SMBAGENT: Creating a Sample Mailbox Agent

The SMBAGENT sample application demonstrates how to use a mailbox agent to provide a mailbox agent service. SMBAGENT becomes a mailbox agent that enables users to perform the following tasks:

• Create one or more discussion topics.
• Subscribe to one or more existing topics.
• Submit articles to existing topics.
• Automatically receive new messages from other subscribers.
• Request information about a given topic such as a topic list, members of the topics, or an introduction to the topic.

SMBAGENT performs a service similar to an Internet list server. When a user posts a message to SMBAGENT, the message is forwarded to all users who have subscribed to the message's topic. SMBAGENT uses the MAPI message-transfer functions to manage the flow of incoming and outgoing messages.

SMBAGENT is configured as a service on a public or private information store. The mailbox agent will always have a mailbox, but will also have a public folder if configured on a public information store. Users can send messages to SMBAGENT and receive messages from the mailbox agent as well. All messages sent to SMBAGENT follow a predefined format which SMBAGENT processes, thereby providing its list of services. For more information, see SMBAGENT Command Syntax.

To join a topic group, users type commands such as JOIN and the topic name in the subject line of an e-mail message.