Network Infrastructure

 

It is a major goal of the institutional electronic mail service to be able to offer it across the University strategic network infrastructure. In order to achieve the previously discussed architectural goals, several network infrastructure related components have been identified. These components include:

Network Transport System

The electronic mail transport system must use the Internet standard Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)[Pos81] as the transport protocol between mail transport systems, and between the MUA and the postoffice. If datagram service is required, as in, for example, the DAP, then the User Datagram Protocol (UDP)[Pos80] will be used. Proprietary protocols between components of the electronic mail system are acceptable only if they are implemented over, and carried by, either the TCP or UDP.

Dial-In System

Given the current modest coverage of the University's fiber infrastructure, it is assumed that clients with computers, modems and telephones will compose a sizable percentage of the client base, at least initially. Combining this with the architectural requirements of coherency, transparency and infrastructure interoperability will be challenging. These requirements translate into a strong discouragement of dedicated single application dial-in services, and a discouragement of proprietary dial-up MUA to MS strategies.

Remote Operations System

Each component within the technical infrastructure should be monitorable by a remote operations facility. This should include access to all error messages, control functions, and performance indicators, and should not depend on one or more dedicated consoles. A desirable goal is to provide all remote operations and monitoring via the Simple Network Management Protocol.