NED@YMIR.BITNET (Ned Freed) (07/28/88)
INFORMATION ABOUT PMDF-822 V3.0
Ned Freed
25-May-1988
The Pascal Memo Distribution Facility (PMDF) is a general-purpose system
for delivering computer-based mail. PMDF provides a uniform distribution
environment that can be interfaced to multiple user interfaces and
transport mechanisms. This version of PMDF for VAX/VMS, called PMDF-822
V3.0, uses the standard VMS MAIL facility as its user interface and
provides support for the PhoneNet asynchronous dialup protocol as its
primary transport mechanism.
PMDF-822 V3.0 also supports PhoneNet over DECnet, SMTP over DECnet,
DECnet-based MAIL-11 MAIL (called DECnet MAIL in this document), JNET (a
product of Joiner Associates Inc., this is an implementation of the IBM
RSCS networking system for VAX/VMS), SMTP over TCP/IP (accomodating the
Carnegie Mellon University, Excelan, NRC FUSION, SRI Multinet, Tektronix,
and Wollongong implementations for VAX/VMS), SMTP over an arbitrary I/O
channel, SMTP over X.25 links (using VAX PSI, a product of Digital
Equipment Corporation, to provide X.25 service), PhoneNet over X.25 links
(also using VAX PSI), PSIMail, and UUCP (using the DEC/Shell
implementation of UUCP), as transport mechanisms.
PMDF-822 is used to perform the PhoneNet function of NSF's CSNET on
VAX/VMS systems. PMDF-822's interface to JNET provides a powerful MAIL
interface to the RSCS-based BITNET network.
PMDF implements a subset of the Multi-channel Memo Distribution Facility
(MMDF), developed by the Department of Electrical Engineering at the
University of Delaware. MMDF is available on all 4.3BSD UNIX systems, so
PMDF can be used to transfer messages from VMS systems to UNIX systems
over arbitrary terminal line connections.
PMDF is fully compliant with the address conventions of RFC822
("domains"), the standard for the format of Internet text messages. SMTP
support in PMDF complies with RFC821 (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).
PMDF was developed by Ira Winston of the Department of Computer and
Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania, Ned Freed of the
Department of Mathematics at Oklahoma State University, Mark Vasoll of the
Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Oklahoma State
University, Kevin Carosso of the Space and Communications Group of Hughes
Aircraft, and John Carosso of Harvey Mudd College.
PMDF is distributed by CSNET to its members. Organizations who are not
members of CSNET can obtain a supported copy of PMDF from:
The Clearinghouse for Academic Software
Computation Center
104 Computer Science Building
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011
(515) 294-0323
Please contact the Clearinghouse for additional information.
PMDF can also be obtained from:
Ned Freed (ned@ymir.bitnet)
The PMDF Project
Computing Services
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA 91711
(714) 621-8006