E-mail caching system and method

• US 7,483,949 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cemaphore Systems, Inc. (Verismic Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cemaphore Systems, Inc. (Verismic Software, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gille, J. Bernard, Looman, Jeffrey M., Blair, Jeffrey D., Pike, Tyrone F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dollinger; Tonia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): England; David E
• Application Number:
  US11/104,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system and method to improve data access over a network. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a device for caching data from a server, such as e-mail messages, is provided at a location close to an end user. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a centrally stored address list is provided that may be accessed by a client to determine the best or nearest server for data access.

Claims

1. A method for caching e-mail data over a network, comprising:

storing e-mail data on an e-mail server at a first network location;

accessing the network with a client at a second network location;

retrieving a site local e-mail message caching device (EMCD) IP address table with the client using IP address table information stored in a user'"'"'s mailbox;

comparing a network location of the client to the site local EMCD IP address table; and

selecting a site local (EMCD) for caching the e-mail data from the e-mail server based on the network proximity of the site local (EMCD) to the client;

said comparing comprising the steps of;

parsing the IP address table to retrieve at least one IP address record for a given (EMCD), wherein the IP address record includes at least one IP address/mask pair of an (EMCD);

wherein for each IP address/mask pair retrieved;

performing a first bitwise AND between a client local address and the mask of the address/mask pair;

performing a second bitwise AND between the table address and the mask of the address/mask pair;

comparing a resulting value from the first and the second bitwise AND for a match; and

in response to a match, including the table address in a resulting list of potential IP addresses for the site local (EMCD);

if there is no match, the address is discarded from consideration.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s mailbox storing the IP address table information is on the e-mail server at the first network location.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the e-mail data is stored in the user'"'"'s mailbox.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected site local (EMCD) is located on the same LAN as the client.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the IP address table list information stored in the user'"'"'s mailbox comprises the list of site local (EMCD) addresses.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first network location comprises a first LAN and the second network location comprises a second LAN.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the client and the site local (EMCD) are located within a first LAN and the e-mail server is located within a second LAN.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first LAN and the second LAN are connected over a WAN.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the IP address list is placed in an e-mail user'"'"'s mailbox by one of a site local server and a management console.

7. A system for caching data over a computer network, comprising:

a server having a first store for e-mail data at a first location;

a client for accessing the e-mail data at a second location, the first location and the second location being connected over a network; and

a site local e-mail message caching device (EMCD) at the second location comprising a second store for email data, wherein the site local EMCD is configured to act as a proxy for transmitting e-mail data between the server and the client, wherein

the site local (EMCD) further comprising virtual e-mail clients that communicate with said server to cache transactions between said server and the (EMCD);

said (EMCD) being located by

maintaining an IP address table for the site local (EMCD) at said email server;

placing the IP address table in an e-mail user'"'"'s mailbox at said e-mail server;

in response to a user attempting to access said site local (EMCD) from a client, reading the IP address table from said e-mail user'"'"'s mailbox at said e-mail server; and

parsing the IP address table to retrieve at least one IP address record for a given EMCD, wherein the IP address record includes at least one IP address/mask pair of an EMCD;

wherein for each IP address/mask pair retrieved;

performing a first bitwise AND between a client local address and the mask of the address/mask pair;

performing a second bitwise AND between the table address and the mask of the address/mask pair;

comparing a resulting value from the first and the second bitwise AND for a match; and

in response to a match, including the table address in a resulting list of potential IP addresses for the site local (EMCD);

if there is no match, the address is discarded from consideration.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the network comprises a WAN.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first location comprises a first LAN, and the second location comprises a second LAN.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the virtual e-mail clients communicate with the server using a given e-mail protocol selected from the group consisting of POP, IMAP or MAPI.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the virtual e-mail clients monitor both the server and the EMCD for transactions on the state of data stored in a mailbox on the server and the corresponding data stored on the EMCD and then propagate those transactions between the EMCD and the server accordingly.

12. A method for accessing an e-mail message caching device (EMCD), comprising:

maintaining an e-mail server;

providing a site local (EMCD);

maintaining an IP address table for the site local (EMCD) at said e-mail server;

placing the IP address table in an e-mail user'"'"'s mailbox at said e-mail server;

in response to a user attempting to access said site local (EMCD) from a client, reading the IP address table from said e-mail user'"'"'s mailbox at said e-mail server; and

parsing the IP address table to retrieve at least one IP address record for a given (EMCD), wherein the IP address record includes at least one IP address/mask pair of an EMCD;

wherein for each IP address/mask pair retrieved;

performing a first bitwise AND between a client local address and the mask of the address/mask pair;

performing a second bitwise AND between the table address and the mask of the address/mask pair;

comparing a resulting value from the first and the second bitwise AND for a match; and

in response to a match, including the table address in a resulting list of potential IP addresses for the site local (EMCD);

if there is no match, the address is discarded from consideration.

16. A method for identifying a site local (EMCD), comprising:

placing code on a client computer to retrieve an IP address table;

acquiring the IP address table from an e-mail server;

parsing the IP address table to retrieve at least one IP address record for a given EMCD, wherein the IP address record includes at least one IP address/mask pair of an EMCD;

wherein for each IP address/mask pair retrieved;

performing a first bitwise AND between a client local address and the mask of the address/mask pair;

performing a second bitwise AND between the table address and the mask of the address/mask pair;

comparing a resulting value from the first and the second bitwise AND for a match; and

in response to a match, including the table address in a resulting list of potential IP addresses for the site local (EMCD);

if there is no match, the address is discarded from consideration.