LISTSERVer for other uses?

Hi,

We'd like to set up a server process in a client/server environment, such that commands can be mailed from the client to the server (with the server running on a VAX/VMS machine) and those commands will be received and handled by the the server.

The commands will cause processes to run on the VAX to produce reports from an Oracle database. The resulting reports will be mailed to the requesting user.

The commands will look something like:

     CLASS LIST 230-817-838
     COURSE SCHEDULE 900-330-841

When I saw this, it occurred to me that LISTSERVers do this sort of thing all the time.

But, I know nothing about LISTSERV software. Can someone point me to some doc about the use and configuration of LISTSERV software? Or, perhaps some kind soul will simply tell me whether or not the LISTSERV software can be configured to handle requests unrelated to standard LISTSERV use.

Thanks so much,

   Jennifer

Jennifer R. Amon            PHONE: (216) 775-6987
Houck Computing Center        FAX: (216) 775-8573
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH 44074        INTERNET: bamon_at_ocvaxc.cc.oberlin.edu


_____________________________________________________________________