RFC 1648 (rfc1648) - Page 1 of 4


Postmaster Convention for X



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



Network Working Group                                        A. Cargille
Request for Comments: 1648                       University of Wisconsin
Category: Standards Track                                      July 1994


               Postmaster Convention for X.400 Operations

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

   Both STD 11, RFC 822 [1] and STD 3, RFC 1123 [2] (Host Requirements)
   require that the email address "postmaster" be supported at all
   hosts.  This paper extends this concept to X.400 mail domains which
   have registered RFC 1327 mapping rules, and which therefore appear to
   have normal RFC 822-style addresses.

1.  Postmaster Convention in RFC 822

   Operating a reliable, large-scale electronic mail (email) network
   requires cooperation between many mail managers and system
   administrators.  As noted in RFC 822 [1], often mail or system
   managers need to be able to contact a responsible person at a remote
   host without knowing any specific user name or address at that host.
   For that reason, both RFC 822 and the Internet Host Requirements [2]
   require that the address "postmaster" be supported at every Internet
   host.

2.  Postmaster Convention and X.400

   However, RFC 822 is not the only email protocol being used in the
   Internet.  Some Internet sites are also running the X.400 (1984) [3]
   and X.400 (1988) [4] email protocols.  RFC 1327 specifies how to map
   between X.400 and RFC 822 addresses [5].  When mapping rules are
   used, addresses map cleanly between X.400 and RFC 822.  In fact, it
   is impossible to determine by inspecting the address whether the
   recipient is an RFC 822 mail user or an X.400 mail user.

   A paper by Rob Hagens and Alf Hansen describes an X.400 community
   known as the "Global Open MHS Community" (GO-MHS) [6].  Many mail
   domains in the GO-MHS Community have registered RFC 1327 mapping
   rules.  Therefore, users in those domains have RFC 822-style email



Cargille