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8 Glossary


This section lists the common terms and phrases used in MIMEsweeper, with a short explanation of each.

Term Meaning
ActiveX A distributable PC executable normally retrieved over the Web. Based on the Component Object Model (COM).
Alias This term can have two meanings. For DNS this term refers to a name that can be mapped to a host name, using the CNAME record in DNS. See DNS. For MAILsweeper routing it refers to a user name alias.
Application log Applications executing on Windows NT can write messages to the application event log. This log is viewed using the Event Viewer program. MIMEsweeper may write messages to this log on start-up or shutdown to report information, failures and warnings.
AME Automated Message Editing. Performs append or prepend operations to the body part of a message. Once the text is added, the message is re-packaged and delivered.
AMUcheck Authorised Mail User check. A MAILsweeper built-in validator used to control user and location authorisation.
Attribute A name/value pair. Each data item carries around attributes as it is processed by MIMEsweeper. They are typically obtained from the container handlers. Attributes can be used and updated throughout disassembly, validation and disposal.
API gateways Application Programming Interface gateways. The gateways MAILsweeper uses to route messages between domains in a GroupWise environment.
Applet See Java applet.
Authenticode A tool developed by Microsoft to sign code that is to be distributed via the Internet. It allows the end user to identify the publisher of signed software and verify that it hasn't been modified.
Automatic mailing It is possible for an HTML document to instruct the Web browser to generate and send a mail message without your knowledge. It is performed in a hidden form with an action command. The recipient of the mail message will gain information about your company's mail list, domain, and so on. WEBsweeper can block automatic mailings before they reach the Web browsers.
Browser See Web browser.
Cabinet files Cabinet files are file archives. An application that installs on Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 may be distributed as a cabinet file.
Cache An area of memory or disk storage where remotely sourced data is held locally, so that subsequent requests for the same data can be serviced quicker.
cc:Mail Router The software used to route messages between two cc:Mail post offices.
Cookie Information held locally on a Web browser, for a Web server. Cookies are used to maintain state information about the interaction between a Web browser and a particular URL. When a Web browser connects to a site the Web server may respond by asking the browser to set a cookie. The cookie is merely a piece of state information, a variable holding a value.
Component The result of MIMEsweeper's recursive disassembly of a data item.
Container In MIMEsweeper terms, a container is a file that can contain one or more files. These files may be in encoded form (compressed or encrypted), plain text or binary.
Container handler An entity that recognises a data type by content. It performs disassembly to present the contained data as raw data for MIMEsweeper validation.
Data stream A sequence of byte values which constitute a data file of any kind.
Directory

Generic term for what proprietary mail systems refer to as post office directory, address list or mailing list.
Disposal Mapping between <Response> and disposition.
Disposal action The name given to the various actions that can be performed on a data item during disposal.
Domain name Officially registered name by which your organization is referred to on the Internet. In GroupWise terms a domain is a collection of post offices.
DNS Domain Name System. A system that converts host names to IP addresses, using a distributed database. This is the mechanism used by the Internet and most TCP/IP networks to resolve host names to IP addresses and vice versa.

DNS provides a number of resolutions. The most important to MAILsweeper are the records used by SMTP to allow the transfer of mail. See MX records.

Event log See Application log.
Firewall A firewall is an IP gateway that allows you to supply access security to your network. This is achieved by allowing a security policy to be implemented that restricts access to and from your network. This policy can be based on TCP/IP address, port, domain, username, etc.
Foreign domain A GroupWise term referring to any non- GroupWise domain.
FTP File Transfer Protocol. A means of exchanging files across a TCP/IP network.
Gateway This term has two meanings. A cc:Mail to Microsoft-Mail gateway refers to a system that converts mail from one mail system type to another. For SMTP mail, it can have the previous meaning as well as meaning a system that is prepared to take and process mail for other systems or domains. See MX records.
Host name A DNS name that maps to a host's IP address. See DNS.
HTML HyperText Markup Language. The mechanism used to define the content and appearance of information displayed by a Web browser.
HTML page A single file of hypertext markup language.
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The native protocol of the Web, used to transfer hypertext information across the WWW.
Inform messages Messages generated by MIMEsweeper from configurable subject and body text and sent users.
Internet Globally distributed collection of computer networks that exchange information using the TCP/IP protocol.
Internet shortcut Files that reference programs and commands. Microsoft's Internet Explorer is capable of interpreting an Internet shortcut and executing the program it refers to.
IP address Internet Protocol address. A 32-bit number used to identify each machine on the network.
IP gateway An IP gateway connects two or more IP networks' address spaces and routes traffic between them. It is essentially the collection of IP networks connected together via IP gateways that allows IP traffic to traverse the Internet.
ISP Internet Service Provider.
Java An object oriented programming language for creating portable, executable applications.
Java applet Java applets are programs which are downloaded and executed by the Web browser.
Java script Java scripts are executed by the Web browser. They utilise functions supported by the browser and could possibly exploit security holes, if they exist.
LAN Local Area Network. A collection of devices that are physically connected together, usually in one building, to enable communications.
LEX

