Enforcing resource quota in mail transfer agent within multi-tenant environment

• US 9,853,927 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gourevitch, Gregory, Sigalov, Faina, De Graaf, Wilbert, Cranston, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue, Larry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngankam, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US14/011,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20150067069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 707703
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service

Abstract

An application such as a mail transfer agent (MTA) enforces a resource quota within a multi-tenant environment. An email associated with a tenant is managed based on decisions evaluating the email against a queue quota and an association between the email and an email storm. The email is also managed based on another decision evaluating the email against a processing quota. In addition, the email is managed based on a cross MTA aggregate of usage information associated with the first, second, and third decisions.

Claims

1. A method executed on a computing device for enforcing a resource quota in a mail transfer agent (MTA) within a multi-tenant environment, the method comprising:

detecting an email associated with a tenant and an excess email volume indicator;

deriving a first decision based on evaluating the email against a queue quota associated with the tenant;

deriving a second decision based on evaluating an association between attributes of the email and attributes of an email storm;

deriving a third decision based on evaluating the email against a processing quota associated with the tenant by;

determining, through a processor resource associated with the processing quota, a first percentage of available threads assigned to the tenant and a second percentage of the available threads assigned to at least one user of the tenant, and keeping the email within a queue in response to determining the first percentage to be less than the second percentage; and

managing the email based on a cross MTA aggregate of usage information associated with the first decision, the second decision, and the third decision, wherein

the available threads are dynamically adjusted based on a number of tenants using the available threads through the processor resource, and

the first percentage and the second percentage of the available threads is multiplied by an increase factor to allocate additional resources for both the tenant and the at least one user of the tenant using the processing quota.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a maximum threads value associated with the processor resource managing the email;

determining a used threads value associated with the processor resource; and

calculating the available threads based on a difference between the maximum threads value and the used threads value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

de-queuing the email from a front position within a queue storing the email in response to determining the tenant using a percentage of the available threads within the first percentage.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a maximum memory value allocated to a system hosting the tenant;

determining a used memory value associated with the tenant; and

calculating an available memory value based on a difference between the maximum memory value and the used memory value across all tenants.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

assigning a first percentage of the available memory to the tenant; and

assigning a second percentage of the available memory to at least one user of the tenant.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

deriving the third decision including keeping the email within a queue in response to determining the first percentage to be less than the second percentage.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

de-queuing the email from a front position within the queue storing the email in response to determining the tenant using a percentage of the available memory within the first percentage.

8. A computing device for enforcing a resource quota in a mail transfer agent (MTA) within a multi-tenant environment, the computing device comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor executing the MTA in conjunction with the instructions stored in the memory, wherein the MTA is configured to;

detect an email associated with a tenant and an excess email volume indicator;

derive a first decision based on evaluating the email against a queue quota assigned to the tenant;

derive a second decision based on evaluating an association between attributes of the email and attributes of an email storm;

evaluate the email against a processor resource of the one or more resources and an email resource of the one or more resources, wherein the email resource is associated with a processing quota assigned to the tenant;

derive a third decision based on the evaluation of the email against the processing quota assigned to the tenant by;

determine, through the processor resource associated with the processing quota, a first percentage of available threads assigned to the tenant and a second percentage of the available threads assigned to at least one user of the tenant, and keep the email within a queue in response to determining the first percentage to be less than the second percentage; and

manage the email based on a cross MTA aggregate of usage information associated with the first decision, the second decision, and the third decision, wherein

the available threads are dynamically adjusted based on a number of tenants using the available threads through the processor resource, and

the first percentage and the second percentage of the available threads is multiplied by an increase factor to allocate additional resources for both the tenant and the at least one user of the tenant using the processing quota.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the MTA is further configured to:

determine a maximum queue capacity of a queue associated with the MTA;

determine a used queue capacity of the queue; and

determine an available queue capacity based on a difference between the maximum queue capacity and the used queue capacity.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the MTA is further configured to:

assign a first queue percentage of the available queue capacity to the tenant; and

reject the email temporarily and return a retry message, in response to a determination of the tenant using a queue percentage exceeding the first queue percentage.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the MTA is further configured to:

assign a second queue percentage of the available queue capacity to at least one user of the tenant; and

reject the email temporarily and return a retry message, in response to determining the second queue percentage to be greater than the first queue percentage.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the MTA is further configured to:

identify the email storm using a pattern having criteria including at least one of;

a first set of emails from a previously identified sender to a previously identified recipient and a second set of emails with an identical subject.

13. A computer-readable memory device with instructions stored thereon for enforcing a resource quota in a mail transfer agent (MTA) within a multi-tenant environment, the instructions, when executed on a processor of a computing device configured to manage email exchange, cause the processor to perform actions that include:

detecting an email associated with a tenant and an excess email volume indicator;

evaluating the email against a queue including at least one of;

an inbound queue and an outbound queue associated with a queue quota assigned to the tenant;

deriving a first decision based on evaluating the email against a queue quota assigned to the tenant;

deriving a second decision based on evaluating an association between attributes of the email and attributes of an email storm;

evaluating the email against a processor resource of the one or more resources and a memory resource of the one or more resources, wherein the memory resource is associated with a processing quota assigned to the tenant;

deriving a third decision based on evaluating the email against the processing quota assigned to the tenant by;

determining, through the processor resource associated with the processing quota, a first percentage of available threads assigned to the tenant and a second percentage of the available threads assigned to at least one user of the tenant, and keeping the email within a queue in response to determining the first percentage to be less than the second percentage; and

managing the email based on a cross MTA aggregate of usage information associated with the first decision, the second decision, and the third decision wherein

the available threads are dynamically adjusted based on a number of tenants using the available threads through the processor resource, and

the first percentage and the second percentage of the available threads is multiplied by an increase factor to allocate additional resources for both the tenant and the at least one user of the tenant using the processing quota.

14. The computer-readable memory device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise:

computing processing costs associated with the cross MTA aggregate in a central device in association with additional MTAs enforcing the processing quota assigned to the tenant.

15. The computer-readable memory device of claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise:

transmitting the cross MTA aggregate to the tenant to enable the tenant to make policy decisions based on usage information.

16. The computer-readable memory device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise:

detecting the excess email volume indicator including a warning associated with one of;

approaching and exceeding a predetermined threshold associated with a volume of email managed by the MTA.