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Re: 2821bis/ter and procedures (was: Re: retry question)

2008-08-08 06:06:28

  MAIL FROM:<a>
  250 ok
  RCPT TO:<b>
  250 ok
  RCPT TO:<c>
  450 try later
  RCPT TO:<d>
  550 no such user
  DATA
  blah blah
  .
  554 ugh

Which, if any, of b, c, and d get retried?  Why or why not?  What if
the 554 were a 450?

My take FWIW, is that none should be retried because the data is
rejected (probably based on content analysis e.g. spam or
virus). If the data response were a 450, a+b+c should be retried.

But 554 can mean all sorts of things. Maybe it was a content failure, maybe there was some screwup storing the mail. Or let's say it was a 552 which can mean mailbox full. Now what?

Like I said, this gets really twisty.

Regards,
John Levine, johnl(_at_)taugh(_dot_)com, Taughannock Networks, Trumansburg NY
"I dropped the toothpaste", said Tom, crestfallenly.