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2. Low connectivity between MTAs. An example of this is the UUCP network. In general an intermediate approach is desirable. Too sparse a connectivity is inefficient, and leads to undue delays. However, full connectivity is not desirable, for the reasons discussed below. A number of general issues related to relaying are now considered. The reasons for avoiding relaying are clear. These include. o Efficiency. If there is an open network, it is desirable that it be used. o Extra hops introduce delay, and increase the (very small) possibility of message loss. As a basic principle, hop count shall be minimised. o Busy relays or Well Known Entry points can introduce high delay and lead to single point of failure.Kille Experimental [Page 6]RFC 1801 X.400-MHS Routing using X.500 Directory June 1995 o If there is only one hop, it is straightforward for the user to monitor progress of messages submitted. If a message is delayed, the user can take appropriate action. o Many users like the security of direct transmission. It is an argument often given very strongly for use of SMTP. Despite these very powerful arguments, there are a number of reasons why some level of relaying is desirable: o Charge optimisation. If there is an expensive network/link to be traversed, it may make sense to restrict its usage to a small number of MTAs. This would allow for optimisation with respect to the charging policy of this link. o Copy optimisation. If a message is being sent to two remote MTAs which are close together, it is usually optimal to send the message to one of the MTAs (for both recipients), and let it pass a copy to the other MTA. o To access an intermediate MTA for some value added service. In particular for: -- Message Format Conversion -- Distribution List expansion o Dealing with different protocols. The store and forward approach allows for straightforward conversion. Relevant cases include: -- Provision of X.400 over different OSI Stacks (e.g., Connectionless Network Service). -- Use of a different version of X.400. -- Interaction with non-X.400 mail services o To compensate for inadequate directory services: If tables are maintained in an ad hoc manner, the manual effort to gain full connectivity is too high. o To hide complexity of structure. If an organisation has many MTAs, it may still be advantageous to advertise a single entry point to the outside world. It will be more efficient to have an extra hop, than to (widely) distribute the information required to connect directly. This will also encourage stability, as organisations need to change internal structure much more frequently than their external entry points. For manyKille Experimental [Page 7]RFC 1801 X.400-MHS Routing using X.500 Directory June 1995 organisations, establishing such firewalls is high priority. o To handle authorisation, charging and security issues. In general, it is desirable to deal with user oriented authorisation at the application level. This is essential when MHS specific parameters shall be taken into consideration. It may well be beneficial for organisations to have a single MTA providing access to the external world, which can apply a uniform access policy (e.g., as to which people are allowed access). This would be particularly true in a multi-vendor environment, where different systems would otherwise have to enforce the same policy --- using different vendor-specific mechanisms. In summary there are strong reasons for an intermediate approach. This will be achieved by providing mechanisms for both direct and indirect connectivity. The manager of a configuration will then be able to make appropriate choices for the environment. Two models of managing large scale routing have evolved: 1. Use of a global directory/database. This is the approach proposed here. 2. Use of a routing table in each MTA, which is managed either by a management protocol or by directory. This is coupled with means to exchange routing information between MTAs. This approach is more analogous to how network level routing is commonly performed. It has good characteristics in terms of managing links and dealing with link related policy. However, it assumes limited connectivity and does not adapt well to a network environment with high connectivity available.5. X.400 and RFC 822 This document defines mechanisms for X.400 message routing. It is important that this can be integrated with RFC 822 based routing, as many MTAs will work in both communities. This routing document is written with this problem in mind, and some work to verify this has been done. support for RFC 822 routing using the same basic infrastructure is defined in a companion document [13]. In addition support for X.400/RFC 822 gatewaying is needed, to support interaction. Directory based mechanisms for this are defined in [16]. The advantages of the approach defined by this set of specifications are: o Uniform management for sites which wish to support both protocols. o Simpler management for gateways.Kille Experimental [Page 8]RFC 1801 X.400-MHS Routing using X.500 Directory June 1995 o Improved routing services for RFC 822 only sites. For sites which are only X.400 or only RFC 822, the mechanisms associated with gatewaying or with the other form of addressing are not needed.6. Objects It is useful to start with a manager's perspective. Here is the set of object classes used in this specification. It is important that all information entered relates to something which is being managed. If this is achieved, configuration decisions are much more likely to be correct. In the examples, distinguished names are written using the String Syntax for Distinguished Names [11]. The list of objects used in this specification is:User An entry representing a single human user. This will typically be named in an organisational context. For example: CN=Edgar Smythe, O=Zydeco Services, C=GB This entry would have associated information, such as telephone number, postal address, and mailbox.MTA A Message Transfer Agent. In general, the binding between machines and