply-To: The message of Sat 10 Nov 84 15:19:41-PST from Bob Larson Hello -- It is my finding to this point that the MMDF system running on some kind of Unix (Preferably BSD 4.2) is the best central mail transfer server, since it is designed and implemented to handle most anything that can be accomodated by anything. Also, more different systems are interfaced to MMDF than any other such system. US Army Armaments Research and Development Command is transferring mail between a VAX Unix 4.2 MMDF at Dover, NJ, and a network of Primes at Rock Island, Ill. It is not totally automated yet, but ... CSnet offers PMDF (Pascal Memo Distribution Facility) which can link MMDF to VAX VMS. You are running PMDF on USC-CSE (BSD4.2) now. Perhaps also on others of your VAX VMS systems at USC. There is even a CSnet connected gateway to the new CCITT MHS X.400 International Protocols in Canada, insxtalled at UBC (Univ of British Columbia) which services a Canadian network of Univerities. I expect that most BITNET connections are between TOPS-20s and IBM systems, at places like Stanford and Columbia Universities. I would suggest that you size the problem and get yourself a 4.2 UNIX to minimize your porting problems, and install an MMDF Mail Relay, and obtain or build the required connections to all your other systems as MMDF channels which will do all the required munging and accomodating. This will keep all the munging and accomodations on one system, which would be dedicated to relaying mail. Of course, it will be expedient to relay through existing connection pairs, like the BITNET TOPS-20/IBM stuff, though we do know that there is a CSnet MMDF Phonenet connection to IBM-SJ (San Jose Research Labs), which might be available. BSD 4.2 systems are available in the full range you might need, from the Integrated Solutions 4.2 box ($18k - $31K), to the new Computer Consoles, Inc 6/32 which they claim is 7 times a VAX 780 for under $500K. My price quotes are NOT RELIABLE! Among some things that I know need to be done is to develop a combination of SMTP with MMDF Phonenet (Packet Level) so we can use the TOPS-20 SMTP/Phonenet connection software developed by MAILNET for MULTICS/TOPS-20 transfers. ECL now runs this software on its TOPS-20s to connect to MIT-MULTICS for MAILNET. UC Irvine (UCI) is looking at the same set of problems, as are a number of industrial clients. It seems to me that there should be some shareable solutions for these problems. Anyone know about other connections that we should consider? Best - Stef