Method and apparatus for causing one messaging service to migrate towards another
First Claim
1. A method for causing a first electronic messaging service mailbox of a first electronic messaging service system connected to a first user station for a user of said first electronic messaging service mailbox to migrate towards a second electronic messaging service system, the first electronic messaging service mailbox having a first physical electronic address and a first access electronic address for providing access to outside users, the method comprising:
- connecting each of the first and second electronic messaging service systems to a message routing center including a directory database containing addresses associated with mailboxes of first and second electronic messaging service systems; and
recording, during a first step, a migration request on a migration control server, which request contains, in association, at least the first access electronic address of the first electronic messaging service mailbox and a scheduled migration instant for migration of the first electronic messaging service mailbox;
for each migration request recorded in the migration control server, and in succession,creating, during a second step, a second electronic messaging service mailbox having a second physical electronic address in the second electronic messaging service system; and
executing a third step in the second electronic messaging service system when prescribed conditions including arrival of the scheduled migration instant have been verified as satisfactory, during which the first access electronic address of the first electronic messaging service mailbox is formed as the electronic access address for outside users of the second electronic messaging service mailbox;
when conditions required on the first and second electronic messaging service mailboxes have been verified by the message routing center as satisfactory,activating a queue, during a fourth step, in the message routing center, and for the first electronic messaging service mailbox, for any incoming messages that are addressed to the first access electronic address so that the any incoming messages do not arrive in the first electronic messaging service mailbox; and
changing in the directory database, during a fifth step, the first physical electronic address recorded for the first electronic messaging service mailbox into the second physical electronic address of the second electronic messaging service mailbox, deactivating the queue, and transferring messages held in the queue for the first electronic messaging service mailbox to the second electronic messaging service mailbox.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In the migration method of the invention, for each migration request (MR) recorded in a migration control server (MCS), the following steps are performed in succession: a second mailbox (BOX2) is created in an electronic messaging service system (S2), the first access address (AD1) of the first mailbox (BOX1) that is to migrate from a first messaging service system (S1) is formed as the access electronic address giving access to the users from the outside for the second mailbox (BOX2), and the physical electronic address (ADP1) recorded for the mailbox (BOX1) is changed, in a directory database (DIR), into the physical electronic address (ADP2) of the mailbox (BOX2).
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for causing a first electronic messaging service mailbox of a first electronic messaging service system connected to a first user station for a user of said first electronic messaging service mailbox to migrate towards a second electronic messaging service system, the first electronic messaging service mailbox having a first physical electronic address and a first access electronic address for providing access to outside users, the method comprising:
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connecting each of the first and second electronic messaging service systems to a message routing center including a directory database containing addresses associated with mailboxes of first and second electronic messaging service systems; and recording, during a first step, a migration request on a migration control server, which request contains, in association, at least the first access electronic address of the first electronic messaging service mailbox and a scheduled migration instant for migration of the first electronic messaging service mailbox; for each migration request recorded in the migration control server, and in succession, creating, during a second step, a second electronic messaging service mailbox having a second physical electronic address in the second electronic messaging service system; and executing a third step in the second electronic messaging service system when prescribed conditions including arrival of the scheduled migration instant have been verified as satisfactory, during which the first access electronic address of the first electronic messaging service mailbox is formed as the electronic access address for outside users of the second electronic messaging service mailbox; when conditions required on the first and second electronic messaging service mailboxes have been verified by the message routing center as satisfactory, activating a queue, during a fourth step, in the message routing center, and for the first electronic messaging service mailbox, for any incoming messages that are addressed to the first access electronic address so that the any incoming messages do not arrive in the first electronic messaging service mailbox; and changing in the directory database, during a fifth step, the first physical electronic address recorded for the first electronic messaging service mailbox into the second physical electronic address of the second electronic messaging service mailbox, deactivating the queue, and transferring messages held in the queue for the first electronic messaging service mailbox to the second electronic messaging service mailbox. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Apparatus for implementing a migration method, said apparatus comprising:
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a message routing center which is connectable to the first and second electronic messaging service systems and includes a directory database containing addresses associated with respective first and second electronic messaging service mailboxes of the first and second electronic messaging service systems, the first electronic messaging service mailbox having a first physical electronic address and a first access electronic address for providing access to outside users; a migration control server connected to the message routing center, the migration control server being configured to record a migration request containing, in association, a first access address of the first electronic messaging service mailbox of the first electronic messaging service system and a scheduled migration instant for migration of the first electronic messaging service mailbox, the migration control server including means for controlling processing of each recorded migration request; and a data migration server which is connectable to the first and second electronic messaging service systems, the migration control server being connected to the data migration server, and including control means for controlling said migration control server, which means are configured to cause said migration control server to execute a first step for transferring data from the first electronic messaging service mailbox to the second electronic messaging service mailbox for the migration request processed in a fifth step; wherein for each migration request recorded in the migration control server, and in succession, during a second step, a second electronic messaging service mailbox having a second physical electronic address is created in the second electronic messaging service system; and when prescribed conditions including arrival of the scheduled migration instant have been verified as satisfactory, a third step is executed in the second electronic messaging service system, during which the first access electronic address of the first electronic messaging service mailbox is formed as the electronic access address for outside users of the second electronic messaging service mailbox; and wherein when conditions required on the first and second electronic messaging service mailboxes have been verified by the message routing center as satisfactory, during a fourth step, in the message routing center, and for the first electronic messaging service mailbox, a queue is activated for any incoming messages that are addressed to the first access electronic address so that the incoming messages do not arrive in the first electronic messaging service mailbox; and during the fifth step, within the directory database, the first physical electronic address recorded for the first electronic messaging service mailbox is changed into the second physical electronic address of the second electronic messaging service mailbox, the queue is deactivated, and the any incoming messages held in the queue for the first electronic messaging service mailbox are transferred to the second electronic messaging service mailbox.
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Specification