PMDF System Manager's Guide

Example 4-2 shows a simple alias file for an OpenVMS host example.com which includes a mailing list named staff; Example 4-3 shows a similar alias file for a UNIX host example.com. Mail to the staff list should be addressed to staff@example.com. ³ Example 4-1 shows the actual file containing the addresses of each member of the mailing list (including some printer and FAX addresses); this file is referenced in the sample aliases files shown in Example 4-2 and Example 4-3.

The use of the indirect stafflist alias directed to the process channel defers the processing so that performance as perceived by the sender is improved. A process channel must be defined for this to work. A process channel is automatically defined by the PMDF configuration utility, as well as rewrite rules that rewrite process to the actual name associated with the process channel, usually process.localhost.

The use of the AUTH_LIST named parameter here restricts the list such that only members of the list can post to it. Two positional parameters, error-return-address and comments, are used. The error-return-address parameter specifies the postmaster's address; the comments parameter generates a Comments: header line reading "EXAMPLE Computer Center Staff Mailing List" which will appear in each posting to the list.

Example 4-1 Sample Mailing List File staff.dis

! ! staff.dis -- employee mailing list sue@example.com ralph@example.com "Karl R. Smith" <karl@example.com> lisa@other.example.com ! ! Addresses for people who do not have regular e-mail "/at=Mr. Potato/o=Potato Farm/ms=Mail Stop PF/"@printer1.example.com "/at=Dr. Pepper/fn=1-909-555-1212/"@text-fax.example.com

Example 4-2 Sample OpenVMS aliases File Defining a Mailing List 4

! ! Standard aliases postmast: postmaster postmaster: ralph@example.com root: system ! ! The staff mailing list; errors are sent to postmaster@example.com staff: stafflist@process stafflist: <pmdf_table:staff.dis, \ [auth_list] pmdf_table:staff.dis, \ postmaster@example.com, *, *, *, \ EXAMPLE Computer Center Staff Mailing List

Example 4-3 Sample UNIX aliases File Defining a Mailing List 4

! ! Standard aliases postmast: postmaster postmaster: ralph@example.com root: system ! ! The staff mailing list; errors are sent to postmaster@example.com staff: stafflist@process stafflist: </pmdf/table/staff.dis, \ [auth_list] /pmdf/table/staff.dis, \ postmaster@example.com, *, *, *, \ EXAMPLE Computer Center Staff Mailing List

Example 4-4 Sample NT aliases File Defining a Mailing List

! ! Standard aliases postmast: postmaster postmaster: administrator ! ! The staff mailing list; errors are sent to postmaster@example.com staff: stafflist@process stafflist: <C:\pmdf\table\staff.dis, \ [auth_list] C:\pmdf\table\staff.dis, \ postmaster@example.com, *, *, *, \ EXAMPLE Computer Center Staff Mailing List

As noted previously, addresses in the mailing file should be in standard RFC 822 format (e.g., not in the form supplied to VMS MAIL).

The command PMDF TEST/REWRITE/CHECK_EXPANSIONS (OpenVMS) or pmdf test -rewrite -check_expansions (UNIX and Windows) can be used to test the list. For instance, on OpenVMS systems use the command

PMDF TEST/REWRITE/CHECK_EXPANSIONS/FROM="sue@example.com" staff

Or, on UNIX or Windows systems,

pmdf test -rewrite -check_expansions -from="sue@example.com" staff

Note the use of the /FROM (OpenVMS) or -from (UNIX and Windows) qualifier to provide an authorized address (as specified in the [AUTH_LIST] list) to treat as the posting address when attempting the list expansion. (By default such a command would use as the posting address the official return address for the local postmaster as specified by the RETURN_ADDRESS option in the PMDF option file; that is, by default PMDF would perform its test as if the local postmaster were attempting to send a message to the list.)