Full-mode Fax Profile for Internet Mail (FFPIM)
RFC 4142

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Network Working Group                                         D. Crocker
Request for Comments: 4142                                   Brandenburg
Category: Standards Track                                       G. Klyne
                                                            Nine by Nine
                                                           November 2005

            Full-mode Fax Profile for Internet Mail (FFPIM)

Status of This Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2005).

Abstract

   Classic facsimile document exchange represents both a set of
   technical specifications and a class of service.  Previous work has
   replicated some of that service class as a profile within Internet
   mail.  The current specification defines "full mode" carriage of
   facsimile data over the Internet, building upon that previous work
   and adding the remaining functionality necessary for achieving
   reliability and capability negotiation for Internet mail, on a par
   with classic T.30 facsimile.  These additional features are designed
   to provide the highest level of interoperability with the
   standards-compliant email infrastructure and mail user agents, while
   providing a level of service that approximates what is currently
   enjoyed by fax users.

Crocker & Klyne             Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 4142                         FFPIM                     November 2005

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
   2. Content Negotiation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
      2.1. UA-based Content Negotiation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
      2.2. ESMTP-based Content Negotiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
      2.3. Interactions between UA and ESMTP Negotiation Mechanisms. . 4
   3. Content Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
   4. Security Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
   5. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
      5.1. Normative References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
      5.2. Informative References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
   A. Direct Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
   B. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1.  Introduction

   This specification defines "full mode" carriage of facsimile data
   over the Internet, building upon previous work in A Simple Mode of
   Facsimile Using Internet Mail [RFC3965] and Extended Facsimile Using
   Internet Mail [RFC2532].  This specification also adds the remaining
   functionality necessary to achieve reliable and capable negotiation
   for Internet mail, on par with classic [T30] facsimile.  These
   additional features are designed to provide the highest level of
   interoperability with the standards-compliant email infrastructure
   and mail user agents, while providing a level of service that closely
   approximates the level of service currently enjoyed by fax users.

   Basic terminology is discussed in [RFC2542].  Implementations that
   conform to this specification MUST also conform to [RFC3965] and
   [RFC2532].

   The new features are designed to be interoperable with the existing
   base of mail transfer agents (MTAs) and mail user agents (MUAs), and
   to take advantage of existing standards for optional functionality
   (e.g., positive delivery confirmation and disposition notification).
   Enhancements described in this document utilize the existing Internet
   email messaging infrastructure, where possible, instead of creating
   fax-specific features that are unlikely to be implemented in non-fax
   messaging software.

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
   document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC2119].

Crocker & Klyne             Standards Track                     [Page 2]
RFC 4142                         FFPIM                     November 2005

2.  Content Negotiation

   Classic facsimile service is interactive, such that a sending station
   can discover the capabilities of the receiving station, prior to
   sending a facsimile of a document.  This permits the sender to
   transmit the best quality of facsimile supported by both the sending
   station and the receiving station.  Internet mail is
   store-and-forward, with potentially long latency, such that
   before-the-fact negotiation is problematic.

   Use of a negotiation mechanism permits senders to transfer a richer