| Document: FSC-0086

  | Version:  001

  | Date:     03 September 1995

  |

  | Mirko Mucko, 2:2433/920





                Information / Description of a new standard



                                S  tandard

                                R  equest

                                I  nformation

                                F  ile



           Copyright (c) 1994,95 by Gordian Schuermann & Mirko Mucko



I  Overview

                Introduction                            0

                Description in general                  1

                  Required statements                   1.1

                  Optional statements                   1.2

                  Undefined options                     1.3

                Implementation                          2.0









0. Introduction

 In common, more and more mailer are about to implement the ability to

 call external request processors. But very soon, we discovered a command

 line cannot handle all the information the mailer has and the ERP needs.



 To transfer the information in a proper and fast way, we designed and

 implemented the S R I F option in the mean it will be a standard soon.



 The structure and idea is protected by copyright law, except these

 circumstances:



        +  you may distrubute, use and implement this structure for free

        +  you have not to pay any value for usage of these methodes

        +  you should note in your documentation the origin of SRIF



1. Descritption

 The SRIF name is the only parameter given from the Mailer to the External

 Request Processor. The file is designated as a so called "plain vanilla ASCII"

 file, filled with pre-defined, optional and not-yet defined statemets.



 We discussed the possibility of binary files, and of EMSI-like files, but

 a plain ASCII control file is more flexible and can be read faster by

 various program languages (C, Pascal, Basic, Cobol ect).



 In the SRIF, one command plus parameter is allowed per line, the file

 is unlimited in length, comments are not allowed.



 The SRIF is generated by the Mailer and after the ERP finished its work,

 the Mailer is responsible for erasing the SRIF.



1.1 Required statements

 The following statements are required for the ERP:





       Sysop            <Sysop_Name>

                        This is the name of the remote sysop



       AKA              <Zone:Net/Node[.Point][@Domain]>

                        This is the main aka of the remote system in 4D or

                        5D notation. A zero as point number may be ommited,

                        the domain with "@" is optional



       Baud             <Current LINE rate>

                        This is the effective baud rate, not the fixed DTE rate



       Time             <Time in minutes>

                        This is the time till next event which does not allow

                        file requests. Use -1 if no limits



       RequestList      <File of request list>

                        This is the filename of the list containing requested

                        files.

       ResponseList     <File of response list>

                        This is the filename of the response list.

                        It must not be equal to RequestList. One file per line,

                        including drives/pathes to the file. The first

                        character defines the way the mailer should act after

                        sending that file:



                         =   erase file if sent successfully

                         +   do not erase the file after sent

                         -   erase the file in any case after session



       RemoteStatus     <PROTECTED or UNPROTECTED>

                        Defines whether the session is protected by password

                        or not



       SystemStatus     <LISTED or UNLISTED>

                        Defines whether the remote system is listed in any

                        current nodelist of system.



1.2 Optional statements

 These parameters are already known and defined, but a ERP should run also

 without them:



       SessionProtocoll <e.g. ZAP,ZMO,XMA



       AKA              <Zone:Net/Node[.Point][@Domain]>

                        Additional AKAs. One AKA is required (see REQUIRED

                        section)



       Site             <Site Info>

                         The site info as given e.g. in EMSI handshake



       Location         <Location and/or ZIP>

                         The location info as given e.g. in EMSI handshake



       Phone            <Phone Number>

                         The  phone number info as given e.g. in EMSI handshake



       Password         <Session password>

                         On protected sessions, the session password. If

                         no protected session, this parameter must be ommited!



       DTE              <Current DTE rate>

                         The PC<->Modem speed (so call DTE rate)



       PORT             <COM Port from 1 to 8>

                         The FOSSIL Communication Port. The Mailer should

                         leave the fossil "hot" for the Request Processor



       Mailer           <Remote's mailer if EMSI>

                          The Mailer name as defined by FTC



       MailerCode       <Remote's FTSC code>

                          The hex code of the remote mailer as defined by FTC



       SerialNumber     <Remote's serial number if passed>

                         The remote mailer's serial number if transfered



       Version          <Remote's version number if EMSI>

                         The remote mailer's version number if transfered



       Revision         <remote's revision number if EMSI>

                         The remote mailer's revision number if transfered



       SessionType      <may be EMSI, FTSC0001, WAZOO, JANUS, HYDRA or OTHER>

                         The session-type, this may be one of the known

                         session types or "OTHER" if not (yet) defined



       OurAKA           <AKA which has been called for proper response>

                         If the mailer does AKA matching, the AKA of the

                         mailer being called



       TRANX            <Tranx Line as 8 digit hex string>

                         The unix-style time stamp (hexadecimal notation

                         of seconds since 1.1.1980)



1.3 Undefined options

 There may be the need to add new commands / parameters to the SRI file. If

 so, they may be added, but inform us to keep the documentation "up to date"

 and to share your good ideas with other autors of software for FIDONet.





2.0 Implementation

 SRIF is implemented in these fine products already :



                Mailer                  Request Processor

                ------------------------------------------------------

                McMail                  xOR

                                        EasyERP



 Other products will follow soon !