Multihop distribution lists

• US 5,563,881 A
• Filed: 07/13/1995
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: ROLM Co. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Kaminsky, Mark E., Perelman, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Safourek, Benedict V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau T.
• Application Number:
  US08/501,762
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 370/60, 370/61, 370/94.1, 370/94.3, 370/92, 370/85.5, 370/85.12, 370/85.13, 370/85.14, 370/85.15, 370/54, 340/825.52, 340/825.05
• US Class Current: 370/428
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

Method and apparatus for use in a network of store and forward messaging system sites which avoid infinite loops while providing user access to distribution lists in the network, the members of which distribution lists are users and distribution lists located at other network sites. In accordance with the present invention, a data field is added to data transmited with a message from site to site in the network. This data field provides information which identifies sites in the network that the message has "visited." Upon creation of a message, the field is empty. Then, as the message is transmitted from a transmitting site to a receiving site, identification of the transmitting site is added to the field. Whenever a message arrives at a site, and an examination of the data field shows that the message has already been at that site, the message is not transmitted to remote sites; i.e., only local addressees receive the message. Alternatively, identification of the receiving site is added to the field, and the message is not transmitted from one site to any other site whose identification is included in the field.

Claims

1. Method for use in a network of store and forward messaging system sites for providing user access to messages by means of distribution lists, the members of which distribution lists are:

(a) users and (b) other distribution lists, the method comprising the steps of;

(1) forming a user-generated message;

(2) creating and initializing a VisitedSites data field for transmission with said message;

(3) selecting a distribution list at a sending site for distribution of said message and said VisitedSites data field;

(4) before each transmission of said message from the sending site to a receiving site other than the sending site in accordance with said distribution list, determining whether the sending site is identified in the VisitedSites data field, and;

(a) if the sending site is not identified therein, updating the VisitedSites data field to identify the sending site and transmitting said message, the receiving site thereby becoming a sending site for subsequent transmissions; and

(b) if the sending site is identified therein, inhibiting transmission of said message to the receiving site, while transmitting said message to users at the sending site that are members of said distribution list; and

(5) for each said member in said distribution list which is an other distribution list, repeating step (4) for subsequent transmissions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating the VisitedSites data field comprises the step of creating a bit string having a predetermined number of bits for each of a predetermined number of store and forward messaging sites in the network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined number of bits for each of said predetermined number of store and forward messaging sites is one and the step of initializing the VisitedSites data field comprises the step of setting all of the bits in the VisitedSites data field to a predetermined value.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of updating the VisitedSites data field comprises the step of setting a bit corresponding to the one site to another predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating the VisitedSites data field comprises the step of creating a variable length list having zero entries.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of updating the VisitedSites data field comprises the step of adding an identifier of the one site to the variable length list.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of updating and transmitting comprises the steps of updating and transmitting at the one site.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of updating and transmitting comprises the steps of transmitting at the one site and updating at the other site.

9. Apparatus for use in a network of store and forward messaging system sites for providing user access to messages by means of distribution lists in the network, the members of which distribution lists are:

(a) users and (b) other distribution lists, the apparatus including processing means at each network site, wherein said processing means includes;

means for generating a user-readable message having a data envelope;

means for creating and initializing a VisitedSites data field within said data envelope of said message when a user creates said message;

means for transmitting said message to said members of said network according to distribution lists;

means for, before transmitting said message from one site to an other site, determining whether the one site is identified in the VisitedSites data field of said data envelope, the means further comprising;

(a) means for updating the VisitedSites data field to identify the one site and for transmitting the message to the other site if the one site is not identified in the VisitedSites data field; and

(b) means for inhibiting transmission of the message from the one site to the other site whenever the other site is different from the one site if the one site is identified in the VisitedSites data field, while leaving uninhibited any transmissions to users at said one site.

10. Apparatus for use in a network of store and forward messaging system sites for providing user access to messages by means of distribution lists in the network, the members of which distribution lists are:

(a) users and (b) other distribution lists, the apparatus including processing means at each network site, wherein said processing means includes;

means for generating a user-readable message;

means for creating and initializing a VisitedSites data field within a data envelope of said message when a user creates said message;

means for transmitting said message to said members of said network according to said distribution lists;

means for, before transmitting a message from one site to an other site, determining whether the other site is identified in the VisitedSites data field of the data envelope, the means further comprising;

(a) means for updating the VisitedSites data field to identify the other site and for transmitting the message if the other site is not identified in the VisitedSites data field; and

(b) means for inhibiting transmission of the message from the one site to the other site whenever the other site is different from the one site if the other site is identified in the VisitedSites data field, while leaving uninhibited any transmissions to users at said other site.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further including means for allowing said message to be distributed locally to members of said first set of distribution lists at said one site, if said one site is identified in said VisitedSites data field.

12. Method for use in a network of store and forward messaging system sites for providing user access to messages by means of distribution lists, the members of which distribution lists are:

(a) users and (b) other distribution lists located at the same or other network sites, the method comprising the steps of;

(1) forming a user-generated message;

(2) creating and initializing a VisitedSites data field for transmission with said message;

(3) selecting a first-addressed distribution list for distribution of said message and said VisitedSites data field;

(4) before each transmission of said message from the sending site to a receiving site other than the sending site in accordance with said distribution list, determining whether the receiving site is identified in the VisitedSites data field, and;

(a) if the receiving site is not identified therein, updating the VisitedSites data field to identify the receiving site and transmitting said message, the receiving site thereby becoming a sending site for subsequent transmissions; and

(b) if the receiving site is identified therein, inhibiting transmission of said message from the sending site, while transmitting said message of other members of said distribution list; and

(5) for each said member in said distribution list which is an other distribution list, repeating step (4) for subsequent transmissions.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of updating and transmitting comprises the steps of updating and transmitting at the one site.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of updating and transmitting comprises the steps of transmitting at the one site and updating at the other site.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of creating the VisitedSites data field comprises the step of creating a bit string having a predetermined number of bits for each of a predetermined number of store and forward messaging sites in the network.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined number of bits for each of said predetermined number of store and forwarding messaging sites is one and the step of initializing the VisitedSites data field comprises the step of setting all of the bits in the VisitedSites data field to a predetermined value.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of updating the VisitedSites data field comprises the step of setting a bit corresponding to the other site to another predetermined value.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of creating the VisitedSites data field comprises the step of creating a variable length list having zero entries.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of updating the VisitedSites data field comprises the step of adding an identifier of the other site to the variable length list.