Lexical Analysis. A search facility that searches data for user-defined expressions. An expression can be a word or a phrase. It allows different actions to be taken on the detection of matched data.
Manager

MAILsweeper Manager. Used primarily for monitoring and controlling the quarantine areas.
MAPI Microsoft Application Programming Interface. MAILsweeper uses a MAPI profile to log on to the Microsoft Exchange server. The profile includes information such as the name of the Exchange server MAILsweeper is to connect to and the name of a mailbox on the server.
Method Program or process used to implement a container.
MIME Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions - Internet email encapsulation convention. Ref. RFC 2045/46/47/1521. A specification for multimedia document formats.
MX records Mail exchanger. Mail servers are resolved by MX records in the domain's host file. MX records contain the name and preference value of a host capable of receiving SMTP mail. The hosts are rated in preference. Those with the lowest preference number are tried first.
Name resolution The process of mapping host names to IP addresses. See DNS.
Page See HTML page.
PDF Portable document format. PDF files are documents consisting of simple formatted text. These documents cannot contain macros or executables.
PICS rating Platform for Internet Content Selection. Rating applied to HTML pages, either through self certification or through an independent body.
Post office

Database of users and stored mail messages.
Post office group A group of two cc:Mail post offices between which MAILsweeper offers protection. More than one group can be defined (for hub configurations).
Proxy server A server that functions on behalf of browsers to handle requests and responses.
Quarantine area

Configurable directory for holding suspect messages. Up to ten quarantine areas can be configured.
Quarantine comment

Reason for individual quarantine types. For example, Virus, User block, Illegal phrases.
Quarantine list

List of quarantine comments displayed in the MIMEsweeper Manager. This list provides a summary of quarantine area contents.
RAS The Windows NT Remote Access Service required for SMTP dial-up support. MAILsweeper uses a part of this service, called Dial-up Networking, to initiate the dial-up connection.
Resolver Software that allows browsers to access the DNS database to acquire an address.
Response

The result returned by a validator for one execution. If a message contains many components then the validator may be run several times. MIMEsweeper collects all the <Response> values generated and uses them to determine the final disposition of the message.
Script See Java script.
Separators A list of characters used in lexical analysis as word separators.
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. An application providing electronic mail services.
SMTPDS This is the name of the SMTP delivery service. It uses DNS or MAILsweeper routing information to determine where to send each mail message after processing.
SMTPRS This is the name of the SMTP receiving service. SMTPRS accepts messages for MAILsweeper to process. It then returns the message to SMTPDS for onward delivery.
Spam A term given to unwanted or junk mail that is often broadcast to many recipients simultaneously. For example mailing lists, advertising. Some spam originators may also make use of remote servers to redistribute their messages, a technique known as mail relating.
Spoofing A method whereby the source address of a message is altered in such a way that the message appears to come from some source other than the original sender.
Store & Forward

Technology of holding data in a database for subsequent delivery. For example, email messages stored for forwarding to declared mail clients.
Target post office The post office being targeted for protection.
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. A communications protocol.
TNEF Transport Neutral Encapsulation Format data. TNEF is used by Microsoft Exchange to encapsulate MAPI properties not supported by an intermediate mail system.
UNC Universal Naming Convention. A method of specifying resources on remote machines.
URL Uniform Resource Locator. A means of identifying resources on the Web. For example, http://www.example.com.
Validator

Application, internal or external to MIMEsweeper that examines data items and generates a <Response>. Validators include anti-virus tools, lexical analysis, HTML checks and authorisation checks.
VIM

Vendor Independent Messaging. An interface allowing other applications to send and receive mail using cc:Mail. MAILsweeper uses VIM to access cc:Mail post offices.
Web browser Device that allows users to access and view information available via the WWW.
Web server Device that accepts requests from Web browsers, generated using the HTTP protocol. It returns the file that the client requested.
WWW World Wide Web. The collection of Web servers distributed across the Internet.
 



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