Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!rutgers!mailrus!umich!samsung!psuvax1!psuvm!YKTVMX!RUBIN
From: RUBIN@YKTVMX.BITNET (Bill Rubin)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.ibmtcp-l
Subject: Re: smtp and host tables
Message-ID: <IBMTCP-L%90020121435456@CUNYVM>
Date: 1 Feb 90 15:07:24 GMT
Sender: IBM TCP/IP For VM List <IBMTCP-L@CUNYVM>
Reply-To: IBM TCP/IP For VM List <IBMTCP-L@CUNYVM>
Lines: 16
Approved: NETNEWS@PSUVM Gateway

There is no requirement to have host tables in order to run SMTP.  Most
people would prefer that we use the name server to query host names and
not bother going to the host tables at all.  In fact, in SMTP/MX (to be
included on the upcoming 1.2.2 PTF tape) this is exactly what we do.
If you're using the name server and we cannot get a response due to the
remote name server being down, then we requeue the request for later
and attempt to resolve the name at that time.  We will no longer use
the host tables unless it is the only means of resolution on your
system.

If your system has a requirement for the host tables, then it might not
be a bad idea to put a STATE for HOSTS SITEINFO into TCPIP's startup
exec and exit if it does not exist.

Bill Rubin
IBM TJ Watson Research