At 19:40 05/01/2004, you wrote:
Hector Santos wrote:
Send a 421 per RFC 2821 section 3.9.
I think RFC 2821 needs clarification here.
Nowhere does it say what an SMTP server should do after a timeout. Section
3.9 says that the SMTP server MUST NOT close the connection except in two
situations - which do not include a timeout situation...
So, although section 4.5.3.2 allows (recommends) the SMTP server to have a
timeout, it isn't allowed to close the connection after the timeout - so
what should it do??
I'm pretty sure this isn't what was intended by RFC 2821, but it's what it
says..
So, I'd suggest that 3.9 have an extra possible cause of a connection
termination as a 'timeout situation as described in 4.5.3.2'. At this point
in the RFC it could be suggested what the server should do.
(The logical thing is probably to treat a timeout situation the same as a
'SMTP server shutdown situation' - ie it SHOULD attempt to send a line
containing a 421 response code asynchronously)
Paul VPOP3 - Internet Email Server/Gateway
support(_at_)pscs(_dot_)co(_dot_)uk http://www.pscs.co.uk/