Electronic mail management system for operation on a host computer system

• US 5,928,333 A
• Filed: 05/19/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sterling Commerce (America) Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Landfield, Kent B., Zechmann, Albert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kulik, Paul V.
• Application Number:
  US08/859,821
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.33, 395/200.53, 395/200.75, 395/200.72, 707/1, 707/10, 707/200
• US Class Current: 709/245
• 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 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity

Abstract

Firewall host systems (26), (28) and (30) interface between private networks (14), (16), (18) and a public network (12). The firewall host systems (26), (28) and (30) manage alias databases (21), (25) and (29). The firewall host system (26) communicates updates to its alias database (21) to the firewall host system (28) which redistributes the updates the fireball host system (30). The firewall host system (30) then reinitializes its alias database (29) using the information received from the firewall host system (26) through the firewall host system (28). In addition, each of the firewall host systems (26), (28) and (30) provide a graphical user interface (66) which allows for the proactive maintenance of mail message queues through the provision of a mail message queue display area (68) and a command area (70) and a search area (74).

Claims

1. An electronic mail management system comprising:

a first peripheral host system coupled to a network and operable to access a first local alias database, the first local alias database operable to contain alias information for the first peripheral host system and at least one second peripheral host system, the first peripheral host system operable to update the alias information for the first peripheral host system contained in the first local alias database, the first peripheral host system operable to construct an electronic mail message containing alias change information specifying updates to the alias information for the first peripheral host system, the first peripheral host system operable to send the electronic mail message to a central distribution host system;

the central distribution host system resident on the network and containing a distribution list of the first peripheral host system and the at least one second peripheral host system, the central distribution host system operable to communicate with the first peripheral host system and the at least one second peripheral host system, the central distribution host system operable to receive the electronic mail message containing alias change information from the first peripheral host system, the central distribution host system operable to re-send the electronic mail message received from the first peripheral host system to the at least one second peripheral host system in accordance with the distribution list; and

the at least one second peripheral host system operable to receive the electronic mail message re-sent from the central distribution host system, the at least one second peripheral host system operable to access a second local alias database, the second local alias database operable to contain alias information for the first peripheral host system and the at least one second peripheral host system, the at least one second peripheral host system operable to incorporate the alias change information contained in the re-sent electronic mail message into the second local alias database, the at least one second peripheral host system operable to verify that the alias change information is authentic and timely.

2. The management system of claim 1, wherein the second peripheral host system is operable to authenticate the re-sent electronic mail message that it receives in order to ensure security.

3. A method for managing electronic mail comprising:

(a) maintaining a distribution list of a first peripheral host and at least one second peripheral host at a central distribution host;

(b) receiving an electronic mail message containing alias change information from the first peripheral host at the central distribution host; and

(c) communicating the electronic mail message to the at least one second peripheral host in accordance with the distribution list.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

accessing a first local alias database containing information for the first peripheral host and the at least one second peripheral host;

updating the alias information for the first peripheral host contained in the first local alias database;

constructing an electronic mail message containing the alias change information, wherein the alias change information specifies updates to the alias information for the first peripheral host; and

communicating the electronic mail message to the central distribution host.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving the electronic mail message communicated by the central distribution host;

accessing a second local alias database containing alias information for the first peripheral host and the at least one second peripheral host; and

incorporating the alias change information contained in the electronic mail message into the second local alias database.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of incorporating is executed only upon verifying that the alias change information is authentic and timely.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the first peripheral host, the at least one second peripheral host, and the central distribution host comprise firewalls, each firewall associated with a corresponding private network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each firewall comprises a dynamic alias database associated with electronic mailboxes of authorized users.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the distribution list comprises a list of electronic mailing addresses for each firewall.

10. An apparatus for communicating alias change information between a first peripheral host and at least one second peripheral host, comprising a central distribution host coupled to the first peripheral host and the at least one second peripheral host, the central distribution host operable to maintain a distribution list of the first peripheral host and the at least one second peripheral host, the central distribution host operable to receive an electronic mail message containing the alias change information from the first peripheral host, and further operable to re-send the electronic mail message to the at least one second peripheral host in accordance with the distribution list.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the alias change information specifies updates to alias information for the first peripheral host.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first peripheral host is operable to access a first local alias database containing alias information for the first peripheral host and at least one second peripheral host, the first peripheral host operable to update the alias information for the first peripheral host contained in the first local alias database, the first peripheral host operable to construct an electronic mail message containing the alias change information, and further operable to send the electronic mail message to the central distribution host.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one second peripheral host is operable to receive the electronic mail message re-sent from the central distribution host, the at least one second peripheral host operable to access a second local alias database containing alias information for the first peripheral host and the at least one second peripheral host, the at least one second peripheral host operable to incorporate the alias change information contained in the re-sent electronic mail message into the second local alias database, and further operable to verify that the alias change information is authentic and timely.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first peripheral host, the at least one second peripheral host, and the central distribution host comprise firewalls, each firewall associated with a corresponding private network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each firewall comprises a dynamic alias database associated with electronic mailboxes of authorized users.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the distribution list comprises a list of electronic mailing addresses for each firewall.