OSI PICS Manual

CCITT X.400: P2 for MHS

Tandem OSI PICS Manual–135046

16-3

PICS for the OSI MHS 1988 P2 Protocol

Introduction

This Recommendation is one of a set of Recommendations for Message Handling. The

entire set provides a comprehensive blueprint for a Message Handling System (MHS)

realized by any number of cooperative open systems.

The purpose of an MHS is to enable users to exchange messages on a store-and-forward

basis. A message submitted on behalf of one user, the originator, is conveyed by the

Message Transfer System (MTS) and subsequently delivered to the agents of one or

more additional users, the recipients. Access Units (AUs) link the MTS to

communication systems of other kinds (e.g., postal systems). A user is assisted in the

preparation, storage, and display of messages by a user agent (UA). Optionally, it is

assisted in the storage of messages by a Message Store (MS). The MTS comprises a

number of Message Transfer Agents (MTAs) which collectively perform the store-and-

forward message transfer function.

To evaluate conformance of a particular implementation, it is necessary to have a

statement of which capabilities and options have been implemented for a given OSI

protocol. Such a statement is called a Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement

(PICS).

This Recommendation includes the PICS proforma for the P2 protocol as defined in the

Recommendations X.420.

1 Scope

This CCITT Recommendation provides the PICS proforma for the P2 protocol as

specified in X.420. This PICS proforma is in compliance with the relevant

requirements, and in accordance with the relevant guidance for PICS proforma, given in

ISO/IEC 9642-2.

Detail of the use of this proforma is provided in the annex A of this Recommendation.

The scope of this Recommendation is the specification of the conformance statements

for an Interpersonal Messaging System User Agent (IPMS-UA) and Interpersonal

Messaging System Message Store (IPMS-MS).