Email gateway diagnostic tool, system, and method

• US 20040236999A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Check Point Software Technologies Incorporated (Check Point Software Technologies Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nokia, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bezuidenhout, Reinier
• Granted Patent: US 7,392,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

An email gateway diagnostic, tool, system, and method are provided for automated troubleshooting of email gateway functionality. Troubleshooting can occur in multiple modes of operation including: full diagnostic, interactive, and undeliverable mail status information. Based upon a set of rules and conditional statements, network and email gateway configurations, and user responses, an automated troubleshooting tool performs necessary testing to the email and network systems to interpret the available information and present the user with the source of the problem or suggest solutions and make recommendations as to why the email gateway may not be functioning properly.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of troubleshooting email gateway functionality with at least two modes of operation comprising the steps of:

determining at least one setting of an email gateway;

accepting external information entered by an input device;

performing at least one troubleshooting routine in at least one of said modes to evaluate the email gateway functionality;

checking at least one setting of said email gateway based upon said external information; and

displaying information resulting from said checking of at least one setting.

2. The method of troubleshooting email gateway functionality of claim 1, wherein said external information is related to at least one of receiving mail, delivering mail, the direction of mail, a server address, and a domain address.

3. The method of troubleshooting an email gateway functionality of claim 1, further comprising the step of testing at least one function of said email gateway.

4. The method of troubleshooting an email gateway functionality of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining at least one setting of a computer network interoperably connected to said email gateway; and

checking at least one setting of said computer network based upon said external information or information resulting from said check of at least one email gateway setting.

5. A computer program product comprising a computer-useable medium having a computer-readable code embodied therein with at least two modes of operation for performing a method of troubleshooting the functionality of an email gateway by a user computer, said computer readable code comprising:

first computer-readable code configured to cause said user computer to effect determining at least one setting of said email gateway;

second computer-readable code configured to cause said user computer to effect accepting external information entered by an input device;

third computer-readable code configured to cause said user computer to effect performing at least one troubleshooting routine in at least one of said modes to evaluate the email gateway functionality;

fourth computer-readable code configured to cause said user computer to effect checking at least one setting of said email gateway based upon said external information; and

fifth computer-readable code configured to cause said user computer to effect displaying at least one resulting information associated with said checking of at least one setting.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein said second computer readable code is configured to cause said user computer to effect accepting external information related to at least one of receiving mail, delivering mail, the direction of mail, a server address, and a domain address.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising:

sixth computer-readable code configured to cause said user computer to effect testing at least one function of said email gateway; and

seventh computer-readable code configured to cause said user computer to effect displaying at least one resulting information associated with said testing of at last one function of said email gateway.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

eighth computer-readable code configured to cause said user computer to effect determining at least one setting of a computer network interoperably connected to said email gateway; and

ninth computer-readable code configured to cause said user computer to effect checking at least one setting of said computer network based upon said external information or resulting information associated with said check of at least one setting.

9. A computer system used to troubleshoot email gateway functionality comprising:

a processor, operative to determine, accept, check, and display data;

a memory for storing data coupled to said processor;

a display device coupled to said processor for displaying data;

an input device coupled to said processor for entering external data;

a computer-readable script with at least two modes of operation executable by said processor, the script capable of determining at least one setting of an email gateway, accepting external data, performing at least one troubleshooting routine in at least one of said modes to evaluate the email gateway functionality;

checking at least one email gateway setting based upon said external data, and displaying information resulting from said check of at least one email gateway setting.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said computer-readable script is further capable of testing at least one function of said email gateway.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said computer-readable script is further capable of:

determining at least one setting of a computer network interoperably connected to said email gateway; and

checking at least one setting of said computer network based upon said external data or said information resulting from said check of at least one email gateway setting.

12. An email gateway diagnostic tool for a computer system, the email gateway diagnostic tool comprising:

a script with at least two modes of operation capable of interacting with a computer system and a computer network, wherein said script includes routines in said modes and selects at least one routine in at least one of said modes to collect and test the configuration of an email gateway of said computer system and said computer network.

13. The email gateway diagnostic tool of claim 12, wherein said routines collect and test the configuration of said computer system and said computer network responsible for receiving and delivering email.

14. The email gateway diagnostic tool of claim 13, wherein said computer network is interoperably connected to an email gateway.

15. The email gateway diagnostic tool of claim 14, wherein said routines include separate collection and testing of a configuration depending upon whether the email gateway is receiving mail or delivering mail.

16. The email gateway diagnostic tool of claim 14, wherein said routines include separate collection and testing of a configuration depending upon whether the email gateway is not receiving incoming or outbound mail.

17. The email gateway diagnostic tool of claim 14, wherein said routines include separate collection and testing of a configuration depending upon whether the email gateway is not delivering incoming or outbound mail.

18. The email gateway diagnostic tool of claim 12, wherein said script queries said computer system and said computer network for information to test the configuration of said computer system and said computer network.

19. The email gateway diagnostic tool of claim 12, wherein said computer network is interoperably connected to a mail transfer agent.

20. The email gateway diagnostic tool of claim 19, wherein said script is written to collect and test the configuration of said mail transport agent.

21. The email gateway diagnostic tool of claim 20, wherein said script provides feedback or possible solutions to problems based upon testing said configuration of said mail transport agent.