NNTP – Network News Transfer Protocol

Network News Transfer Protocol is a prime set of rules which is used by both computer’s clients as well as servers in order to manage the comments situated on the Usenet newsgroups. In the past, NNTP was introduced as the substitute of original “UUCP” protocol. But now NNTP servers can handle the collected international network of Usenet newsgroups. Moreover, such NNTP servers are included at your ISP (internet access provider). But an NNTP user will be included as a part of following explorers like: Netscape and Opera etc. But another separate client program can be added too as a newsreader.

NNTP protocol is the well suited for sending Usenet news communication either between servers or a news server and newsreader client. This very simple protocol is to some extent similar to POP3 and SMTP protocols.

Basically, NNTP protocol in documented form is appeared first in RFC 3977 that was made public in the month of October, 2006. This RFC was the result of NNTP IETF working group’s hard work which set aside RFC 977 (issued in the year 1986). But RFC 3977 launched a capability labels registry so to be used for any further expansion of the network news transfer protocol in the future. Up to now, RFC 3977 itself is only created the extensions in this protocol. Anyhow, to record a new additional room, this extension is needed to be made public as a standards follow or else as an experimental RFC. But extension, opening with X will be reserved for the private usage.

Below are those commands, identified as well as responses revisited by a NNTP server. List of these commands can be mentioned as: ARTICLE, BODY, HEAD, HELP, LAST, SLAVE, LIST, NEWNEWS, NEXT, POST, QUIT, STAT and GROUP.

But NNTP reply code grouping is included:

Code: 1yz Description: Informative message.

Code: 2yz Description: Command ok.

Code: 3yz Description: Command ok as far as this, launch rest of that.

Code: 4yz Description: Command was acceptable, but couldn’t be executed for certain reason.

Code: 5yz Description: Command can’t be implemented, or else incorrect, or any serious error relating to program is occurred etc.

Code: x9z Description: Debugging output.

Besides this, NNTP reply codes are available for the certain tasks. These can be mentioned as under:

Code: 100 Description: Help content follow.

Code: 199 Description: Debug output

Code: 200 Description: Server all set – posting acceptable.

Code: 201 Description: Server all set – no posting permitted.

Code: 202 Description: Slave status renowned.

Code: 240 Description: Article post ok.

Code: 400 Description: Service discontinued etc.

In any case, NNTP spells out a specific protocol for the giving out, inquisition, repossession and redeployment of the news articles with the help of a consistent stream like TCP server-client representation. NNTP is intentionally planned as a result that news articles require simply, is being stored on presumably central host while contributors on the other participating hosts linked to the local area network (LAN) may examine the news articles by means of stream acquaintances to the news-host.

 

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