RFC 555 (rfc555) - Page 1 of 11
Responses to critiques of the proposed mail protocol
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
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