On Wed, 27 May 1998 18:03:08 +0200, Jo Hermans <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Now what do I have to do to make sure that all mails to vub.ac.be (and
>probably all others in ac.be or maybe even in the whole be-domain) get
>transferred thru the listserv-backbone ?

The backbone may assist you with LISTSERV list mail, but is not a general
mailing solution.  If you have problematic mail delivery due to poor service or
questionalbe connectivity I would work to resolve those problems directly
rather than relying on the backbone to 'fix' them.  It may not.

>Do we have to buy listserv-classic or lite ?

You would have to install LISTSERV-Classic, and register it as a backbone
server.  There are requirements discussed in the Site Manger Manual:

5.6.1. The LISTSERV backbone

The last question on the registration form is whether or not you wish for your
site to participate in the LISTSERV backbone.

The LISTSERV backbone is a collection of servers which are operating 24 hours
and maintained on a regular basis by their respective operation staffs. This
backbone is used to support the DISTRIBUTE command (see chapter 11) and to host
heavy-traffic network-wide peered lists.

LISTSERV servers can fall into one of two categories:

** Local server: A local server has by definition no obligation towards the
rest of the network. It can run any release of the code, with or without local
modifications. Its operation staff can update it at irregular intervals, place
it offline 14 hours a day, or do just anything they might see fit to do. The
server will appear in the network routing files but it will be flagged as being
a local server.

...

** Backbone server: A backbone server can do all of the above, can create peer
lists and is supposed to receive DISTRIBUTE jobs. The restrictions placed on
the backbone sites are the following:

1. A backbone server should always be at the latest available level. This means
that the operations staff must take whatever steps are necessary to update it
in a timely basis. The average delay should not exceed one week, with the
deadline being two weeks.

2. A backbone server cannot be placed offline on a regular basis. It must
operate 24 hours/7 days. It can of course be placed offline manually under
particular conditions, lists can be held by their respective owners, etc.

3. (VM) A backbone server must be AUTOLOG-ed when the system is IPL-ed, and
ought to be automatically restarted at regular intervals in case it logs off
due to some hardware failure (e.g. paging error). This applies only if such a
restart facility is already available at the site hosting the server. In any
case, local operators should be able to restart it if they are also able to
restart RSCS and other service machines. That is, the host site should do its
best to ensure that the server is restarted on a regular basis in case it
crashes.

4. (Non-VM) A backbone server must start automatically whenever the system is
rebooted, and should have some facility to restart if it crashes during
operation.  As with VM servers, the host site should do its best to ensure that
the server is restarted on a regular basis in case it crashes.

5. A backbone server should have the latest version of BITEARN NODES, or in the
worst case, the version from the previous month. This applies only if the
NODUPD files are received in due time of course. In 1.8c and following
releases, BITEARN NODES can be updated automatically--see the 1.8c release
notes for details.

Sites which are willing to become part of the LISTSERV backbone should indicate
it in the :backbone tag of the registration form returned to [log in to unmask]
However, please note that unless you have a large number of lists, or a number
of very large lists, it is probably not necessary for you to join the backbone.
Sites running a few small support or hobby lists, for instance, don't need to
be on the backbone; sites running hundreds of lists both large and small do
need to be on the backbone. Also, sites running one or two huge lists (greater
than, say, 50K subscribers each) probably should be on the backbone; such sites
should contact L-Soft for more information.

>Can I install the free evaluation versions ?

You can for testing purposes, but it does not use the backbone in evaluation
mode.

>Or can I ask to distribute all those mails thru listserv.surfnet.nl

The only way to do that would probably be to route all your mail through this
site and you would have to discuss that with them.

>At this moment, we're not interested into
>transferring our own mailing lists in listserv (we're using home-grown
>software), but this could be changed in the autumn, if we can find a good
>way to interface listserv with our database.

LISTSERV 1.8d will have some interesting developments in this area of function.