Software Product Description ___________________________________________________________________ PRODUCT NAME: VAX Message Router, Version 3.3 SPD 26.33.11 VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway, Version 3.3 VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit, Version 3.3 DESCRIPTION VAX Message Router (MR) is the core component of Digital Equipment Cor- poration's MAILbus[TM] Message Transfer System. VAX Message Router is a layered software product that resides on OpenVMS[TM] VAX[TM] sys- tems and provides three services to MAILbus messaging networks - Mes- sage Transfer Service, Directory Service and Management Service. The primary use for Message Router and MAILbus is in interpersonal mes- saging (electronic mail or E-Mail) applications but it may be used by any application, such as Digital's DEC/EDI Electronic Data Interchange software, needing to move information across a computer network. Available as separate products are the VAX Message Router VMSmail Gate- way (MRGATE), which provides a connection between MAILbus and VMSmail - the OpenVMS Mail Utility, and the VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit (MRIF) for developing applications that interface to MR's Message Transfer Service. Message Transfer Service VAX Message Router provides a store and forward reliable transfer ser- vice for messages through a DECnet[TM] network. These messages can con- tain any information needing transport within a DECnet network, in- cluding text, data and arbitrary files. Message structure closely re- sembles that described in the CCITT X.400 Recommendations for Message Handling Systems. However, messages use the encoding method described in the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST, for- merly the National Bureau of Standards - NBS) Specification for the Message Format for Computer Based Messaging Systems. DIGITAL November 1993 AE-X069L-TE VAX Message Router, Version 3.3 SPD 26.33.11 VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway, Version 3.3 VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit, Version 3.3 In addition to Message Router, User Agents (application programs such as Digital's DEC MAILworks[TM] and ALL-IN-1[TM] Integrated Office Sys- tem) are required for an originator to create a message or a recip- ient to read a message when it is delivered. MAILbus Gateways connect- ing to other vendors' messaging systems or to public messaging net- works can also be sources or destinations for messages. Organizations may develop their own applications, using the VAX Message Router Pro- grammer's Kit, to send and receive messages through Message Router. Message Router provides full support for delivery notification ser- vices and transmission of service and status messages. Network man- agers may establish routing schemes for messages by relying on default DECnet configurations, destination routing using route tables or area routing for large complex networks involving interconnected "hub" nodes for each area. Directory Service Message Router contains the MAILbus Directory Service (DDS). DDS is a single logical directory of subscribers and other MAILbus network information which can be distributed across a number of MR systems. End users, through their user agents, may make inquiries of the di- rectory to find the address of their correspondents. Most MAILbus gate- ways use DDS for address translation for message originators and/or recipients in other vendors' messaging networks or external networks. DDS has utilities to allow replication and automatic update of direc- tory information across the MR nodes in a MAILbus network. DDS will optimally support a population of up to 20,000 subscribers and/or 30 MR nodes. Consulting services from Digital[TM] are avail- able to assist in Directory Service design and implementation. The con- sulting services are recommended where network population exceeds these numbers or is subject to frequent changes. 2 VAX Message Router, Version 3.3 SPD 26.33.11 VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway, Version 3.3 VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit, Version 3.3 Management Service The MR Management Service monitors the mail network for error and ex- ception conditions and helps with routine management of Message Router. Error and exception reports may be delivered to the MR network man- ager as events happen and/or on a scheduled basis. Management Action Procedures recommend corrective procedures for specific conditions. For complex networks, use of the MAILbus Monitor, available from Dig- ital's services organization, is recommended to assist in the manage- ment of the messaging network. VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway The VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway (MRGATE), available as a sep- arate layered software product, provides an interface between the MAIL- bus Message Transfer Service and the OpenVMS Mail Utility. MRGATE pro- vides conversion between the NIST protocols of Message Router and the MAIL-11 protocols of VMSmail. Address conversion is accomplished through use of an extended address syntax without reference to the DDS Direc- tory Service. Limited document content conversion is performed on messages passing from Message Router to VMSmail. WPS-PLUS[TM] and DECdx[TM] format doc- uments are converted to ASCII text format. Any other file types are passed through MRGATE unconverted. If a message contains multiple text attachments, these attachments are concatenated into a single ASCII text message for onward transmission through VMSmail. If the message contains unlike attachments, a set of pre-defined rules determine which attachments are forwarded to VMSmail and which are dropped, since VMS- mail does not support multiple content types in a single message. Only text message transfer is supported when the message recipient's sys- tem is running the OpenVMS Mail Utility, Version 5.1 or earlier. No content conversion is performed on messages passing from VMSmail to Message Router. To provide connection to MAILbus, the VAX Message Router software is required by and included with the license and media kit for VAX Mes- sage Router VMSmail Gateway. 