MTAs will be complex. Often a small number of MTAs will be used to support many machines, by use of local approaches such as shared filestores. MTAs may support multiple protocols, and will identify separate addressing information for each protocol. To achieve support for multiple protocols, an MTA is modelled as an Application Process, which is named in the directory. Each MTA will have one or more associated Application Entities. Each Application Entity is named as a child of the Application Process, using a common name which conveniently identifies the Application Entity relative to the Application Process. Each Application Entity supports a single protocol, although different Application Entities may support the same protocol. Where an MTA only supports one protocol or where the addressing information for all of the protocols supported have different attributes to represent addressing information (e.g., P1(88) and SMTP) the Application Entity(ies) may be represented by the single Application Process entry.User Agent (Mailbox) This defines the User Agent (UA) to which mail may be delivered. This will define the account with which the UA is associated, and may also point to the user(s) associated withKille Experimental [Page 9]RFC 1801 X.400-MHS Routing using X.500 Directory June 1995 the UA. It will identify which MTAs are able to access the UA. (In the formal X.400 model, there will be a single MTA delivering to a UA. In many practical configurations, multiple MTAs can deliver to a single UA. This will increase robustness, and is desirable.)Role Some organisational function. For example: CN=System Manager, OU=Sales, O=Zydeco Services, C=GB The associated entry would indicate the occupant of the role.Distribution Lists There would be an entry representing the distribution list, with information about the list, the manger, and members of the list.7. CommunitiesThere are two basic types of agreement in which an MTA may participatein order to facilitate routing:Bilateral Agreements An agreement between a pair of MTAs to route certain types of traffic. This MTA pair agreement usually reflects some form of special agreement and in general bilateral information shall be held for the link at both ends. In some cases, this information shall be private.Open Agreements An agreement between a collection of MTAs to behave in a cooperative fashion to route traffic. This may be viewed as a general bilateral agreement. It is important to ensure that there are sufficient agreements in place for all messages to be routed. This will usually be done by having agreements which correspond to the addressing hierarchy. For X.400, this is the model where a PRMD connects to an ADMD, and the ADMD provides the inter PRMD connectivity, by the ability to route to all other ADMDs. Other agreements may be added to this hierarchy, in order to improve the efficiency of routing. In general, there may be valid addresses, which cannot be routed to, either for connectivity or policy reasons. We model these two types of agreements as communities. A community is a scope in which an MTA advertises its services and learns about other services. Each MTA will: 1. Register its services in one or more communities.Kille Experimental [Page 10]RFC 1801 X.400-MHS Routing using X.500 Directory June 1995 2. Look up services in one or more communities. In most cases an MTA will deal with a very small number of communities --- very often one only. There are a number of different types of community.The open community This is a public/global scope. It reflects routing information which is made available to any MTA which wishes to use it.The local community This is the scope of a single MTA. It reflects routing information private to the MTA. It will contain an MTA's view of the set of bilateral agreements in which it participates, and routing information private and local to the MTA.Hierarchical communities A hierarchical community is a subtree of the O/R Address tree. For example, it might be a management domain, an organisation, or an organisational unit. This sort of community will allow for firewalls to be established. A community can have complex internal structure, and register a small subset of that in the open community.Closed communities A closed community is a set of MTAs which agrees to route amongst themselves. Examples of this might be ADMDs within a country, or a set of PRMDs representing the same organisation in multiple countries. Formally, a community indicates the scope over which a service is advertised. In practice, it will tend to reflect the scope of services offered. It does not make sense to offer a public service, and only advertise it locally. Public advertising of a private service makes more sense, and this is shown below. In general, having a community offer services corresponding to the scope in which they are advertised will lead to routing efficiency. Examples of how communities can be used to implement a range of routing policies are given in Section 9.2.8. Routing Trees Communities are a useful abstract definition of the routing approach taken by this specification. Each community is represented in the directory as a routing tree. There will be many routing trees instantiated in the directory. Typically, an MTA will only be registered in and make use of a small number of routing trees. In most cases, it will register in and use the same set of routing trees.Kille Experimental [Page 11]RFC 1801 X.400-MHS Routing using X.500 Directory June 19958.1 Routing Tree Definition Each community has a model of the O/R address space. Within a community, there is a general model of what to do with a given O/R Address. This is structured hierarchically, according to the O/R address hierarchy. A community can register different possible actions, depending on the depth of match. This might include identifying the MTA associated with a UA which is matched fully, and providing a default route for an O/R address where there is no match in the community --- and all intermediate forms. The name structure
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