XFOR: OVVM/SNADS/Notes Connector Does Not Recognize Apparently-To for Building Address

• Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 5.0, 5.5

SYMPTOMS

If the Internet Mail Service accepts an inbound SMTP message missing the TO: address in the 822 section, but does have Apparently-To addressed to an OV/VM(PROFS)/SNADS/Notes user, these connectors will fail to build the envelope. A non-delivery report will be generated and returned to the orginal sender.

CAUSE

The PROFS/SNADS/Notes Connector does not recognize Apparently-To as a valid header from which an envelope, or P1, can be built. Thus, the message has no recipient and is undeliverable.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, ensure that inbound SMTP traffic conforms to RFC-822 and RFC 2076.

MORE INFORMATION

A close reading of RFC-822 shows that the TO: address is the only field usable in the body for generating routing information beyond that supplied by the RFC-821 conversation. Within Exchange Server, the 821 information is no longer used and is discarded following a successful directory lookup on the recipient. When the message is transferred to the PROFS/SNADS/Notes connector (or any other EDK connector), the only routing information available is that found in the 822 body. The Apparently-To field is an optional header defined in RFC-1211. The following is an excerpt from RFC-2076:

RFC 2076 Internet Message Headers February 1997
Apparently-To:
Inserted by Sendmail when there is no "To:" recipient in the original message, listing recipients derived from the envelope into the message heading. This behavior is not quite proper, MTAs should not modify headings (except inserting Received lines), and it can in some cases cause Bcc recipients to be wrongly divulged to non-Bcc recipients. Non-standard, discouraged, mentioned in RFC 1211.

Keywords          : 
Version           : winnt:5.0,5.5
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: May 7, 1999