Method of migrating a mail post office

• US 6,298,375 B1
• Filed: 07/13/1998
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Millard, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLYNN, KIMBERLY D
• Application Number:
  US09/114,632
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/224, 707/102, 707/201
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A method of migrating a mail post office from a first mail server H to a second mail server H2 in a mail network is disclosed. The first mail server H acts as a first mail directory synchronization server (DS Server) and the post office initially acts as a mail directory synchronization requestor (DS Requestor) to the first DS Server. The method comprises the steps of:

establishing the second mail server as a second DS Server; establishing a third mail server H3 to act as a DS Requestor to said first DS Server; redirecting mail on said post office to said second mail server; removing the DS requester for said post office from said first server; deleting all user entries for said post office from a mail directory on said first server; and adding said post office as a DS Requester to said second server.

Claims

1. A method of migrating a mail post office from a first mail server to a second mail server in a mail network, said first mail server acting as a first mail directory synchronization server (DS Server) and said post office initially acting as a mail directory synchronization requestor (DS Requestor) to said first DS Server, said method comprising the steps of:

a. establishing said second mail server as a second DS Server;

b. establishing a third mail server acting as a DS Requestor to said first DS Server;

c. redirecting mail on said post office to said second mail server;

d. removing the DS requester for said post office from said first server;

e. deleting all user entries for said post office from a mail directory on said first server; and

f. adding said post office as a DS Requester to said second server.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

d2. causing said third server to request any mail directory updates from said first server to delete said post office users from said third server mail directory.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the step of:

d3. replicating said third server to said second server.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

f2. carrying out a mail directory synchronization cycle from said post office to said second server; and

f3. carrying out a mail directory synchronization cycle from said third server to said first server to ensure that all said mail directory entries for said post office users are synchronized back to said first server.

5. A mail network comprising a first, second and third mail server, said first mail server acting as a first directory synchronization server (DS Server), said second mail server acting as a second DS Server, and said third mail server acting as a directory synchronization requestor (DS Requestor) to said first DS Server, said network comprising a first post office acting as a (DS Requestor) to said first DS Server and a second post office acting as a (DS Requestor) to said second DS Server, each of said DS Requestors and DS Servers including respective mail directories, wherein said second and third servers are interconnected so that mail directory updates on said first post office are replicated from said third server to said second server and mail directory updates on said second post office are replicated from said second server to said third server.

6. A network as claimed in claim 5 in which said first mail server is an MS-Mail server.

7. A network as claimed in claim 5 in which said second and third mail servers are Ms-Exchange servers.