Mail Object Migration

• US 20130117419A1
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Alarid, Jason Daniel, Wannenmacher, Stephen J., Jones, Mark W., Draper, Larry H. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A mail enabled object may be migrated from one hosting server to another by using a temporary buffer that may capture incoming mail during the migration operation. A new mail enabled object may be created and enabled on a target server, and the old mail object may be disabled and forwarded to a buffer that may collect incoming messages. While the buffer receives incoming messages, the contents of the old mail object may be copied to the new mail object. After verifying the transfer of the contents, the buffer may be released to forward any collected messages to the new mail object. The old mail object may then be cleaned up. The migration may be performed from one server to another, from one forest to another, and to and from a remotely hosted messaging service.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first mail enabled object server;

a buffer configured to queue messages;

a mailbox migration tool configured to;

create a new mail enabled object on the first mail enabled object server and enable user access to the new mail enabled object when the new mail enabled object is empty;

configure a first forwarding mechanism on an old mail enabled object hosted on a second mail enabled object server, the first forwarding mechanism configured to forward messages to the buffer and disable user access to the old mail enabled object when user access is enabled to the new mail enabled object;

configure a second forwarding mechanism on the new mail enabled object on the first mail enabled object server, the second forwarding mechanism configured to forward messages to the old mail enabled object on the second mail enable object server from the new mail object, wherein an undo mechanism is provided by the second forwarding mechanism, on the new mail enabled object, configured to forward messages to the old mail enabled object from the new mail object

transfer at least some contents of the old mail enabled object to the new mail enabled object;

change the first forwarding mechanism to forward messages to the new mail enabled object; and

forward contents of the buffer to the new mail enabled object.

2. The system of claim 1, the first mail enabled object server being a remotely hosted service.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a contents verifier configured to verify the transfer of the at least some contents.

4. The system of claim 3, the contents verifier being configured to verify the contents during the transfer.

5. The system of claim 3, the contents verifier being configured to verify the contents after the transfer.

6. The system of claim 1, the buffer being configured to queue messages for a subdomain namespace.

7. The system of claim 6, the buffer being configured to transmit or queue all messages for the subdomain based on a single setting.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the mailbox migration tool is further configured to:

determine if the transfer was proper; and

revert back to the old mail enabled object when the transfer is determined to be improper.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein revert back to the old mail enabled object further comprises:

enable the old mail enabled object;

disable the new mail object;

forward contents of the buffer to the old mail enabled object; and

terminate the buffer.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the buffer is terminated after a predetermined period of time.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the mail migration tool is further configured to:

update the old mail enabled object with any changes that were made by a user to the new mail enabled object.

12. A method comprising:

creating a new mail enabled object;

configuring a first forwarding mechanism on an old mail enabled object, the first forwarding mechanism configured to forward messages to a buffer;

configuring a second forwarding mechanism on the new mail enabled object, the second forwarding mechanism configured to forward messages to the old mail enabled object from the new mail object,

redirecting user access from the old mail enabled object to the new mail enabled object;

transferring at least some contents of the old mail enabled object to the new mail enabled object;

determining if the transfer of the at least some of the contents was a proper transfer;

when the transfer was determined to be proper;

changing the first forwarding mechanism to forward messages to the new mail enabled object;

forwarding contents of the buffer to the new mail enabled object;

when the transfer was determined not to be proper;

removing the forwarding mechanism such that messages are not forwarded to the buffer;

forwarding messages stored in the buffer to the old mail object; and

terminating the buffer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein terminating the buffer occurs after a predetermined period of time.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

updating the old mail object with any changes made by a user to the new mail object.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

wherein the creating the new mail enabled object comprising enabling user access to the new mail enabled object; and

wherein the configuring the first forwarding mechanism comprising disabling the old mail enabled object.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein when the transfer was determined not to be proper, further comprising:

re-enabling the old mail object; and

disabling the new mail object.

17. A computer readable storage medium not comprising a propagated wave but comprising computer executable instructions configured to perform the method of:

creating a new mail enabled object;

configuring a first forwarding mechanism on an old mail enabled object, the first forwarding mechanism configured to forward messages to a buffer;

configuring a second forwarding mechanism on the new mail enabled object, the second forwarding mechanism configured to forward messages to the old mail enabled object from the new mail object,

redirecting user access from the old mail enabled object to the new mail enabled object;

transferring at least some contents of the old mail enabled object to the new mail enabled object;

determining if the transfer of the at least some of the contents was a proper transfer;

when the transfer was determined to be proper;

changing the first forwarding mechanism to forward messages to the new mail enabled object;

forwarding contents of the buffer to the new mail enabled object;

when the transfer was determined not to be proper;

removing the forwarding mechanism such that messages are not forwarded to the buffer;

forwarding messages stored in the buffer to the old mail object; and

terminating the buffer.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein terminating the buffer occurs after a predetermined period of time.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17 further comprising:

wherein, creating the new mail enabled object comprising enabling user access to the new mail enabled object; and

wherein the configuring the first forwarding mechanism comprising disabling the old mail enabled object.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein when the transfer was determined not to be proper, further comprising:

updating the old mail object with any changes made by a user to the new mail object.