Apparatus and method for generating alert messages in a message exchange network

• US 7,590,701 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Panec, Peter A., Douglas, Jason Brant
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman; Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US10/618,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions

Abstract

A method of operating a message exchange network is described. In one embodiment, the method includes coordinating a message generated by a message sender with a message recipient. The method also includes detecting an event asssociated with the message. The method further includes generating an alert message in response to detecting the event and transmitting the alert message to the message recipient.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having a code stored thereon, the code executable by a processor to perform a computer-implemented method of operating a message exchange network, the computer-implemented method comprising:

facilitating messaging among a plurality of services, said messaging involving a plurality of event categories, each event category of said plurality of event categories being associated with a different one of a plurality of stages of messaging, said stages of said messaging including posting of a message from a sending one of the services directed to a receiving one of the services, routing of the message to the receiving service, delivery of the message to the receiving service, and response to the message by the receiving service;

detecting an error condition during messaging between a message sender and a message recipient involving a first message from the message sender directed to the message recipient;

associating said error condition with an identified one of said stages of said messaging;

generating an alert message indicating said error condition and said identified stage of said messaging; and

transmitting said alert message to said message recipient.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said messaging occurs via a public network.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein detecting said error condition includes:

detecting said error condition in connection with processing of said first message generated by said message sender.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein transmitting said alert message includes:

transmitting said alert message to said message recipient even when said first message generated by said message sender is not delivered to said message recipient.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein transmitting said alert message includes:

transmitting said alert message to said message recipient via a public network.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having a code stored thereon, the code executable by a processor to perform a computer-implemented method of operating a message exchange network, the computer-implemented method comprising:

facilitating messaging among a plurality of services, said messaging involving a plurality of event categories, each event category of said plurality of event categories being associated with a different one of a plurality of stages of messaging, said stages of said messaging including posting of a message from a sending one of the services directed to a receiving one of the services, routing of the message to the receiving service, delivery of the message to the receiving service, and response to the message by the receiving service;

detecting a first event during said messaging between a message sender and a message recipient;

associating said first event with afirst one of said plurality of event categories, said first event category associated with an identified one of said stages of said messaging;

generating a first alert message indicating said first event and said first event category; and

transmitting said first alert message to said message recipient.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein said messaging occurs via a public network.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, the computer-implemented method further comprising:

transmitting said first alert message to said message sender.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein transmitting said first alert message includes:

transmitting said first alert message to said at least one of said message sender and said message recipient via a public network.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, the computer-implemented method further comprising:

transmitting said first alert message to said monitoring application program via a public network.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein transmitting said first alert message includes:

transmitting said first alert message to said monitoring application program via a public network.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, the computer-implemented method further comprising:

detecting a second event during said messaging; and

associating said second event with said first event category.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said first event and said second correspond to different error conditions during said messaging.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein generating said first alert message includes:

generating said first alert message indicating said first event, said second event, and said first event category.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a second alert message indicating said second event and said first event category.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein said plurality of event categories includes a second event category, the computer-implemented method further comprising:

detecting a second event during said messaging; and

associating said second event with said first event category.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said first event corresponds to a first error condition, and said second event corresponds to a second error condition.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein generating said first alert message includes:

generating said first alert message indicating said fiirst event, said second event, said first event category, and said second event category.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

generating a second alert message indicating said second event and said second event category.

20. A computer-implemented method of operating a message exchange network, comprising:

facilitating messaging among a plurality of services using a plurality of computing devices in the message exchange network configured to facilitate said messaging, said messaging involving a plurality of event categories, each event category of said plurality of event categories being associated with a different one of a plurality of stages of messaging, said stages of said messaging including posting of a message from a sending one of the services directed to a receiving one of the services, routing of the message to the receiving service, delivery of the message to the receiving service, and response to the message by the receiving service;

associating a first message generated by a message sender with a message recipient;

detecting an event associated with said first message;

associating said event with a first one of said plurality of event categories, said first event category associated with an identified one of said stages of said messaging;

generating an alert message in response to detecting said event, said alert message indicating said event and said first event category; and

transmitting said alert message to said message recipient.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said event corresponds to one of a posting error, a routing error, a delivery error, a timeout error, and a message error.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

associating said event with a stage of processing of said first message.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein generating said alert message includes:

generating an alert message indicating said event and said stage of processing said first message.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting said alert message includes:

transmitting said alert message to said message recipient even when said first message generated by said message sender is not delivered to said message recipient.

25. A computer-implemented method of operating a message exchange network, comprising:

providing a plurality of stages of messaging between a plurality of message senders and a plurality of message recipients using a plurality of computing devices in the message exchange network configured to facilitate said messaging, said stages of said messaging including posting of a message from one of the message senders directed to one of the message recipients, routing of the message to the one of the message recipients, and response to the message by the one of the message recipients;

detecting an event during a messaging session between a first message sender and a first message recipient involving a first message from the first message sender directed to the first message recipient;

associating said event with an identified one of said stages of said messaging;

generating an alert message indicating said event and said identified stage of said messaging; and

transmitting said alert message to said first message recipient.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein detecting said event includes:

detecting said event during said messaging session between said first message sender and said first message recipient.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein transmitting said alert message includes:

transmitting said alert message to an application program even when said application program does not participate in said messaging session between said first message sender and said first message recipient.

28. A computer-implemented method of operating a message exhange network, comprising:

associating messages generated by message senders with message recipients using a plurality of computing devices in the message exchange network configured to facilitate messaging among the message senders and the message recipients;

receiving said messages posted by said message senders at said message exchange network, said posting involving a first stage of messaging;

routing said messages to said message recipients, said routing involving a second stage of messaging;

delivering said messages to said message recipients, said delivering involving a third stage of messaging;

receiving responses generated by said message recipients, said receiving of said responses involving a fourth stage of messaging;

detecting an event associated with a first message in the message exchange network from a first message sender directed to a first message recipient;

associating said event with an event category, said event category associated with an identified one of said stages of said messaging;

generating an alert message in response to detecting said event, said alert message indicating said event and said event category; and

transmitting said alert message to said first message recipient.