The Zone One Mail Backbone consists of the Coordinators, Hubs and Nodes who agree to operate by the procedures, and offer the services, as described in this document, to help distribute the Zone One Mail Backbone echomail conferences and routed netmail to end users, other distribution services and other networks. The Zone One Mail Backbone is hereafter referred to simply as the Backbone. An echomail conference is a message base or forum, distributed under a specified echomail conference name, dealing with a defined area of interest. Echomail conferences are hereafter referred to simply as conferences. It is assumed that Backbone Coordinators of some sort exist at the region level.
Regions select their RBCs however they choose.
RBCs function at the regional level, providing regional input and direction to the operation of the Backbone at the zone level, as described elsewhere in this document. Hubs are Nodes who distribute mail to other Nodes. It is assumed that Hubs of some sort exist at the region level. The ZBC coordinates routing and schedules to ensure reliable and efficient availability of Backbone mail while avoiding creation of duplicate messages. These files are formatted so that they can be used as forward-lists by programs such as AreaFix.