Implementation of an extranet server from within an intranet

• US 20080005248A1
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Fink, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 8,977,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A request for information or services available on an intranet may be made by users on an extranet outside the intranet. An email is generated in an external server on the extranet in response to the request for information or services, and then sent from the external server to an internal server inside the intranet. The email comprises one or more approved forms based on the request, wherein specifics of the request are embedded into the body of the email. The email is processed at the internal server, in order to generate a response to the request, wherein the response is returned by the internal server to the external server in a reply email. The reply email includes an attachment containing the results of the processing performed by the internal server. The external server allows the user to access these results via an external graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of processing a request for information or services available on an intranet to users outside the intranet, comprising:

(a) generating an email in an external server outside the intranet in response to a request for information or services; and

(b) processing the email at an internal server inside the intranet in order to generate a response to the request for information or services.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the email from the external server to the internal server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the email is sent from the external server to the internal server via an email server.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the email can only be sent from the external server to the internal server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the email comprises one or more approved forms based on the request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein specifics of the request are embedded into a body of the email.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the request comprises inserts, queries, reports or updates against a proprietary database.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the specifics of the request identify which records to add, retrieve or update in the proprietary database.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the internal server invokes and executes one or more predefined programs to process the email, and the predefined programs perform one or more approved functions based on the form of the email and the specifics of the request that are embedded into the body of the email.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the response from the internal server to the external server in a reply email.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the internal server automatically creates the reply email in response to the email received from the external server.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the response includes an attachment to the reply email containing results of one or more functions performed by the internal server when responding to the request.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the attachment is in a form readable only by the internal server and external server.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising processing the response in the external server, wherein the external server allows a user to access the results.

15. A computer-implemented apparatus for processing a request for information or services available on an intranet to users outside the intranet, comprising:

(a) an external server, outside the intranet, for generating an email in response to a request for information or services; and

(b) an internal server, inside the intranet, for processing the email in order to generate a response to the request for information or services.

16. An article of manufacture tangibly embodying logic for processing a request for information or services available on an intranet to users outside the intranet, the logic comprising:

(a) generating an email in an external server outside the intranet in response to a request for information or services; and

(b) processing the email at an internal server inside the intranet in order to generate a response to the request for information or services.