3 VAX Message Router, Version 3.3 SPD 26.33.11 VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway, Version 3.3 VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit, Version 3.3 VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit Available as a separate product, the VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit (MRIF) consists of a run-time library of high-level interface rou- tines that may be built into user applications and a Programming Guide to assist users in writing those applications. This material simpli- fies the development of the application program modules that assem- ble and disassemble messages, post and fetch messages from Message Router, and handle messaging service elements. A message transfer service remote access routine for OpenVMS AXP[TM] systems is provided. An application developed using MRIF may be ported to run on an OpenVMS AXP system and make remote connection to the Open- VMS VAX system on which VAX Message Router resides. MRIF is required only for application development. The applications developed using it may be run on any MR system without MRIF being in- stalled on that system; MR itself containing the necessary run time libraries. The remote access routine for OpenVMS AXP systems allows applications developed using MRIF to be ported to OpenVMS AXP systems and to connect to any MR system without MRIF being installed on that system. To provide connection to MAILbus, the VAX Message Router software is required by and is included with the license and media kit for VAX Mes- sage Router Programmer's Kit. INSTALLATION Message Router forms only one part of a distributed electronic mes- saging application. Important activities, such as coordination with other messaging components and planning for the subscriber entries in the directory service, must precede the installation of this product. Digital offers a number of services to assist customers with these tasks. Refer to the SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES section of this SPD for more information. 4 VAX Message Router, Version 3.3 SPD 26.33.11 VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway, Version 3.3 VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit, Version 3.3 Only experienced customers should attempt installation of these prod- ucts. Digital recommends that all other customers purchase Digital's Installation Services. These services provide for installation of the software products by an experienced Digital Software Specialist. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS Processors and/or hardware configuration as specified in the System Support Addendum (SSA 26.33.11-x). SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS o OpenVMS VAX Operating System o DECnet/OSI for OpenVMS The VAX Message Router base software is required by and included with the software license and media kits for VAX Message Router VMSmail Gate- way and VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit. Refer to the System Support Addendum (SSA 26.33.11-x) for availabil- ity and required versions of prerequisite/optional software. ORDERING INFORMATION VAX Message Router Software Licenses: QL-732A*-** Software Media: QA-732A*-** Software Documentation: QA-732A*-GZ Software Product Services: QT-732A*-** VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway Software Licenses: QL-730A*-** Software Media: QA-730A*-** Software Documentation: QA-730A*-GZ Software Product Services: QT-730A*-** 5 VAX Message Router, Version 3.3 SPD 26.33.11 VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway, Version 3.3 VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit, Version 3.3 VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway software license and media kit in- clude the software license and media kit for the required VAX Message Router software. VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit Software Licenses: QL-733A*-** Software Media: QA-733A*-** Software Documentation: QA-733A*-GZ Software Product Services: QT-733A*-** VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit software license and media kit in- clude the software license and media kit for the required VAX Message Router software. * Denotes variant fields. For additional information on available li- censes, services, and media, refer to the appropriate price book. SOFTWARE LICENSING This software is furnished under the licensing provisions of Digital Equipment Corporation's Standard Terms and Conditions. For more in- formation about Digital's licensing terms and policies, contact your local Digital office. A license for VAX Message Router is included with the license of many Digital messaging products for which it is a prerequisite. The license for the VAX Message Router Programmer's kit includes the right to use the remote access routine for OpenVMS AXP systems by applications de- veloped using MRIF and which are then ported to run on OpenVMS AXP sys- tems. License Management Facility Support These layered products support the OpenVMS License Management Facil- ity. No separate product authorization key (PAK) is provided for the VAX Message Router product. License units for these products are allocated on an unlimited sys- tem use basis. 6 VAX Message Router, Version 3.3 SPD 26.33.11 VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway, Version 3.3 VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit, Version 3.3 For more information on the License Management Facility, refer to the OpenVMS VAX Operating System Software Product Description (SPD 25.01.xx) or the License Management Facility manual of the OpenVMS VAX Operat- ing System documentation set. SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES MAILbus products are components of larger distributed messaging ap- plications, which may involve multiple vendors' systems in multiple locations. Digital offers a number of consulting services to assist customers in the planning, installation and management of these mes- saging applications and related directory services, integration of PC- based messaging systems, and the provision of network wide directory services. A variety of service options are available from Digital. For more in- formation, contact your local Digital office. SOFTWARE WARRANTY Warranty for these software products is provided by Digital with the purchase of a license for the product as defined in the Software War- ranty Addendum of this SPD. Warranty Limitations The VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway performs content conversion on WPS-PLUS and DECdx documents. Absolute fidelity between an original document and the resulting document, as printed or displayed by the receiving system, is not guaranteed. The differences between design approaches to word processing systems, the transformations required for the transfer and printing of a document, and the types of print- ers used may all affect the resulting printed document. [R] IBM and PROFS are registered trademarks of International Busi- ness Machines Corporation. 7 VAX Message Router, Version 3.3 SPD 26.33.11 VAX Message Router VMSmail Gateway, Version 3.3 VAX Message Router Programmer's Kit, Version 3.3 [TM]The DIGITAL Logo, ALL-IN-1, AXP, CDA, CI, DEC, DECdx, DEC MAIL- works, DECnet, DECwindows, Digital, MAILbus, MicroVAX, Open- VMS, RA, RL, TK, ULTRIX, VAX, VAXcluster, VAXft, VAXserver, VAXstation, VMS, and WPS-PLUS are trademarks of Digital Equip- ment Corporation. OfficeVision is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. 8