RFC 555 (rfc555) - Page 1 of 11

Responses to critiques of the proposed mail protocol

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Network Working Group                               James E. White (JEW)
Request for Comments: 555                                        SRI-ARC
NIC: 17993                                                 July 27, 1973


          Response to Critiques of the Proposed Mail Protocol

   A number of people have responded to my proposal for a Mail Protocol
   (JEW RFC 524 -- 17140,2:y).  In the current RFC, I've attempted to
   collect and respond to the questions, complaints, and suggestions
   that various individuals in the Network community have offered.  I
   intend to critique myself in a forthcoming RFC.

   I hope that dialog on the protocol proposal will continue, and that
   others will join in the discussion.  I will respond via RFC to any
   additional critiques I receive (I hope there'll be many).

I.  QUESTIONS

   HOW DOES THE SERVER VERIFY AN ID?

      References:

         (DHC JBP RFC 539 -- 17644,3g:gy)

      Discussion:

         One postulates the existence of AT LEAST ONE host whose Mail
         server process implements the User Verification Function (JEW
         RFC 524 -- 17140,5f7:gy).  Any process can contact that server,
         give him the name of any Individual in the Net and a test Id,
         and the server will determine whether or not the Individual and
         Id agree.

            The NIC, for one, will without question provide this
            service.

         With such support available to it, ANY FTP server process can
         then require (of any or all user processes that contact it) an
         ID command wherever it wishes within the user-server
         interchange (within the constraints of the Protocol).  The
         server simply prompts for the Id, gets it, opens a connection
         to the User Verification Agent, presents to it the Individual's
         name and purported Id, receives a positive or negative
         response, and deals with the original user process accordingly.






White
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