Mailbox Configuration Mechanism

• US 20090144743A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wolslegel, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US11/946,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144743A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

An email configuration system may use a topology database to determine if a change request results in a valid configuration. The topology database may contain a definition of an enterprise email system, including forests, servers, and individual mailboxes. If a valid configuration is found, a change request may be scheduled and implemented. The email configuration system may store the change request so that a change may be undone at a later time. Changes may be implemented to the enterprise mail system by changing the topology definition and running an analysis of the current topology and a desired topology.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a topology database comprising a topology description for a plurality of mail servers;

a scheduler comprising;

an input queue adapted to receive a change request; and

a change request analyzer adapted to determine that said change request results in a permissible configuration by comparing said change request to said topology database; and

a mailbox configuration tool adapted to implement said change request.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a topology analyzer adapted to compare said topology description in said topology database to a current configuration and generate at least one change request.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a user interface adapted to receive said change request.

4. The system of claim 3, said user interface further adapted to display at least a portion of said topology database.

5. The system of claim 1, said topology description comprising mail server specific rules.

6. The system of claim 1, said topology description comprising mailbox specific rules.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an implementation database adapted to store at least a portion of said change request after said change request is implemented.

8. The system of claim 7, said mailbox configuration tool further adapted to undo said change request using said implementation database.

9. The system of claim 1, said scheduler further comprising:

a task generator adapted to generate a set of individual tasks for said change request.

10. The system of claim 9, said change request analyzer adapted to determine that each of said individual tasks result in a permissible configuration.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a performance database comprising performance data from said plurality of mail servers.

12. The system of claim 11, said analyzer further adapted to determine that an unbalanced load condition exists and generate said change request, said change request being adapted to change said unbalanced load condition to a balanced load condition.

20. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to perform the method of claim 1.

13. A method comprising:

receiving a change request, said change request comprising a change to a mailbox;

analyzing said change request by a method comprising;

determining a proposed final state from said change request; and

comparing said proposed final state to a topology description of a plurality of mail servers, said topology description being defined in a topology database;

creating a set of actions to be performed in order to fulfill said change request;

storing said set of actions in a change database; and

performing said actions.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving an undo request; and

undoing said change request using said change database.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining a current actual topology;

comparing said current actual topology to said topology database to identify an impermissible condition; and

generating said change request adapted to change said impermissible condition to a permissible condition.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

searching a network to discover a new mail server; and

adding said new mail server to said topology database.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

analyzing a performance database and said topology description to determine that a load imbalance condition exists; and

generating said change request adapted to change said load imbalance condition to a balanced load condition.

18. The method of claim 13, said topology description comprising mail server specific rules.

19. The method of claim 13, said topology description comprising mailbox specific rules.