Errors-to: owner-drums@CS.UTK.EDU
Message-ID: <gjoQdbW00WBw0DKmRj@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Sun,  4 Jun 1995 10:59:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: John Gardiner Myers <jgm+@CMU.EDU>
To: drums@CS.UTK.EDU
Subject: Re: RFC 821 problem list
In-Reply-To: <199506040658.CAA20078@cmu2.cs.cmu.edu>
References: <199506040658.CAA20078@cmu2.cs.cmu.edu>
Beak: Is

Harald.T.Alvestrand@uninett.no writes:
> If the response started with 4, the same mailer would retry exactly the
> same transaction; since all the too-many recipients are intended for delivery
> to this exact system, the number will not go down on a retry, and the error
> is likely to remain permanent.

You're missing something here.  Assume the server has a limit of 100
recipients.  The first 100 RCPT commands will result in a 250
response.  The 101st through Nth RCPT command will result in a "too
many recipients" error.  When the client completes the DATA command,
the mail gets delivered to the first 100 recipients.

If the server returns a 5XX code for this condition, then the SMTP
client will bounce the mail for the 101st through Nth recipient.  If
the server returns a 4XX code for this condition, then the client will
retry.  Since the first 100 recipients got successfully handled in the
previous transaction, the retry will start with the 101st recipient
and will be able to successfully deliver up to another 100 recipients.

-- 
_.John G. Myers		Internet: jgm+@CMU.EDU
			LoseNet:  ...!seismo!ihnp4!wiscvm.wisc.edu!give!up