🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello -- 

It is my finding to this point that the MMDF system running on some
kind of Unix (Preferably BSD 4.2) is the best central mail transfer
server, since it is designed and implemented to handle most anything
that can be accomodated by anything.  Also, more different systems are
interfaced to MMDF than any other such system.  

US Army Armaments Research and Development Command is transferring
mail between a VAX Unix 4.2 MMDF at Dover, NJ, and a network of Primes
at Rock Island, Ill.  It is not totally automated yet, but ...
CSnet offers PMDF (Pascal Memo Distribution Facility) which can link
MMDF to VAX VMS.  You are running PMDF on USC-CSE (BSD4.2) now.
Perhaps also on others of your VAX VMS systems at USC.

There is even a CSnet connected gateway to the new CCITT MHS X.400
International Protocols in Canada, insxtalled at UBC (Univ of British
Columbia) which services a Canadian network of Univerities.

I expect that most BITNET connections are between TOPS-20s and IBM
systems, at places like Stanford and Columbia Universities.

I would suggest that you size the problem and get yourself a 4.2 UNIX
to minimize your porting problems, and install an MMDF Mail Relay, and
obtain or build the required connections to all your other systems as
MMDF channels which will do all the required munging and accomodating.
This will keep all the munging and accomodations on one system, which
would be dedicated to relaying mail.  

Of course, it will be expedient to relay through existing connection
pairs, like the BITNET TOPS-20/IBM stuff, though we do know that there
is a CSnet MMDF Phonenet connection to IBM-SJ (San Jose Research
Labs), which might be available.

BSD 4.2 systems are available in the full range you might need, from
the Integrated Solutions 4.2 box ($18k - $31K), to the new Computer
Consoles, Inc 6/32 which they claim is 7 times a VAX 780 for under
$500K.  My price quotes are NOT RELIABLE!

Among some things that I know need to be done is to develop a
combination of SMTP with MMDF Phonenet (Packet Level) so we can use
the TOPS-20 SMTP/Phonenet connection software developed by MAILNET for
MULTICS/TOPS-20 transfers.  ECL now runs this software on its TOPS-20s
to connect to MIT-MULTICS for MAILNET.

UC Irvine (UCI) is looking at the same set of problems, as are a
number of industrial clients.  It seems to me that there should be
some shareable solutions for these problems.

Anyone know about other connections that we should consider?

Best - Stef