Delegation

Alongside the rule and actions keyword, vSL exposes another keyword for filtering: delegate.

<delegation>            ::= "delegate" <delegation-service> <delegation-name> "||" <expr>
<delegation-service>    ::= <smtp-service>    ; a valid smtp service.
<delegation-name>       ::= <string>
<expr>                  ::= <rhai-expr>       ; any valid Rhai expression. Must return a "status".

BNF representation of a delegate directive

The delegate directive uses a smtp plugin to delegate an email to a third party software:

export const third_party = smtp::connect(#{
    // Send the email to "127.0.0.1:10026" using the SMTP protocol.
    delegator: #{
        address: "127.0.0.1:10026",
        timeout: "60s",
    },
    // Get back the results on "127.0.0.1:10024".
    receiver: "127.0.0.1:10024",
});

Declaring a `smtp` service in `/etc/vsmtp/services/smtp.vsl`

import "services/smtp" as srv;

#{
    postq: [
        delegate srv::third_party "delegate to third party" || {
            log("info", "delegation results are in!");
        
            // ...
        
            return state::next();
        }
    ]
}

Declaring a delegation rule with the previously declared smtp service

The delegate directives first send the email to the given address, and wait for the results on the receiver address. The body of a delegate directive is executed once the email as been received back from the third party software.

A delegation directive MUST return a status, exactly like a rule. The delegate keyword can only be used from the postq stage and onwards.

Rule engine status and effects are listed in the API, in the rule state reference.