Managing connections and messages at a server by associating different actions for both different senders and different recipients

• US 7,873,695 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ironport Systems (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ironport Systems (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sprosts, Craig, Huss, Eric C., Chen, Shun, Clegg, Paul J., Brahms, Robert, Quinlan, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar; Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US11/140,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing connections and messages at a server by associating different actions for both different senders and different recipients is disclosed. The server manages connections from different senders by receiving incoming connections from the different senders and determining sender identifiers for the incoming connections. The server inspects a mapping of sender identifiers to actions to identify which action should be applied to each incoming connection. The server applies the actions, such as accepting the connection, rejecting the connection, relaying the connection, or refusing the connection. Also, the server manages electronic messages for different recipients by determining recipient identifiers for the electronic messages. The server inspects a mapping of recipient identifiers to actions to identify which action should be applied for the recipients of the email messages. The server applies the actions, such as accepting or rejecting the email message for delivery to a recipient.

Claims

1. A method for managing electronic messages received at a server, comprising:

reading a stored configuration file that includes a first mapping associating a plurality of sender identifiers with a first plurality of actions;

wherein each sender identifier of said plurality of sender identifiers is selected from a group of possible sender identifier types supported by said server, said group comprising at least a network address, a partial network address, a range of network addresses, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), a partial FQDN, a subnet, and a reputation score;

receiving at said server a first incoming connection from a first sender;

based on said first incoming connection and before an e-mail message is received over said first incoming connection, determining a first sender identifier of said plurality of sender identifiers;

using said first mapping and a first sender identifier, determining a first action associated with the first sender identifier;

wherein said first mapping associates said first sender identifier with said first action, wherein said first action indicates that the first incoming connection associated with said first sender identifier should not be accepted;

in response to determining that said first action indicates that the first incoming connection associated with said first sender identifier should not be accepted, despite said first action, performing the following;

receiving at said server, via the first incoming connection, a first electronic message for a first recipient;

based on said first electronic message, determining a first recipient identifier of a plurality of recipient identifiers,

based on said first recipient identifier, inspecting a second mapping to identify a second action of a second plurality of actions, wherein said second mapping associates said plurality of recipient identifiers with said second plurality of actions,

based on said second action, delivering said first electronic message to said first recipient even though said first electronic message would otherwise not be delivered because said first action indicated that the first incoming connection, over which the first electronic message was received, should not have been accepted;

wherein the method is performed by one or more processors.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first recipient identifier is selected from the group consisting of a first set of two or more full electronic message addresses, a partial electronic message address, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), a partial FQDN, a second set of two or more usernames, and a partial username.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said second mapping is an ordered listing of two or more rules, wherein;

each rule of said two or more rules associates a particular recipient identifier of the plurality of recipient identifiers with a particular action of the plurality of actions; and

said first recipient identifier is included in at least a first rule and a second rule of said two or more rules, wherein said first rule is listed before said second rule in said ordered listing of two or more rules;

inspecting said second mapping to identify said first action comprises;

based on said first recipient identifier, searching said ordered listing to identify said first rule based on said first rule being listed before said second rule; and

identifying said first action as said particular action associated with said first recipient identifier in said first rule.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said first action is associated with a parameter that is selected from the group consisting of a response code, a response text, and a banner text; and

the method further comprises;

based on said parameter, sending a response.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said second action is an accept action.

6. A machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for managing electronic messages received at a server, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

reading a stored configuration file that includes a first mapping associating a plurality of sender identifiers with a first plurality of actions;

wherein each sender identifier of said plurality of sender identifiers is selected from a group of possible sender identifier types supported by said server, said group comprising at least a network address, a partial network address, a range of network addresses, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), a partial FQDN, a subnet, and a reputation score;

receiving at said server a first incoming connection from a first sender;

based on said first incoming connection and before an e-mail message is received over said first incoming connection, determining a first sender identifier of said first plurality of sender identifiers;

using said first mapping and a first sender identifier, determining a first action associated with the first sender identifier;

wherein said first mapping associates said first sender identifier with said first action, wherein said first action indicates that the first incoming connection associated with said first sender identifier should not be accepted;

in response to determining that said first action indicates that the first incoming connection associated with said first sender identifier should not be accepted, despite said first action, performing the following;

receiving at said server, via the first incoming connection, a first electronic message for a first recipient;

based on said first electronic message, determining a first recipient identifier of a plurality of recipient identifiers;

based on said first recipient identifier, inspecting a second mapping to identify a second action of a second plurality of actions, wherein said second mapping associates said plurality of recipient identifiers with said second plurality of actions;

based on said second action, delivering said first electronic message to said first recipient even though said first electronic message would otherwise not be delivered because said first action indicated that the first incoming connection, over which the first electronic message was received, should not have been accepted.

