Electronic messaging backup catalog

• US 20060230116A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Katz, Neil, Couper, Christopher C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,094,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Within an electronic messaging system, a method of backing up data can include storing attributes for a plurality of message attachments exchanged through the electronic messaging system. Responsive to a request for a message attachment from a requestor, the request can be compared with attributes of the plurality of message attachments to select at least one message attachment matching the request. The method further can include determining whether the requested message attachment is available within the electronic messaging system and performing a programmatic action according to at least the determining step.

Claims

1. Within an electronic messaging system, a method of backing up data comprising:

storing attributes for a plurality of message attachments exchanged through the electronic messaging system;

responsive to a request for a message attachment from a requestor, comparing the request with attributes of the plurality of message attachments to select at least one message attachment matching the request;

determining whether the requested message attachment is available within the electronic messaging system; and

performing a programmatic action according to at least said determining step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested message attachment is available within the electronic messaging system, said step of performing a programmatic action comprising providing the requested message attachment to the requestor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested message attachment is not available within the electronic messaging system and the attributes specify recipients of the plurality of message attachments, said step of performing a programmatic action comprising:

identifying at least one recipient of the requested message attachment; and

querying the at least one recipient to determine whether the at least one recipient has a copy of the requested message attachment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, responsive to said querying step, a computer system associated with the recipient responds autonomously.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of message attachments match the request, said method further comprising:

sending to the requestor a list of message attachments matching the request; and

receiving a selection of at least one of the message attachments from the list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the attributes are stored in at least one of a messaging server and a messaging client.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the attributes of the plurality of message attachments comprise a copy of at least one of the plurality of message attachments.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the attributes of the plurality of message attachments comprise at least one of a filename, a version, a size, and a date.

9. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

storing attributes for a plurality of message attachments exchanged through an electronic messaging system;

responsive to a request for a message attachment from a requester, comparing the request with attributes of the plurality of message attachments to select at least one message attachment matching the request;

determining whether the requested message attachment is available within the electronic messaging system; and

performing a programmatic action according to at least said determining step.

10. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein the requested message attachment is available within the electronic messaging system, said step of performing a programmatic action comprising providing the requested message attachment to the requestor.

11. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein the requested message attachment is not available within the electronic messaging system and the attributes specify recipients of the plurality of message attachments, said step of performing a programmatic action comprising:

identifying at least one recipient of the requested message attachment; and

querying the at least one recipient to determine whether the at least one recipient has a copy of the requested message attachment.

12. The machine readable storage of claim 11, wherein, responsive to said querying step, a computer system associated with the recipient responds autonomously.

13. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein at least two of the plurality of message attachments match the request, said method further comprising:

sending to the requestor a list of message attachments matching the request; and

receiving a selection of at least one of the message attachments from the list.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein the attributes are stored in at least one of a messaging server and a messaging client.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein the attributes of the plurality of message attachments comprise a copy of at least one of the plurality of message attachments.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 9, wherein the attributes of the plurality of message attachments comprise at least one of a filename, a version, a size, and a date.

17. An electronic messaging system configured to backup data, said system comprising:

means for storing attributes for a plurality of message attachments exchanged through the electronic messaging system;

means for, responsive to a request for a message attachment from a requester, comparing the request with attributes of the plurality of message attachments to select at least one message attachment matching the request;

means for determining whether the requested message attachment is available within the electronic messaging system; and

means for performing a programmatic action according to a result obtained from at least said means for determining.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the requested message attachment is available within the electronic messaging system, said means for performing a programmatic action comprising means for providing the requested message attachment to the requestor.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the requested message attachment is not available within the electronic messaging system and the attributes specify recipients of the plurality of message attachments, said means for performing a programmatic action comprising:

means for identifying at least one recipient of the requested message attachment; and

means for querying the at least one recipient to determine whether the at least one recipient has a copy of the requested message attachment.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein at least two of the plurality of message attachments match the request, said method further comprising:

means for sending to the requestor a list of message attachments matching the request; and

means for receiving a selection of at least one of the message attachments from the list.