Method and computer program product for converting message identification codes using a conversion map accesible via a data link
First Claim
1. In an electronic mail system comprising a local computer that can be connected to a message server over a data link either to access messages that are collected into folders on the message server, or to copy messages and folders to the local computer for access offline, and wherein each message and each folder has an identifier that is globally unique throughout the electronic mail system but where each message and each folder is stored on the local computer and server with identifiers shorter in length than the globally unique identifiers, a method of converting a globally unique identifier comprising a first part and a second part to a smaller identifier that is used to access a message or folder, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining whether to access a local conversion man or a master conversion map accessible via the data link; and
depending on the outcome of the determination, selecting said local map or said master conversion map to serve as a conversion map;
using said conversion map to produce an index from the first part, the index being smaller than the first part; and
combining the index with the second part to produce the smaller identifier.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an electronic mail system comprising a local computer that can be connected to a message server over a data link, mechanisms are provided to convert large identification codes used by the message server to store and access messages and folders into shorter identification codes used by the local computer to access locally stored copies of the messages or folders. The large server identification codes, including a 46-byte folder codes and 70-byte message codes, are converted using a conversion technique that operates in one of two modes, depending on whether the data link to a master conversion map on the message server is available and operative. In the first mode, to convert the codes to 8-byte codes, the technique uses a local cache that retains mapping information produced in conversions using the master conversion map. In the second mode, three types of local maps are implemented as B-trees are used to convert the codes first to the 8-byte codes and then to 4-byte codes. In a reverse conversion using one of the B-tree maps, a 4-byte code is converted back to a 46 or 70-byte code.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. In an electronic mail system comprising a local computer that can be connected to a message server over a data link either to access messages that are collected into folders on the message server, or to copy messages and folders to the local computer for access offline, and wherein each message and each folder has an identifier that is globally unique throughout the electronic mail system but where each message and each folder is stored on the local computer and server with identifiers shorter in length than the globally unique identifiers, a method of converting a globally unique identifier comprising a first part and a second part to a smaller identifier that is used to access a message or folder, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining whether to access a local conversion man or a master conversion map accessible via the data link; and depending on the outcome of the determination, selecting said local map or said master conversion map to serve as a conversion map; using said conversion map to produce an index from the first part, the index being smaller than the first part; and combining the index with the second part to produce the smaller identifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. In an electronic mail system comprising a local computer that can be connected to a message server over a data link either to access messages that are collected into folders on the message server, or to copy messages and folders to the local computer for access offline, and wherein each message and each folder has an identifier that is globally unique throughout the mail system but where each message and folder are stored on the local computer and server with identifiers shorter in length than the globally unique identifiers, as an article of manufacture, a computer program product for converting a globally unique identifier to a second smaller identifier that is used to access a message or folder, said computer program product comprising:
computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions encoded thereon comprising; means for determining whether to access a local conversion map or a master conversion map, accessible via the data link; means for selecting said local map or said master conversion map to server as a conversion map depending on the outcome; means for using said conversion map to produce an index from the first part, the index being smaller than the first part; and means for combining the index with the second part to produce the smaller identifier. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
Specification