RFC 2852 (rfc2852) - Page 1 of 13

Deliver By SMTP Service Extension

Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Next >
Network Working Group                                           D. Newman
Request for Comments: 2852                               Sun Microsystems
Updates: 1894                                                   June 2000
Category: Standards Track


                   Deliver By SMTP Service Extension

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.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2000).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This memo defines a mechanism whereby a SMTP client can request, when
   transmitting a message to a SMTP server, that the server deliver the
   message within a prescribed period of time.  A client making such a
   request also specifies the message handling which is to occur if the
   message cannot be delivered within the specified time period: either
   the message is to be returned as undeliverable with no further
   processing, or a "delayed" delivery status notification (DSN) [6] is
   to be issued.

   This extension should not be viewed as a vehicle for requesting
   "priority" processing.  A receiving SMTP server may assign whatever
   processing priority it wishes to a message transmitted with a Deliver
   By request.  A Deliver By request serves to express a message's
   urgency and to provide an additional degree of determinancy in its
   processing.  An indication of an urgent message's status within a
   given time period may be requested and will be honored.  Moreover,
   the message may be withdrawn if not delivered within that time
   period.

   A typical usage of this mechanism is to prevent delivery of a message
   beyond some future time of significance to the sender or recipient
   but not known by the MTAs handling the message.  For instance, the
   sender may know that the message will be delivered as a page but does
   not consider the message to be sufficiently important as to warrant
   paging the recipient after business hours. In that case, the message
   could be marked such that delivery attempts are not made beyond



Newman                      Standards Track
Next >