Re: Receiving email into pl/sql (follow up)
From: shakespeare <whatsin_at_xs4all.nl>
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2007 20:49:14 +0100
Message-ID: <4733683e$0$233$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl>
[Quoted] >>>> DA Morgan wrote:
>>>> As you yourself point out, the email winds up as data somwhere; so why
>>>> would it be worse to send email to an automated agent than sending
>>>> email to a human agent or just reading an input file as data?
>>>> Why would reading email to drive a script from inside a stored
>>>> procedure be more dangerous than running a static batch script or a
>>>> script that takes input from a human or from a data file?
>>>> I assume you're concerned about sql injection attacks or maybe some
>>>> sort of spam and/or spoofing, or even an attempt to "flood" the system
>>>> a la DDOS attacks?
>>>> Maybe I'm not being sufficiently imaginative or paranoid, but I cant
>>>> see how the sort of scheme I'm thinking of is more dangerous than
>>>> crossing the street. Everybody and his uncle has a listserv that runs
>>>> on commands sent in by email, so why is that setting off alarm bells?
>>>> I can use an http callout to get data from anywhere on the planet.
>>>> There are "rest"-full web services, and SOAP interfaces and all sorts
>>>> of ways to have all kinds of heaven-knows-what get presented as input.
>>>> A routine that parses stereotyped email messages and deliveres canned
>>>> reports in response seems pretty benign.
[Quoted] >>>> Or am I living in a fools paradise?
>>>> My Oracle server is running on a different box from my email server, so
[Quoted] >>>> the trick is to get the data from the mail server to the oracle box.
>>>> If I dont mind having more moving parts, there are plenty of ways to
>>>> get from there to here; but I was hoping for something with "no fuss,
>>>> no muss and no bother". Reading email seemed to fill the bill until
>>>> I realize that I dont seem to have a slick way to make that happen.
>>>> Maybe something in Java running in the database?
>>>> Of course there is that proverb about the relative velocity of fools
>>>> and fearful angels, so tell me more about why I could be stepping off a
>>>> cliff here.
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2007 20:49:14 +0100
Message-ID: <4733683e$0$233$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl>
"DA Morgan" <damorgan_at_psoug.org> schreef in bericht news:1194538721.437178_at_bubbleator.drizzle.com...
> shakespeare wrote: >> "shakespeare" <whatsin_at_xs4all.nl> schreef in bericht >> news:4732d249$0$244$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl... >>> "Lee" <Lee_at_JamToday.com> schreef in bericht >>> news:fgu3sr$s28$1_at_reader1.panix.com...
[Quoted] >>>> DA Morgan wrote:
>>>>> Lee wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> I've sent email from pl/sql with utl_smtp and with 10g's utl_mail; >>>>>> but now I want to do the inverse, i.e. I want to READ email from >>>>>> pl/sql. >>>>>> >>>>>> The idea is to set up a dedicated email account. Users could send >>>>>> stereotyped messages to that account, and the pl/sql routine would >>>>>> read the mail, parse the messages and do the needful. >>>>>> >>>>>> As far as I can tell, utl_mail will send, but not receive email. >>>>>> >>>>>> I can think of some Rube Golberg workarounds but can anyone point the >>>>>> way to a "no fuss" way to read simple text emails? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks in advance >>>>> >>>>> If you think it is a good idea to send emails, across the web, from >>>>> some Microsoft Outlook client directly into an Oracle database I am >>>>> sure >>>>> we can recommend a good 12 step program for you. >>>>>
>>>> As you yourself point out, the email winds up as data somwhere; so why
>>>> would it be worse to send email to an automated agent than sending
>>>> email to a human agent or just reading an input file as data?
>>>>
>>>> Why would reading email to drive a script from inside a stored
>>>> procedure be more dangerous than running a static batch script or a
>>>> script that takes input from a human or from a data file?
>>>>
>>>> I assume you're concerned about sql injection attacks or maybe some
>>>> sort of spam and/or spoofing, or even an attempt to "flood" the system
>>>> a la DDOS attacks?
>>>>
>>>> Maybe I'm not being sufficiently imaginative or paranoid, but I cant
>>>> see how the sort of scheme I'm thinking of is more dangerous than
>>>> crossing the street. Everybody and his uncle has a listserv that runs
>>>> on commands sent in by email, so why is that setting off alarm bells?
>>>>
>>>> I can use an http callout to get data from anywhere on the planet.
>>>> There are "rest"-full web services, and SOAP interfaces and all sorts
>>>> of ways to have all kinds of heaven-knows-what get presented as input.
>>>> A routine that parses stereotyped email messages and deliveres canned
>>>> reports in response seems pretty benign.
>>>>
[Quoted] >>>> Or am I living in a fools paradise?
>>>> >>>> >>>>> Incoming emails are stored somewhere. Find the location. Read them >>>>> using >>>>> anything from UTL_FILE to whatever.
>>>> My Oracle server is running on a different box from my email server, so
[Quoted] >>>> the trick is to get the data from the mail server to the oracle box.
>>>>
>>>> If I dont mind having more moving parts, there are plenty of ways to
>>>> get from there to here; but I was hoping for something with "no fuss,
>>>> no muss and no bother". Reading email seemed to fill the bill until
>>>> I realize that I dont seem to have a slick way to make that happen.
>>>>
>>>> Maybe something in Java running in the database?
>>>>
>>>> Of course there is that proverb about the relative velocity of fools
>>>> and fearful angels, so tell me more about why I could be stepping off a
>>>> cliff here.
>>>> >>> Back in the nineties, Oracle used to have a product called Oracle Mail, >>> which was able to receive email (and yes: in the database). It became >>> part of Oracle Interoffice (which died some years later). Don't know if >>> it's still around as a product, but it is stil there as a part of Oracle >>> Collaboration Suite (able to receive mail in the database). I had a >>> customer who installed Coll. Suite for this purpose solely: they wanted >>> to be able to start processes based on email. >>> Installing OCS is quite a fuss, keeping it running even more, but it may >>> be worth a try. You'll have to pay for it, though. >>> Oracle Interconnect had an SMTP adapter (but that was in 2001). We never >>> got it working, iirc it could not handle attachments.Could be part of >>> BPEL now (does someone know?). >>> >>> Shakespeare >>> >> >> Checked it out: there still an SMTP adapter in Oracle Application Server >> Integration InterConnect. But it can only handle IMAP4, no POP3. >> I think that was our problem back then...... >> >> Shakespeare > > Get a Collab Suite license. That's another solution. > -- > Daniel A. Morgan > University of Washington > damorgan_at_x.washington.edu (replace x with u to respond) > Puget Sound Oracle Users Group > www.psoug.org
Yes, like I already pointed out... Quite a lot of overhead for just receiving mail, but what the ... ,right?
Shakespeare Received on Thu Nov 08 2007 - 20:49:14 CET