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Chapter 9. Post Office Protocol (POP) Mail Server
Note:
You can access POP server functions via a command line interface or the
Operations Navigator (graphical user interface). Not all POP functions are
available on both interfaces.
This chapter discusses how you start and stop the POP server via the
command line interface and through Operations Navigator. This chapter does
not document any of the other Operations Navigator functions. This chapter
deals primarily with command line interface functions. See the online Help for
Operations Navigator for information about using the Operations Navigator for
POP functions.
Also, note that even though some of the functionality of the command line
interface and the Operations Navigator is the same, the actual menu
commands and parameters are not necessarily the same.
The Post Office Protocol (POP) server is the AS/400 implementation of the Post
Office Protocol Version 3 mail interface. This server allows AS/400 systems to act
as POP servers for any clients that support the POP mail interface. This includes
clients running on Windows, OS/2, AIX and Macintosh.
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) is the Internet standard for
sending mail with headers that describe the contents of the mail messages to the
receiving client. These messages can be video, image, audio, or binary files, or text
messages. The POP server allows users to exchange mail (including MIME mail)
between OfficeVision/400 and POP clients by using the AnyMail/400 mail server
framework. This support is provided by user exits or snap-ins that are provided by
the POP server to run in the AnyMail/400 mail server framework.
POP mail clients use
verbs
to communicate with the POP server. Verbs supported
by the AS/400 POP server are described in “Supported POP Verbs” on page 296.
The POP Version 3 mail interface is defined in RFC 1725. RFC stands for Request
for Comments. RFCs are the vehicles that are used to define evolving Internet
standards.
How the POP Server Works
The POP server is a simple store-and-forward mail system. It provides electronic
mailboxes on AS/400 from which clients can retrieve mail. It uses the AnyMail/400
mail server framework and the system distribution directory to process and
distribute E-mail. It uses simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) to forward mail.
The system distribution directory is an IBM-supplied function that allows you to
create entries for user IDs or system addresses specific to your network.
Figure 184 on page 286 provides an overview of the standard POP server
components. If you are using AS/400 Client Access with a MAPI mail client instead
of a standard POP client, the processing is slightly different. Figure 185 on
page 287
© Copyright IBM Corp. 1997, 1999 285