From: pedro%OKCU.BITNET@vms.ecs.rpi.edu (Pedro A. Crespo)
Subject: BITNET<=>Internet
Reply-To: "Pedro A. Crespo" <pedro%OKCU.BITNET@vms.ecs.rpi.edu>
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 21:06:30 GMT


Before anyone jumps: I apologize, for this is not a purely MX issue! So,
with that said, here it is...

Our node (OKCU) being connected only to BITNET, and being far from an
official BITNET/Internet gateway (i.e. CUNYVM) is prone to mail outtages
when any line between OKCU and CUNYVM is down (too frequently). Now, to
alleviate this, and taking into account that our parent node (UOKMVSA)
has a direct link to an Internet domain, I have defined a couple of
re-write rules to route all Internet-style addresses through UOKMVSA.BITNET:

DEFINE REWRITE RULE "<{user}@{host}.{something}> -
                    "<{user}%{host}.{something}@UOKMVSA.BITNET>"

(BTW, thanks to Earle Ake for posting this as an answer to someone else's
 question.)

Now, I can send mail to the Internet, and it gets out from UOKMVSA
(actually from uokmvsa.backbone.uoknor.edu), but it seems that I can't
use their node (uokmvsa) to receive mail, because their SMTP does
not recognize OKCU.BITNET as a valid address (explanation given by the
very helpful person responsible for the system at that location).

Now, I have tried sending myself test mail in the form:

   To: MX%"pedro%okcu.bitnet%uokmvsa.backbone.uoknor.edu@CUNYVM.BITNET"

and some other variants, and almost always an error comes back (see
attached message) saying that uokmvsa does not recognize okcu.bitnet
as a valid host.  I know that cunyvm.cuny.edu and mitvma.mit.edu
are able to digest a .bitnet address, and send it through the BITNET
pipe (yes, that is why they are official gateways) but my question is:
would it be possible for them to do this at uokmvsa? Does it require
any special software? What is the correct incantation to make SMPT
do this? (I asked uokmvsa and the person in charge does not know a
way to accomplish it).

FWIW: uokmvsa does have a MAILER and it is listed in the XMAILER.NAMES:

:nick.UOKMVSA :alias.UOKMVSA :net.BITNET :mailer.MAILER :netsoft.JES2


If anyone has any insight on this, or if you need more info, please
let me know... it will be very much appreciated! (Note: I know nothing
about Internet or IBM, so I'll have to ask them at uokmvsa for any
details you might need, but *please* do not contact them directly. Thanks)

Cordially,

Pedro.

P.S.- saple reply message from smtp@cunyvm.cuny.edu follows .sig


______________________________________________________________________________
Pedro A. Crespo              | %include "standard.disclaimer"
                             +------------------------------------------------
Information Systems Director | Voice: (405) 521-5888   | pedro@okcu.bitnet
Oklahoma City University     | Fax:   (405) 521-5411   | attmail!ocumail!pedro
______________________________________________________________________________
"It is not absolutely impossible to categorically deny anything!"  -PAC  \8^>
______________________________________________________________________________


8<-------cut-here------------------------------------cut-here--------->8

From:   MX%"SMTP@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU"  6-APR-1992 17:02:38.15
To:     PEDRO
CC:
Subj:   Undeliverable Mail

Return-Path: <Postmaster@OKCU>
Received: from CUNYVM.BITNET (MAILER) by OKCU     (MX V2.2-2) with BSMTP; Mon,
          06 Apr 1992 17:01:57 CDT
Received: from CUNYVM by CUNYVM.BITNET (Mailer R2.08) with BSMTP id 5744; Mon,
          06 Apr 92 17:51:20 EDT
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 92 17:51:12 EDT
From: SMTP@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
To: pedro@OKCU
Subject: Undeliverable Mail

CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU unable to deliver following mail to recipient(s):
    <pedro%okcu.bitnet@uokmvsa.backbone.uoknor.edu>
CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU received negative reply:
550 Host 'okcu.bitnet' Unknown

           ** Text of Mail follows **
Received: from CUNYVM.BITNET by CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R2)
   with BSMTP id 0193; Mon, 06 Apr 92 17:51:06 EDT
Received: from CUNYVM by CUNYVM.BITNET (Mailer R2.08) with BSMTP id 5724; Mon,
 06 Apr 92 17:51:04 EDT
Received: from OKCU by CUNYVM.BITNET (Mailer R2.08) with BSMTP id 5723; Mon, 06
 Apr 92 17:51:04 EDT
Received: by OKCU (MX V2.2-2) id 23206; Mon, 06 Apr 1992 16:55:22 CDT
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1992 16:55:22 CDT
From: "Pedro A. Crespo" <pedro%OKCU.bitnet@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
To: pedro%okcu.bitnet%uokmvsa.backbone.uoknor.edu@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: TEST


Test to:  pedro%okcu.bitnet%uokmvsa.backbone.uoknor.edu@CUNYVM.BITNET

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Newsgroups: vmsnet.mail.mx