Method and apparatus for enhanced electronic mail distribution

• US 5,424,724 A
• Filed: 03/27/1991
• Issued: 06/13/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yun, Roselyn H.-C., Williams, Marvin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US07/675,848
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.05, 340/825.5, 340/825.52, 340/825.03, 340/825.02, 370/94.1, 370/94.3, 364/900 MS File, 395/325
• US Class Current: 370/403
• 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 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enhanced electronic mail distribution which permits expeditious distribution of electronic mail documents to multiple host systems and/or external networks via a single host agent. A distributed data processing system having multiple host systems and/or external networks permits electronic mail documents to be distributed from local networks to nodes within various host systems or networks by establishing a host agent reference table at selected host agents within the local network. Each host agent reference table includes an identification of selected destination nodes associated with an identified host agent for those nodes. A referral to the host agent reference table may then be utilized to determine the appropriate host agent for an electronic document destined for a selected node. Thereafter, existing interprocess local network communications may be utilized to communicate the electronic document to the appropriate host agent. In the depicted embodiment of the present invention a default host agent may also be listed within the host agent reference table for all destination nodes not explicitly listed within the table. Additionally, an ordered list of likely host agents may be established and utilized sequentially in a selected order for unlisted destination nodes, in response to a failure of a document to achieve a confirmation of delivery within a specified period of time.

Claims

1. A method for enhanced electronic mail document distribution to selected nodes within a distributed data processing system having a plurality of host systems and at least one network comprising a plurality of users, each of said plurality of users having a selected host agent coupling a user to a predetermined one of said plurality of host systems, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a host agent reference table in association with a host agent, said host agent reference table identifying alternate host agents serving particular node destinations within alternate ones of said plurality of host systems within said distributed data processing system;

determining a node destination address for a selected electronic mail document coupled from a user to a particular host agent;

in the event said node destination address is unknown to said particular host agent, determining a selected one of said alternate host agents serving said node destination address in response to a reference to said host agent reference table;

automatically coupling said selected electronic mail document to said selected one of said alternate host agents; and

thereafter utilizing said selected one of said alternate host agents to deliver said selected electronic mail document to said node destination address.

2. The method for enhanced electronic mail document distribution to selected nodes within a distributed data processing system according to claim 1, wherein said step of establishing at least one host agent reference table identifying alternate host agents serving particular node destinations alternate ones of said plurality of host systems within said distributed data processing system further comprises the step of identifying a selected one of said alternate host agents for utilization with any node destination not listed within said host agent reference table.

3. The method for enhanced electronic mail document distribution to selected nodes within a distributed data processing system according to claim 2, wherein said step of identifying a selected one of said alternate host agents for utilization with any node destination not listed within said host agent reference table further comprises the step of identifying an ordered list of host agents among said alternate host agents to be utilized in a selected order with any node destination not listed within said host agent reference table.

4. The method for enhanced electronic mail document distribution to selected nodes within a distributed data processing system according to claim 3, wherein said step of identifying an ordered list of alternate host agents to be utilized in a selected order with any node destination not listed within said host agent reference table further comprises the step of utilizing each successive host agent within said ordered list of alternate host agents in a selected order in response to a failure of said selected electronic mail document to achieve a confirmation of delivery.

5. A distributed data processing network for the efficient distribution of electronic mail documents to selected nodes within said distributed data processing network, said distributed data processing network comprising:

a plurality of host systems;

at least one network comprising a plurality of users, each of said plurality of users having a selected host agent coupling a user to a particular host system;

a host agent reference table identifying alternate host agents serving particular node destinations within alternate ones of said plurality of host systems within said data processing network;

distribution means for determining a node destination address for a selected electronic mail document coupled from a user to a particular host agent;

control means for determining a selected one of said alternate host agents serving said node destination address in response to a reference to said host agent reference table in the event said node destination address is unknown to said particular host agent;

communication means for automatically coupling said selected electronic mail document to said selected one of said alternate host agent; and

communication means for thereafter utilizing said selected one of said alternate host agents to deliver said selected electronic mail document to said node destination address.

6. The distributed data processing network for the efficient distribution of electronic mail documents to selected nodes within said distributed data processing network according to claim 5, wherein said host agent reference table also includes an identification of a selected one of said alternate host agents to be utilized with any node not listed within said host agent reference table.

7. The distributed data processing network for the efficient distribution of electronic mail documents to selected nodes within said distributed data processing network according to claim 5, wherein said host agent reference table also includes an identification of an ordered list of alternate host agents to be utilized in a selected order with any node not listed within said host agent reference table.