Re: CDONTS and SMTP server

Still not sure that I agree with you about mail clients & mail servers
:-)

As I see it, a mail client uses a client protocol like POP3 (RFC 1939)
to retrieve mail from a mail server, then render it for the end-user:

(1) user <--text--- client <--POP3--- server

In contrast, a mail server uses server protocols like SMTP (RFC 821)
to transfer mail across the network:

(2) ---SMTP--> server ---SMTP--> server ---SMTP--> server

A mail client can certainly >originate< mail, and for that purpose, it
must use SMTP, not POP3 (which is a retrieval-only protocol):

(3) user ---text--> client ---SMTP--> server

But the key difference is, the mail client does not >transfer< mail
from other clients or servers. It does not work like (2) above. It
only works like (3) above. The fact that it might be automatable (like
Outlook), is irrelevant to this definition, IMO.

BLAT has no ability to work like (2) above. It only works like (3)
abive. For that reason, you really can not call it a mail server, IMO.
Just like other email clients (Outlook, Eudora etc.), BLAT can
originate mail, but it can not transfer existing mail across the
network - the key role of a mail server.

Cheers,
TC


"david epsom dot com dot au" <david@epsomdotcomdotau> wrote in message news:<O1sfo8E8DHA.3380@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl>...
> Simple Mail Transport Protocol is a protocol for sending and
> receiving mail.
>
> A server is ......
>
> A client is ......
>
> If you look at the connections supported in MS Outlook, you can
> see that it supports several different protocols - including, i
> think, file drop for working with a network mail server.
>
> We do use mail clients as mail servers: OLE automation,
> OLE 'Server', OLE 'Client'. The security stuff makes it
> difficult to use MS Outlook as a mail server.
>
> We don't use mail servers as mail clients: a mail client is
> a user interface for reading mail.
>
> BLAT is a simple mail server: you use one protocol (win api)
> to connect to it, and it uses another protocol (SMTP) to
> communicate with the next mail server.
>
> The MS SMTP service is another mail server: you drop well
> formed mail packages into it's send folder, and it uses
> SMTP to communicate with the next mail server.
>
> A mail client or server that uses SMTP (called 'internet mail'
> in MS Outlook) may need changes in the brave new world. Or
> your ISP may configure their mail server to accept
> unauthenticated SMTP mail from local IP addresses.
>
> There are a couple of authentication/security initiatives
> operating in parallel at present: authentication addresses
> copy protection, virus problems, and spam problems. Secure
> authentication operates 'end-to-end' and includes both
> client and server authentication.
>
> MS has made it difficult to use MS Outlook as a mail server
> by requiring user interaction. But next, expect authentication
> to be embedded into the operating system (Windows), and expect
> to be able to configure MS mail servers to accept mail only
> from clients and servers that are operating in Authenticated
> mode.
>
>
> (david)