route-addr  =  "<" [route] addr-spec ">"

     route       =  1#("@" domain) ":"           ; path-relative

     addr-spec   =  local-part "@" domain        ; global address

     local-part  =  word *("." word)             ; uninterpreted
                                                 ; case-preserved

     domain      =  sub-domain *("." sub-domain)

     sub-domain  =  domain-ref / domain-literal

     domain-ref  =  atom                         ; symbolic reference

     6.2.  SEMANTICS

          A mailbox receives mail.  It is a  conceptual  entity  which
     does  not necessarily pertain to file storage.  For example, some
     sites may choose to print mail on their line printer and  deliver
     the output to the addressee's desk.

          A mailbox specification comprises a person, system  or  pro-
     cess name reference, a domain-dependent string, and a name-domain
     reference.  The name reference is optional and is usually used to
     indicate  the  human name of a recipient.  The name-domain refer-
     ence specifies a sequence of sub-domains.   The  domain-dependent
     string is uninterpreted, except by the final sub-domain; the rest
     of the mail service merely transmits it as a literal string.

     6.2.1.  DOMAINS

        A name-domain is a set of registered (mail)  names.   A  name-
        domain  specification  resolves  to  a subordinate name-domain
        specification  or  to  a  terminal  domain-dependent   string.
        Hence,  domain  specification  is  extensible,  permitting any
        number of registration levels.


     August 13, 1982              - 27 -                      RFC #822
 

 
     Standard for ARPA Internet Text Messages


        Name-domains model a global, logical, hierarchical  addressing
        scheme.   The  model is logical, in that an address specifica-
        tion is related to name registration and  is  not  necessarily
        tied  to  transmission  path.   The  model's  hierarchy  is  a
        directed graph, called an in-tree, such that there is a single
        path  from  the root of the tree to any node in the hierarchy.
        If more than one path actually exists, they are considered  to
        be different addresses.

        The root node is common to all addresses; consequently, it  is
        not  referenced.   Its  children  constitute "top-level" name-
        domains.  Usually, a service has access to its own full domain
        specification and to the names of all top-level name-domains.

        The "top" of the domain addressing hierarchy -- a child of the
        root  --  is  indicated  by  the right-most field, in a domain
        specification.  Its child is specified to the left, its  child
        to the left, and so on.

        Some groups provide formal registration services;  these  con-
        stitute   name-domains   that  are  independent  logically  of
        specific machines.  In addition, networks and machines  impli-
        citly  compose name-domains, since their membership usually is
        registered in name tables.

        In the case of formal registration, an organization implements
        a  (distributed)  data base which provides an address-to-route
        mapping service for addresses of the form:

                         person@registry.organization

        Note that "organization" is a logical  entity,  separate  from
        any particular communication network.

        A mechanism for accessing "organization" is universally avail-
        able.   That mechanism, in turn, seeks an instantiation of the
        registry; its location is not indicated in the address specif-
        ication.   It  is assumed that the system which operates under
        the name "organization" knows how to find a subordinate regis-
        try.  The registry will then use the "person" string to deter-
        mine where to send the mail specification.

        The latter,  network-oriented  case  permits  simple,  direct,
        attachment-related address specification, such as:

                              user@host.network

        Once the network is accessed, it is expected  that  a  message
        will  go  directly  to the host and that the host will resolve


     August 13, 1982              - 28 -                      RFC #822