Distribution lists in an X.400 message handling system

Abstract

The X.400 Message Handling Systems standard was designed to transfer messages from one person to another. It provides for private distribution lists, but does not provide for service distribution lists, that is distribution lists that are available for use by more than one person. This can be achieved by introducing the concept of a group distributor agent; the user would address the message to this agent and send it; the group distribution agent would then take the distribution list and copy the message to each person on it. If the message handling system protocols are examined in depth it can be seen that small modifications are needed in order to achieve this properly.