Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version VT1.00C 11/1/84; site vortex.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!amdimage!amdcad!decwrl!decvax!vortex!lauren From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) Newsgroups: net.mail Subject: Re: Mail addressing and routing Message-ID: <734@vortex.UUCP> Date: Tue, 6-Aug-85 13:22:56 EDT Article-I.D.: vortex.734 Posted: Tue Aug 6 13:22:56 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 10-Aug-85 20:45:05 EDT References: <644@adobe.UUCP> Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles Lines: 27 One of the problems with state-based schemes (or any system that doesn't encourage the use of direct or semi-direct hops--that is, local exceptions to "route to the state handler" routings), is that it tends to put a tremendous amount of load on the particular site that is acting as that gateway (usually for free) and encourages what might be called "sloppiness" in tables. My own view is that local tables should only resort to sending to "gateway" machines for a geographic area (or a logical area, which makes more sense the way some regions are set up) when more specific local information isn't known. For example, many sites call vortex directly. If mail is addressed to vortex.UUCP (for example) they should call directly if possible. Sites that have specific enough information to route to vortex would use whatever information they have, even for multiple hops. Only if all else failed would routing be done through the top-level domain and subdomains (e.g. CA). If too much reliance is put on "gateway" subdomain servers, they will swamped. Also, in many cases routing will be much slower than more direct routes. For example, getting to vortex is generally much faster through a number of East coast machines than the most common West coast machines--and tables should be aware of that fact whenever possible. If all mail to vortex routed through the theoretical CA site, rather than using better information when available, not only would that CA site be footing unnecessary costs but message turnaround time would be increased as well. --Lauren--