Deduplication of e-mail content by an e-mail server

• US 10,250,543 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gnech, Thomas H., Kass, Eric, Schlachter, Michael H., Uhl, Andreas, Wald, Barbara
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Duyen M
• Application Number:
  US14/921,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20170118149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 709203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A method for handling e-mail communication by an e-mail server is provided. The method includes receiving an e-mail by the e-mail server, parsing the e-mail to identify a large content item within the e-mail, generating a modified e-mail by replacing the large content item within the e-mail with an identifier, storing the large content item and the large content item forms a basis for a weblog associated with the identifier, sending the modified e-mail, and receiving a reply e-mail to the modified e-mail and the content of the reply e-mail builds an extension to the weblog.

Claims

1. A method for handling e-mail communication by an e-mail server, the method comprising:

receiving an e-mail by the e-mail server;

determining a number of recipients for the e-mail;

based on determining the number of recipients being above a recipient threshold number;

parsing the e-mail to identify a large content item within the e-mail;

generating a modified e-mail by replacing the large content item within the e-mail with an identifier, wherein the identifier comprises a thread identifier, a content identifier, and a nonce, wherein the thread identifier is used to position the large content in a weblog, wherein the content identifier is a series of characters to identify a specific content item of the large item, and wherein the nonce is formed by an encryption function for identification and securing access to the large content; and

storing the large content item, wherein the large content item forms a basis for the weblog associated with the identifier, wherein the weblog comprises one or more large content items that are arranged in reverse chronological order;

sending the modified e-mail; and

receiving a reply e-mail to the modified e-mail, wherein content of the reply e-mail builds an extension to the weblog, and wherein the reply e-mail is generated by replacing the identifier with the large content making the replacement undetectable to a recipient.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a thread identifier, a content identifier, and a security token, and wherein the thread identifier is associated with a position in the weblog associated with the content of the reply e-mail.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the security token is a nonce formed using an encryption function based on an identifier of a recipient of the modified e-mail, an identifier of said large content item, and a time-stamp associated with a sending time of the modified e-mail by the e-mail server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the e-mail server communicates using simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), and wherein a corresponding RCTP command recipient is a recipient of the modified e-mail and a corresponding TO:

field header associated with the modified e-mail refers to a replaced recipient at the e-mail server.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the large content item is stored as part of an e-mail client.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein an access request to the large content item is granted by the e-mail server after validation of the access request by the e-mail server, wherein the validation of the access request is based on reconstructing an outcome of the encryption function using the recipient of the modified e-mail, the identifier of said large content item and the time-stamp associated with a sending time of the modified e-mail by the e-mail server.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parsing further comprises determining a size of the large content item, and wherein the replacing the large content item is based on at least one of:

the number of recipients being above a recipient threshold number; and

the size of the large content item being above a threshold size.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the e-mail comprises an e-mail body, and wherein the e-mail body is the large content item.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the e-mail server receives an unsubscribe command for a corresponding e-mail thread associated with the weblog from a recipient of the corresponding e-mail thread, and, based on the unsubscribe command, the e-mail server removes the recipient of the corresponding e-mail thread from a group of recipients of a subsequent modified e-mail associated with the corresponding e-mail thread.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the weblog is accessible to one or more recipients of the modified e-mail and one or more members of an e-mail discussion associated with the modified e-mail, wherein the weblog comprises one or more entries associated with the identifier, and wherein access to the one or more entries is limited to the one or more recipients of the modified e-mail.

11. A computer system for handling e-mail communication by an e-mail server, the computer system comprising:

at least one processing unit;

at least one computer readable memory;

at least one computer readable tangible, non-transitory storage medium; and

program instructions stored on the at least one computer readable tangible, non-transitory storage medium for execution by the at least one processing unit via the at least one computer readable memory, wherein the program instructions comprise program instructions for;

receiving an e-mail by the e-mail server;

determining a number of recipients for the e-mail;

based on determining the number of recipients being above a recipient threshold number;

parsing the e-mail to identify a large content item within the e-mail;

generating a modified e-mail by replacing the large content item within the e-mail with an identifier, wherein the identifier comprises a thread identifier, a content identifier, and a nonce, wherein the thread identifier is used to position the large content in a weblog, wherein the content identifier is a series of characters to identify a specific content item of the large item, and wherein the nonce is formed by an encryption function for identification and securing access to the large content; and

storing the large content item, wherein the large content item forms a basis for the weblog associated with the identifier, wherein the weblog comprises the large content that is arranged in reverse chronological order;

sending the modified e-mail; and

receiving a reply e-mail to the modified e-mail, wherein content of the reply e-mail builds an extension to the weblog, and wherein the reply e-mail is generated by replacing the identifier with the large content making the replacement undetectable to a recipient.

12. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a thread identifier, a content identifier, and a security token, and wherein the thread identifier is associated with a position in the weblog associated with the content of the reply e-mail.

13. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the security token is a nonce formed using an encryption function based on an identifier of a recipient of the modified e-mail, an identifier of said large content item, and a time-stamp associated with a sending time of the modified e-mail by the e-mail server.

14. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the e-mail server communicates using simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), and wherein a corresponding RCTP command recipient is a recipient of the modified e-mail and a corresponding TO:

field header associated with the modified e-mail refers to a replaced recipient at the e-mail server.

15. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the large content item is stored as part of an e-mail client.

16. The computer system according to claim 13, wherein an access request to the large content item is granted by the e-mail server after validation of the access request by the e-mail server, wherein the validation of the access request is based on reconstructing an outcome of the encryption function using the recipient of the modified e-mail, the identifier of said large content item and the time-stamp associated with a sending time of the modified e-mail by the e-mail server.

17. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the parsing further comprises determining a size of the large content item, and wherein the replacing the large content item is based on at least one of:

a number of recipients being above a recipient threshold number; and

a size of the large content item being above a threshold size.

18. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the e-mail comprises an e-mail body, and wherein the e-mail body is the large content item.

19. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the e-mail server receives an unsubscribe command for a corresponding e-mail thread associated with the weblog from a recipient of the corresponding e-mail thread, and, based on the unsubscribe command, the e-mail server removes the recipient of the corresponding e-mail thread from a group of recipients of a subsequent modified e-mail associated with the corresponding e-mail thread.

20. A computer program product for handling e-mail communication by an e-mail server, the computer program product comprising at least one computer readable non-transitory storage medium having computer readable program instructions thereon for execution by a processor, the computer readable program instructions comprising program instructions for:

receiving an e-mail by the e-mail server;

determining a number of recipients for the e-mail;

based on determining the number of recipients being above a recipient threshold number;

parsing the e-mail to identify a large content item within the e-mail;

generating a modified e-mail by replacing the large content item within the e-mail with an identifier, wherein the identifier comprises a thread identifier, a content identifier, and a nonce, wherein the thread identifier is used to position the large content in a weblog, wherein the content identifier is a series of characters to identify a specific content item of the large item, and wherein the nonce is formed by an encryption function for identification and securing access to the large content; and

storing the large content item, wherein the large content item forms a basis for the weblog associated with the identifier, wherein the weblog comprises the large content that is arranged in reverse chronological order;

sending the modified e-mail; and

receiving a reply e-mail to the modified e-mail, wherein content of the reply e-mail builds an extension to the weblog, and wherein the reply e-mail is generated by replacing the identifier with the large content making the replacement undetectable to a recipient.