Server protocol for dead e-mail identification locator

• US 6,775,691 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ullmann, Lorin Evan, Kubik, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, PHILIP C
• Application Number:
  US09/652,366
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/238, 709/245, 395/200.49, 395/200.68, 395/200.54, 379/67.1
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A dead e-mail identification locator discovers dead e-mail addresses without forwarding messages to valid recipients. Existing headers in the mail protocol are extended to include a test header. A mail server that supports the protocol extension of the present invention may send a reply if the address does not exist and may discard the message if the address does exist. The test header allows a sender to test an e-mail address for validity without the message being forwarded to the user, as will be described below. The sender may be a dead e-mail locator program, which tests a plurality of e-mail addresses, such as an e-mail address list or white pages of e-mail addresses.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for testing an address, comprising the steps of:

creating, an electronic message having a recipient at an address on a server;

setting, by a sender, an indicator that indicates whether the electronic message is to be forwarded or unforwarded to the recipient, said sender and not said recipient determining whether said electronic message will be received by said recipient;

sending the electronic message to the server;

determining, using the electronic message, whether the address is valid;

in response to the address being valid and the indicator being set to indicate that the electronic message should be unforwarded, discarding the electronic message without forwarding the electronic message to the recipient'"'"'s mail user agent and storing the address in a sender'"'"'s database of valid addresses;

in response to the address being valid and the indicator being set to indicate that the electronic message can be forwarded, forwarding the message to the recipient and storing, the address in a sender'"'"'s database of valid addresses; and

in response to the address being invalid, storing the address in a sender'"'"'s database of invalid addresses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating an electronic message comprises generating a test header.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indicator is a flag in the test header.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an acknowledgement that the server is functioning.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a return message indicating that the address does not exist on the server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an acknowledgement that an account associated with the address is functioning in response to a determination that said address is valid.

7. A method in a data processing system for receiving a message, comprising the steps of:

receiving an electronic message having a recipient;

said message including an indicator that was set by a sender that indicates whether the electronic message is to be forwarded or unforwarded to the recipient, said sender and not said recipient determining whether said electronic message will be received by said recipient;

determining, using the electronic message, whether the address is valid;

in response to the address being valid and the indicator being set to indicate that the electronic message should be unforwarded, discarding the electronic message without forwarding the electronic message to the recipient'"'"'s mail user agent;

in response to the address being valid and the indicator being set to indicate that the electronic message can be forwarded, forwarding the message to the recipient; and

in response to the address being invalid storing the address in a sender'"'"'s database of invalid addresses.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method is performed by a mail server and further comprising, sending an acknowledgement that the mail server is functioning.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the method is performed by a mail server and further comprising:

determining whether an account corresponding to the recipient exists; and

sending a return message indicating that the recipient does not exist in response to a determination that an account corresponding to the recipient does not exist.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending an acknowledgement that an account corresponding to the recipient is functioning in response to the indicator being set.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising forwarding the electronic message to the recipient in response to the indicator not being set.

12. An apparatus for testing an address, comprising:

means for creating an electronic message having a recipient at an address on a server;

means for setting an indicator, by a sender, that includes whether the electronic message is to be forwarded or unforwarded to the recipient, said sender and not said recipient determining whether said electronic message will be received by said recipient;

means for sending the electronic message to the server;

the electronic message being used to determine whether the address is valid;

in response to the address being valid and the indicator being set to indicate that the electronic message should be unforwarded, means for discarding the electronic message without forwarding the electronic message to the recipient'"'"'s mail user agent and for storing the address in a sender'"'"'s database of valid addresses;

in response to the address being valid and the indicator being set to indicate that the electronic message can be forwarded, means for forwarding the message to the recipient and for storing the address in a sender'"'"'s database of valid addresses; and

in response to the address being invalid, means for storing the address in a sender'"'"'s database of invalid addresses.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for creating an electronic message comprises means for generating a test header.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the indicator is a flag in the test header.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving an acknowledgement that the server is functioning in response to a determination that said address is valid.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving a return message indicating that the address does not exist on the server.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving an acknowledgement that an account associated with the address is functioning.

18. An apparatus for receiving a message comprising:

means for receiving an electronic message having a recipient;

said message including an indicator that was set by a sender that indicates whether the electronic message is to be forwarded or unforwarded to the recipient, said sender and not said recipient determining whether said electronic message will be received by said recipient;

the electronic message being utilized for determining whether the address is valid;

in response to the address being valid and the indicator being set to indicate that the electronic message should be unforwarded, means for discarding the electronic message without forwarding the electronic message to the recipient'"'"'s mail user agent;

in response to the address being valid and the indicator being set to indicate that the electronic message can be forwarded, means for forwarding the message to the recipient; and

in response to the address being invalid, means for storing the address in a sender'"'"'s database of invalid addresses.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is a mail server and further comprises means for sending an acknowledgement that the mail server is functioning.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is a mail server and further comprises:

means for determining whether an account corresponding to the recipient exists; and

means for sending a return message indicating that the recipient does not exist in response to a determination that an account corresponding to the recipient does not exist.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for sending an acknowledgement that an account corresponding to the recipient is functioning in response to the indicator being set.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for forwarding the electronic message to the recipient in response to the indicator not being set.

23. A computer program product, in a computer-readable medium, for testing an address, comprising:

instructions for creating an electronic message having a recipient at an address on a server;

instructions for setting an indicator, by a sender, that indicates whether the electronic message is to be forwarded or unforwarded to the recipient, said sender and not said recipient determining whether said electronic message will be received by said recipient;

instructions for sending the electronic message to the server;

instructions for determining, using the electronic message, whether the address is valid;

in response to the address being valid and the indicator being set to indicate that the electronic message should be unforwarded, instructions for discarding the electronic message without forwarding the electronic message to the recipient'"'"'s mail user agent and for storing the address in a sender'"'"'s database of valid addresses;

in response to the address being valid and the indicator being sot to indicate that the electronic message can be forwarded, instructions for forwarding the message to the recipient and for storing the address in a sender'"'"'s database of valid addresses; and

in response to the address being, invalid, instructions for storing the address in a sender'"'"'s database of invalid addresses.