Method and system for processing email during an unplanned outage

• US 8,554,843 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MessageOne, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Marketing USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Aboel-Nil, Samy Mahmoud, Mirchandani, Satin, Nonemacher, Michael, Postelnik, Igor, Rosenfelt, Michael, Scharff, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belani, Kishin G
• Application Number:
  US10/655,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,686 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2002 where interconnections or communication control functionality are redundant flexible arrangements for bus networks involving redundancy H04L12/40176
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

The method and system of the present invention provides an improved technique for processing email during an unplanned outage. Email messages are redirected from the primary server to a secondary server during an unplanned outage such as, for example, a natural disaster. A notification message is sent to users alerting them that their email messages are available on the secondary server by, for example, Internet access. After the termination of the unplanned outage, email messages received during the unplanned outage are synchronized into the users standard email application.

Claims

1. A method for providing backup electronic messaging services during unplanned outages, comprising the steps of:

redirecting email messages from a primary server to a secondary server when said primary server is unavailable;

notifying intended recipients of said email messages that the redirection of said email messages has been implemented;

providing said intended recipients with access to said email messages on a secondary server while said primary server is unavailable;

notifying said intended recipients when said primary server is again available; and

incorporating said email messages received while said primary server was unavailable into said intended recipient'"'"'s primary email file so as to create a continuous email history.

2. A method for processing email during an unplanned outage comprising the steps of:

managing users'"'"' email activity through a software application residing on a primary server;

determining the email addresses that reside on said primary server;

creating on a secondary server email addresses redundant to said email addresses that reside on said primary server;

determining if said email addresses that reside on said primary server are detectable to inbound email messages;

redirecting said inbound email messages addressed to said email addresses that reside on said primary server from said primary server to said email addresses that reside on said secondary server at such time as said email addresses that reside on said primary server are not detectable to said inbound email messages, thereby providing continuous access for said users'"'"' to said inbound email messages and a means for generating outbound email messages from said users'"'"' existing email address;

notifying said users'"'"' that said email messages are available on said secondary server;

assessing the time at which said email addresses that reside on said primary server are again detectable to said inbound email messages;

redirecting said inbound email messages sent to said email addresses that reside on said secondary server from said secondary server to said email addresses that reside on said primary server after said time at which said email addresses that reside on said primary server are again detectable to inbound email messages;

notifying said users'"'"' that said inbound email messages are again available on said primary server; and

synchronizing said inbound email messages received on said secondary server from said time as said email addresses that reside on said primary server are not detectable to said inbound email messages until the time said email addresses that reside on said primary server are again detectable to inbound email messages with the existing messages in said software application, thereby completing the email message history within said software application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said primary server is located remotely from said secondary server and is interconnected to said secondary server through the Internet.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said method of determining the email addresses that reside on said primary server utilizes functionality inherent within said software application.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of creating a secondary server of said email addresses redundant to said email addresses that reside on said primary server is repeated periodically so as to maintain a current registry of redundant email addresses on said secondary server.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of detecting if said email addresses that reside on said primary server are detectable to inbound email messages is performed manually by assessing whether an error message has been received indicating an inability to deliver said inbound email message.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein all of said inbound email addresses on said primary server are automatically redirected to said secondary server at any time said email addresses on said primary server are undetectable to said inbound email messages.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein all of said inbound email addresses of said users on said primary server are redirected to said secondary server after some, but less than all, of said inbound email messages are undetectable.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of notifying said users that said inbound email messages are available on said secondary server further includes the automated delivery of a preexisting notification email message to an alternate email address for said users.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said users'"'"' access to said inbound email messages on said secondary server is over the Internet.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said users'"'"' access to said inbound email messages on said secondary server is over a wide area network.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of assessing the time at which said email addresses that reside on said primary server are again detectable to said inbound email messages further includes periodically pinging said email addresses and evaluating whether a response is received from said email addresses.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of notifying said users that said inbound email messages are again available on said primary server consists of the automated delivery of a preexisting notification email message to an alternate email address for said users.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the ability to redirect said inbound email messages from said primary server to said secondary server is password protected.

15. A method for processing email during an unplanned outage comprising the steps of:

using a software means for managing users'"'"' email;

redirecting inbound email messages from a primary server to a secondary server when said primary server is unavailable;

notifying said users that said step of redirecting inbound email messages has been implemented;

providing said users with access to said email addresses on said secondary server while said primary server is unavailable;

notifying users when said primary server is again available; and

incorporating said email messages received while said primary server was unavailable into said software means for managing users'"'"' email so as to create a complete email history.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said primary server is located remotely from said secondary server and interconnected to said secondary server through the Internet.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said email addresses on said primary server are periodically replicated on said secondary server so that the transition from said primary server to said secondary server is seamless.

18. The method of claim 15, further including the step of manually determining the availability of said primary server by assessing whether an error message has been received indicating an inability to deliver said inbound email message.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of redirecting said inbound email addresses of said users on said primary server to said secondary server is automatically performed at any time said primary server is unavailable.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of redirecting said inbound email addresses of said users on said primary server to said secondary server is performed after some, but less than all, of said inbound email messages are undetectable.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of notifying said users that said means of redirecting inbound email messages has been implemented further includes the automated delivery of a preexisting notification email message to an alternate email address for said users.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein said users'"'"' access to said inbound email messages on said secondary server is over the Internet.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein said users'"'"' access to said inbound email messages on said secondary server is over a wide area network.

24. The method of claim 15, further including the steps of determining the availability of said primary server by periodically pinging said email addresses on said primary server and evaluating whether a response is received.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of notifying said users that said inbound email messages are again available on said primary server further includes the automated delivery of a preexisting notification email message to an alternate email address for said users.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of redirecting said inbound email messages from said primary server to said secondary server is password protected.