From:	CRDGW2::CRDGW2::MRGATE::"SMTP::CRVAX.SRI.COM::RELAY-INFO-VAX"  5-JAN-1990 18:11
To:	MRGATE::"ARISIA::EVERHART"
Subj:	RE: what is the PMDF mailer

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Date: Tue, 2 Jan 90 14:21 PST
From: Portia Shao <@YMIR.CLAREMONT.EDU:PORTIA@FRIDAY.A-T.COM>
Subject: RE: what is the PMDF mailer
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Sao Khai Mong asked what is PMDF, and
Bill Bailey replied that

>PMDF is the Pascal Mail Delivery Facility, a "product" of Harvey Mudd College,
>it is an excellent value at $50.00!  PMDF "implements a subset of the Multi-
>channel Memo Distribution Facility (MMDF), developed by the Department of
>Electrical Engineering at the University of Deleware." (quote from the PMDF
>Guide).

This is no longer correct. PMDF is a REAL PRODUCT from Innosoft International
Inc. (III) Many founders of III went to Harvey Mudd, some still have
connections with the college. They now charge more than $50, but you get
a supported product, with maintenance updates, site license, etc. If you are an
educational institute, you still have a bargain.

PMDF no longer stands for Pascal Mail Delivery Facility. I like to think
of it as Post Master's Delivery Facility, but that is not the offical
expansion. It is just a name for a mail delivery agent. You still use
VMS Mail as your user interface to send/read mail. It does not give you the
network, i.e. you still get DECnet from DEC, TCP/IP from whoever...

PMDF in its simplest form can be used as a DECnet store/forward mail
delivery agent so if the system is down when you send the mail, it
will be retried automatically. 

Another simple use of PMDF is to send/receive mail between your VMS system
and a UNIX box, connected using any popular flavor of TCP/IP.

PMDF can also be set up to be a mail server to distribute your public
domain software, requesters will just have to send a mail message to
a special account on your system to get files.

In its full glory, PMDF can have a "channel" for every
different network connection your VAX has, e.g. dialup lines, almost
every flavor of TCP/IP ever existed, BITnet, Jnet... and you can send/receive
mail from anyone on the network.

Innosoft International is at 250 W. First St. Claremont, CA 91711
(714) 624-7907


	/Portia Shao	portia@ashtate.a-t.com
	Ashton-Tate, Torrance, CA	(213) 538-6285