Background: When a VarAC station has an outgoing vmail, and hears the destination station beacon, it beacons back, vmail waiting, alerting the operator to connect and retrieve the vmail.
New feature request: Internet destination emails should trigger similar behavior!
Example: 1. Station A: Create an message, destination to Internet email. 2. Station A receives a beacon received from station B, with Internet Gateway flag true. 3. Station A: Send mail relay waiting notification to station B. 4. Station B: Connect to station A, etc. 5. Station A: mail waiting, transfer mail. (automatic) 6. Station B: mail received confirmation. 7. Station B: Relay the mail to the destination via the internet. There are two ways to implement this: 1. The easy way (or prototype): expand the existing vmail waiting process to include email relay.
OR
2. Copy the vmail waiting protocol and modify it to explicitly support email waiting, distinguishing between personal vmail waiting, and third-party relay vmail/email waiting.
I suggest to start with option 1, and improve it as needed, to develop more refined version if desired.
Discussion:
I also considered that a station with outgoing email could broadcast he needs an email relay. But that would cause a storm of gateways connecting back to him. So it's better for him to try to connect to an email gateway after it beacons.
I.e., the email gateway is the server, and the station with traffic waiting is the client. The server beacons its service, and the client connects as needed - the client being aware when it has traffic and when the traffic has been sent. Mission accomplished.
Future ideas: Expand this protocol to third-party Vmail relay.
Station A has vmail waiting, and sends a long pathfinder request containing the list of destination stations.
Stations answer with the list of relevant destination stations that they can hear well.
Now station A can connect to the best station and then it automatically sends the relevant third-party message(s) to the relay station.
etc.
Regarding this:
1. Station A: Create an message, destination to Internet email.
2. Station A receives a beacon received from station B, with Internet Gateway flag true.
3. Station A: Send mail relay waiting notification to station B.
4. Station B: Connect to station A, etc.
5. Station A: mail waiting, transfer mail. (automatic)
6. Station B: mail received confirmation.
7. Station B: Relay the mail to the destination via the internet.
On step 3 - for every beacon of relay I will signal I have something to relay ? my station can start signal every gateway out there "come pick my vmail"
When relaying a vmail to email gateway - I dont see a justification for putting the responsibility on the gateway to collect.
When A want to sent to Z, then Z has an interest in collecting his VMail.
But when A want to send to Z through anyone like B,C,D,E or F, I don't think its a good idea to notify A,B,C,D,E,F and expect either of them to have an incentive and now connect you and try to relay it for you.
73s