Re: SMTP and multicasting

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jacob Palme" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 12:35 PM
Subject: SMTP and multicasting


>
> At 11.02 -0500 04-01-30, Bonatti, Chris wrote:
> >Yet SMTP is ALWAYS unicast
> >connection-oriented.
>
> SMTP was multicasting until a few years back, when some
> dumb people thought they could stop spam by forbidding an
> SMTP server to accept messages which were not to or from a
> local user. We all know that they did not succeed!
>
> Until then, you could send one copy of a message across the
> Atlantic, and have it expanded to multiple-recipients at
> the other side. Now, you can do the same thing only
> if all the recipients belong to the same local mail server.

Jacob,

Excuse me if I am mis-reading you here, but in most systems as long as you
(sender) is authenticated the distributed list can be dispersed.  Isn't this
is how a mailing list basically works?  And if one address sent to a
downlink (across the atlantic for example),  couldn't that address be
expanded again at the point?

I must be reading this wrong.  In any case, how about another requirement
consideration?

    o Easy support for mail echos/distribution process.

This could be useful in sending a system wide administration
message/notification if the following additional requirements are
considered:

    o Network Topology Distribution System (for best route and allow route
concepts)
    o non-authenticated secured/trust relationship,

and/or

    o minimum allowance for daemon to daemon communications

The above were fundamental requirements in the Fidonet Network.   Changing
the above using Fidonet terminology:

    o support for netmail (email),  echomail (news) and files distribution
process
        using a variety of network topologies distribution (usually star)
with restrictions
        for direct and routing based on time, location, cost.  In Echomail.
each node
        in a distribution chain would "echo" the mail to uplinks and/or
downlinks.

    o support for non-authenticated secured/trust relationship using a
minimum
       registry requirement (must be listed) with a minimum world-wide
       Zone Hour availability where all compliant servers must allow for
       administration and routed netmail communications. Private Fidonet
       networks did not need to following this ZH requirement.

-- 
Hector Santos, Santronics Software, Inc.
http://www.santronics.com