From: j.lance Wilkinson, 814-865-1818
Newsgroups: vmsnet.mail.pmdf
Subject: Adding a worldwide-known "alias" ?
Date: 14 Dec 92 21:25:00 GMT
Organization: The Internet
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X-Organization: Penn State University / University Libraries
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We have two internet addresses known to the outside world.  The first is used
for incoming Telnet connections to our OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog);
it's a *terminal server* that translates the Telnet connection into LAT and
automatically connects using a *autologged* connection into the OPAC software
(the user has no need to know the ID they're logged on with, it just
automatically comes up as far as they're concerned).  The second is used
strictly for SMTP mail, and follows a common pattern of Penn State's in adding
internet access to previously bitnet-only nodes -- adding ".psu.edu" to the
already widely-known bitnet node name to form the DNS name.  The two addresses
are:

        1) lias.psu.edu -- the OPAC/Terminal Server address.  Telnet accepted,
                no SMTP or FTP.

        2) psulias.psu.edu -- the Email address.  SMTP accepted, no incoming
                Telnet or FTP allowed, outgoing Telnet & FTP allowed.

We have a problem that some users are mistaking the two.  Of course, attempts
to Telnet or FTP into psulias.psu.edu are denied from outside our router, and
the user sees the error immediately.  However, the problem becomes serious when
users try to send SMTP mail to the lias.psu.edu address.  About 72 hours later,
their local mailers finally report that lias.psu.edu hasn't accepted their SMTP
mail (apparently it waits this long because it [understandably?] assumes the
address is only temporarily denying SMTP connections).

While I personally feel this is an education issue, others within the
University do not and conversely feel that if it's possible for the campus DNS
to support an MX record pointing lias.psu.edu to the same IP address as
psulias.psu.edu points to, then we should accept it that way.

So what do I need to do?  I assume I have to update my PMDF.CNF to map incoming
"lias.psu.edu" to "psulias.psu.edu", right?  Is that as simple as adding the
following rewrite rule?

        !Currently this rule is in the file:
        psulias.psu.edu $U@psulias.bitnet
        !Should I add this one to do it all?
        lias.psu.edu    $U@psulias.bitnet

Of course, I don't need any situation that will result in *outgoing* messages
having the "lias.psu.edu" address on them; that would simply propogate the myth
that I'd rather refute and my colleages would rather humor, but neither of us
wants to promote.

What do I need to tell my DNS manager?  "Add an MX record for the address
'lias.psu.edu' pointing to the same IP address as 'psulias.psu.edu' currently
points to" ?

Or, is this something I could have handled completely by the DNS?  That is,
have lias.psu.edu incoming SMTP somehow appear to be for psulias.psu.edu
*before it arrives at psulias.psu.edu* by some magic with MX records?
Obviously I know too little about what a DNS can and cannot do to answer this
question myself.

+-"Never Underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of mag tapes"--+
| J.Lance Wilkinson ("Lance")            BitNet:    JLW@PSULIAS.BITNET      |
| Systems Design Specialist - Lead       InterNet:  JLW@PSULIAS.PSU.EDU     |
| Library Computing Services         AT&T:(814) 865-1818 FAX:(814)863-3560  |
| E8 Pattee Library                      "I'd rather be dancing..."         |
| Penn State University         A host is a host from coast to coast,       |
| University Park, PA 16802     And no one will talk to a host that's close |
| <POSTMAST@PSULIAS.BITNET>     Unless the host that isn't close            |
| <POSTMAST@PSUCES.BITNET>      Is busy, hung or dead.                      |
+------"He's dead, Jim. I'll get his tricorder. You take his wallet."-------+