System and method for caching linked email data for offline use

• US 8,386,573 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Patrick Joseph, Stern, Edith Helen, Weir, Robert Cameron, Willner, Barry E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US12/347,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving an indication of a data caching request. A local copy of a piece of remote content that is defined by a link within an email is cached onto an accessible storage device. The remote content is stored on a remote resource.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in response to receiving an indication of a data caching request, determining if an email includes a link to remote content stored on a remote resource;

determining whether a recipient of the email has sufficient rights to access the remote content;

if the recipient of the email does not have sufficient rights to access the remote content, providing a warning to a composer of the email that the recipient does not have sufficient rights to access the remote content;

if the recipient of the email does have sufficient rights to access the remote content, and in response to determining that the email includes the link to the remote content, determining if a local copy of at least a piece of the remote content defined by the link in the email has been previously stored onto an accessible storage device; and

if the local copy of the remote content has not been previously stored onto the accessible storage device, caching, onto the accessible storage device, the local copy of at least the piece of the remote content defined by the link within the email.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data caching request further includes at least one of:

a logoff request concerning an email server application; and

a cache request initiated by a user.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

logging the user off of the email server application.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote resource is chosen from the group consisting of a server computer, a collaborative workspace, a database, and a website.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessible storage device is chosen from the group consisting of:

a local hard drive;

an optical drive;

a USB drive;

a detachable drive; and

an accessible remote storage device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data caching request is received in response to a user selecting an option on a graphical user interface associated with an email application.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the email to include the remote content if the recipient of the email does not have sufficient rights to access the remote content.

8. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

in response to receiving an indication of a data caching request, determining if an email includes a link to remote content stored on a remote resource, e-mail;

determining whether a recipient of the email has sufficient rights to access the remote content;

if the recipient of the email does not have sufficient rights to access the remote content, providing a warning to a composer of the email that the recipient does not have sufficient rights to access the remote content;

if the recipient of the email does have sufficient rights to access the remote content, and in response to determining that the email includes the link to the remote content, determining if a local copy of at least a piece of the remote content defined by the link in the email has been previously stored onto an accessible storage device; and

if the local copy of the remote content has not been previously stored onto the accessible storage device, caching, onto the accessible storage device, the local copy of at least the piece of the remote content defined by the link within the email.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the data caching request further includes at least one of:

a logoff request concerning an email server application; and

a cache request initiated by a user.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions for:

logging the user off of the email server application.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the remote resource is chosen from the group consisting of a server computer, a collaborative workspace, a database, and a website.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the accessible storage device is chosen from the group consisting of:

a local hard drive;

an optical drive;

a USB drive;

a detachable drive; and

an accessible remote storage device.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the data caching request is received in response to a user selecting an option on a graphical user interface associated with an email application.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising modifying the email to include the remote content if the recipient of the email does not have sufficient rights to access the remote content.

15. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory architecture coupled with the at least one processor;

a first software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the first software module is configured to, in response to receiving an indication of a data caching request, determine if an email includes a link to remote content stored on a remote resource;

a second module configured to determine whether a recipient of the email has sufficient rights to access the remote content;

a third module, if the recipient of the email does not have sufficient rights to access the remote content, configured to provide a warning to a composer of the email that the recipient does not have sufficient rights to access the remote content;

a fourth module, if the recipient of the email does have sufficient rights to access the remote content, and in response to determining that the email includes the link to the remote content, configured to determine if a local copy of at least a piece of the remote content defined by the link in the email has been previously stored onto an accessible storage device; and

a fifth software module, if the local copy of the remote content has not been previously stored onto the accessible storage device, configured to cache, onto the accessible storage device, the local copy of at least the piece of the remote content defined by the link within the email.

16. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the data caching request further includes at least one of:

a logoff request concerning an email server application; and

a cache request being initiated by a user.

17. The computing system of claim 16 further comprising:

a sixth software module configured to log the user off of the email server application.

18. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the remote resource is chosen from the group consisting of a server computer, a collaborative workspace, a database, and a website.

19. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the accessible storage device is chosen from the group consisting of:

a local hard drive;

an optical drive;

a USB drive;

a detachable drive; and

an accessible remote storage device.

20. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the data caching request is received in response to a user selecting an option on a graphical user interface associated with an email application.

21. The computing system of claim 15 further comprising modifying the email to include the remote content if the recipient of the email does not have sufficient rights to access the remote content.