IMAP fetch diff

• US 8,341,229 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Riemers, Bill C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zong, Ruolei
• Application Number:
  US12/323,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/232, 719/310
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for processing messages at a mail server. In one embodiment, the mail server receives and compares at least two messages, where each message has a same message identifier. The mail server generates a single message having the same message identifier and a differential message based on the comparison of the messages. The single message and the differential message are delivered to a mail client where the single message is assembled with the differential message.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving messages at a mail server operating on a server machine, wherein the mail server comprises a Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server to allow a user to keep messages on the mail server and to provide real time updates of the user'"'"'s messages to a mail client, wherein the IMAP server utilizes a diff type protocol to call to a file comparison utility that returns differences between messages having same message identifiers;

determining, by the mail server, that at least two of the messages have a same message identifier, wherein the at least two messages are redundant messages and each of the at least two redundant messages have at least one of a different header or a different message body;

comparing, by the IMAP server, the at least two messages to determine differences between the at least two redundant messages;

generating, by the IMAP server, a single message having the same message identifier and a differential message that identifies the differences based on the comparison of the at least two messages; and

delivering, by the mail server, the single message with the differential message to the mail client.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the mail server includes a POP server that utilizes the diff type protocol to call the file comparison utility that returns differences between messages having same message identifiers.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising assembling the single message with the differential message at the mail client to generate one message for the mail client.

4. A mail server machine comprising

a processing device comprising:

a message transfer agent configured to receive, deliver, and store messages, wherein the message transfer agent uses an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server to allow a user to keep message on the mail server machine and to provide real time updates of the user'"'"'s messages to a mail client, wherein the IMAP server utilizes a diff type protocol to call a file comparison utility that returns differences between messages having same message identifiers, and wherein the message transfer agent is configured to determine that at least two messages have a same message identifier, and wherein the at least two messages are redundant message and each of the at least two redundant messages have at least one of a different header or a different message body; and

the file comparison utility coupled to the message transfer agent module, the file comparison utility configured to compare the at least two messages to determine differences between the at least two redundant messages, and to generate a single message having the same message identifier and a differential message that identifies the differences based on the comparison of the at least two messages, and wherein the message transfer agent is configured to deliver the single message and the differential message to the mail client.

5. The mail server of claim 4 wherein the message transfer agent uses a POP to utilize the diff type protocol to call the file comparison utility that returns differences between messages having same message identifiers.

6. The mail server of claim 4 wherein the mail client is configured to assemble the single message with the differential message to generate one message for the mail client.

7. A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium including data that, when accessed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving messages at a mail server operating on a server machine, wherein the mail server comprises a Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server to allow a user to keep messages on the mail server and to provide real time updates of the user'"'"'s messages to a mail client, wherein the IMAP server utilizes a diff type protocol to call to a file comparison utility that returns differences between messages having same message identifiers;

determining, by the mail server, that at least two of the messages have a same message identifier, wherein the at least two messages are redundant messages and each of the at least two redundant messages have at least one of a different header or a different message body;

comparing, by the IMAP server, the at least two messages to determine differences between the at least two redundant messages; and

generating, by the IMAP server, a single message having the same message identifier and a differential message that identifies the differences based on the comparison of the at least two messages; and

delivering, by the mail server, the single message with the differential message to the mail client.

8. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 7 wherein the mail server includes a POP server, wherein the POP server utilizes the diff type protocol to call to the file comparison utility that returns differences between messages having same message identifiers.

9. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium of claim 7 further comprising assembling the single message with the differential message at the mail client to generate one message for the mail client.