7. A machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 6, wherein said first recipient identifier is selected from the group consisting of a first set of two or more full electronic message addresses, a partial electronic message address, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), a partial FQDN, a second set of two or more usernames, and a partial username.

8. A machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 6, wherein:

said second mapping is an ordered listing of two or more rules, wherein;

each rule of said two or more rules associates a particular recipient identifier of the plurality of recipient identifiers with a particular action of the plurality of actions; and

said first recipient identifier is included in at least a first rule and a second rule of said two or more rules, wherein said first rule is listed before said second rule in said ordered listing of two or more rules;

wherein the instructions for inspecting said second mapping to identify said first action further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

based on said first recipient identifier, searching said ordered listing to identify said first rule based on said first rule being listed before said second rule; and

identifying said first action as said particular action associated with said first recipient identifier in said first rule.

9. A machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 6, wherein:

said first action is associated with a parameter that is selected from the group consisting of a response code, a response text, and a banner text; and

the machine-readable medium further comprises instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of;

based on said parameter, sending a response.

10. A machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 6, wherein said first action is an accept action.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing one or more sequences of instructions for managing electronic messages received at a server, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the processor causes the processor to perform the steps of;

reading a stored configuration file that includes a first mapping associating a plurality of sender identifiers with a first plurality of actions;

wherein each sender identifier of said plurality of sender identifiers is selected from a group of possible sender identifier types supported by said server, said group comprising at least a network address, a partial network address, a range of network addresses, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), a partial FQDN, a subnet, and a reputation score;

receiving at said server a first incoming connection from a first sender;

based on said first incoming connection and before an e-mail message is received over said first incoming connection, determining a first sender identifier of said plurality of sender identifiers;

using said first mapping and a first sender identifier, determining a first action associated with the first sender identifier;

wherein said first mapping associates said first sender identifier with said first action, wherein said first action indicates that the first incoming connection associated with said first sender identifier should not be accepted;

in response to determining that said first action indicates that the first incoming connection associated with said first sender identifier should not be accepted, despite said first action, performing the following;

receiving at said server, via the first incoming connection, a first electronic message for a first recipient;

based on said first electronic message, determining a first recipient identifier of a plurality of recipient identifiers;

based on said first recipient identifier, inspecting a second mapping to identify a second action of a second plurality of actions, wherein said second mapping associates said plurality of recipient identifiers with said second plurality of actions;

based on said second action, delivering said first electronic message to said first recipient even though said first electronic message would otherwise not be delivered because said first action indicated that the first incoming connection, over which the first electronic message was received, should not have been accepted.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said first recipient identifier is selected from the group consisting of a first set of two or more full electronic message addresses, a partial electronic message address, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), a partial FQDN, a second set of two or more usernames, and a partial username.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein:

said second mapping is an ordered listing of two or more rules, wherein;

each rule of said two or more rules associates a particular recipient identifier of the plurality of recipient identifiers with a particular action of the plurality of actions; and

said first recipient identifier is included in at least a first rule and a second rule of said two or more rules, wherein said first rule is listed before said second rule in said ordered listing of two or more rules;

wherein the instructions for inspecting said second mapping to identify said first action further comprise instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of;

based on said first recipient identifier, searching said ordered listing to identify said first rule based on said first rule being listed before said second rule; and

identifying said first action as said particular action associated with said first recipient identifier in said first rule.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein:

said first action is associated with a parameter that is selected from the group consisting of a response code, a response text, and a banner text; and

the memory further contains one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the step of;

based on said parameter, sending a response.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said first action is an accept action.