Registration

Registration is concerned with getting the client installed into various system databases, and configuration of the technical infrastructure to recognize the new client. Once registered, the information necessary for the use of the electronic mail service is provided to either the local electronic mail administrator, or the ``one stop shopping'' contact point. The registration function is typically provided via the administrative service agent to the local electronic mail administrator.

Issues the electronic mail registration function will manage include:

Mailbox Registration & Configuration

The registration function will manage the creation and configuration of each client's mailbox, and related contact information. Various per-client parameters, some of which are discussed in section , will need to be initialized.

Client Platform Registration

The registration function may need to register the network address of the local computer that the client will use for accessing the electronic mail service. While access to the postoffice may be restricted by network address, consideration must be given to ensure access of mobile, dial-up, or other types of access modes that the client computer may utilize to access the electronic mail service.

Directory Registration

The client's electronic mail address and other pertinent contact information such as departmental affiliation and phone number should be extracted from the client registration database and injected into a directory service database, accessible via the directory user agent.

Other sources of internal non-subscriber information may be processed to discover internal non-subscriber electronic mail addresses and registered automatically in the campus electronic directory, such as:

• the internal University telephone book
• users of other mail systems on campus that submit and update directory registration information about themselves.
• other electronic mail systems
• other user query protocols (eg. finger)
• the electronic news stream (USENET)