Richard,
SMTP is a client/server state machine protocol . Like in most state
machines, the SMTP server should not send out a response or information
unless it received a request, command or signal (as in the SMTP connection
signal) from the client. SMTP clients are not designed to received
unsolicited responses. Simply log the timeout and drop the connection.
Hope this helps.
--
Hector Santos, Santronics Software, Inc.
http://www.santronics.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard O. Hammer" <ROHammer(_at_)EarthLink(_dot_)net>
To: <ietf-smtp(_at_)imc(_dot_)org>
Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2004 8:35 PM
Subject: what to say on timeout?
When a SMTP server breaks a connection to a SMTP client because of
long inactivity (as suggested in RFC 2821 Section 4.5.3.2), should it
break the connection silently? or should it first send a 451, 554, or
some other reply code?
Thanks,
Rich Hammer