    Network Working Group                                         S. Sluizer
    Request for Comments: 786                                      J. Postel
                                                                         ISI
                                                                   July 1981

                            MAIL TRANSFER PROTOCOL:
                        ISI TOPS20 MTP-NIMAIL INTERFACE

    INTRODUCTION

       This document defines the ISI TOPS20s interface between the Mail
       Transfer Protocol (MTP) and the Network Independent Mail Protocol
       (NIMAIL) in terms of the files which implement it.  The internal
       structure and name of each file is described below.

       For a complete understanding of the MTP protocol as well as the terms
       used within this document, see RFC 780 "Mail Transfer Protocol", RFC
       784 "ISI TOPS20 Implementation", and RFC 785 "ISI TOPS20 File
       Defintitions".  The NIMAIL is documented in IEN 169, "A Simple
       NIFTP-Based Mail System".

    DESCRIPTION

       1. NIMAIL to MTP

          NIMAIL will present mail for processing by MTP using the files
          specified in RFC 785.

       2. MTP to NIMAIL

          MTP will present mail for processing by NIMAIL in files of the
          following form:

             address <CR><LF>
             address <CR><LF>
             address <CR><LF>
             <CR><LF>
             Via: USC-ISIE; date-time <CR><LF>
             header
              .
              .
              .
             <CR><LF>
             body
              .
              .
              .

             Where each address is of the form:

    Sluizer & Postel                                                Page [1]

    July 1981                                                        RFC 786
    ISI TOPS20 MTP-NIMAIL Interface

                user%host%host%host@host

             And each address in the same file has the same "@host" part.

             The date-time will be in the default TOPS20 ODTIM format
             "dd-mmm-yy hh:mm:ss" (24 hour time).

          The files will named "arbitrary.NIMAIL.-1", where "arbitrary" will
          be somesort of date-time encoding for human uses.  The NIMAIL will
          not care in the least what the "arbitrary" part is.  These files
          will be placed into the NIMAIL directory on ISIE.

    DISCUSSION

       The NIMAIL and MTP will each perform a transformation of the address
       information to create the appropriate input for the other system.

       NIMAIL to MTP

          The mail that arrives at NIMAIL with the information

             joe%hostx%hosty%hostz@isie

          will be presented to MTP with the information

             FROM: <NIMAIL@ISIE>
             TO: <@hostz,@hosty,joe@hostx>

       MTP to NIMAIL

          The mail that arrives at MTP with the information

             FROM: <sam@SRI-NIC>
             TO: <@ISIE,@hostz,@hosty,joe@hostx>

          will be presented to NIMAIL with the information

             joe%hostx%hosty@hostz

             Via: ISIE

    Page [2]                                                Sluizer & Postel