Method of migrating a mail post office

Details Method of migrating a mail post office Method of migrating a mail post office

1998-07-13

2001-10-02

Dinh, Dung C. (Department: 2153)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput

Computer conferencing

Demand based messaging

C709S207000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06298375

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of migrating a mail post office.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In an organization spread across many physical sites, it is common for users at each site to connect to a local electronic mail server, which can be regarded as a Post Office, to collect and receive electronic mail. Directory Synchronization is the process whereby multiple Post Offices or mail servers are able to automatically share their directories (lists of users and their mail ids).
FIG. 1
shows an electronic mail network having a plurality of post offices
10
each having a plurality of local users and a hub mail server H. The mail server H also acts as a directory synchronization server (DS Server), and in the case of an MS Mail network, there can be only one synchronization server on the network. Each post office maintains a directory of its local users and any changes in this directory, such as additions, deletions or amendments are sent to the DS Server at the hub. The DS Server in turn forwards these changes to each post office
10
so that any user connected to any post office can select any other user as a mail recipient. Mail from a user at one post office to a user at another post office is routed via the mail server to the destination post office where it is stored until the mail recipient checks its incoming mail with the destination post office.
In particular, in an MS Mail network, because only one DS Server is allowed, all MS Mail post offices must be designated as requesters for this DS Server. This makes the task of migrating to a new server extremely difficult as it means an all or nothing approach to migrating post offices to a new DS Server or manually synchronizing directories.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a method of migrating a mail post office from a first mail server to a second mail server in a mail network, said first mail server acting as a first mail directory synchronization server (DS Server) and said post office initially acting as a mail directory synchronization requestor (DS Requestor) to said first DS Server, said method comprising the steps of: establishing said second mail server as a second DS Server; establishing a third mail server acting as a DS Requestor to said first DS Server; redirecting mail on said post office to said second mail server; removing the DS requester for said post office from said first server; deleting all user entries for said post office from a mail directory on said first server; and adding said post office as a DS Requester to said second server.
In a second aspect the invention provides a mail network comprising a first, second and third mail server, said first mail server acting as a first directory synchronization server (DS Server), said second mail server acting as a second DS Server, and said third mail server acting as a directory synchronization requestor (DS Requestor) to said first DS Server, said network comprising a first post office acting as a (DS Requestor) to said first DS Server and a second post office acting as a (DS Requestor) to said second DS Server, each of said DS Requestors and DS Servers including respective mail directories, wherein said second and third servers are interconnected so that mail directory updates on said first post office are replicated from said third server to said second server and mail directory updates on said second post office are replicated from said second server to said third server.
The invention enables a staged migration, which may be over months, rather than risk a high profile and technically difficult big bang migration.
The preferred embodiment allows migration of a large number of MSMail Post Offices using an MSMail Directory Synchronization server to a new MS Exchange Directory Synchronization Server with minimal existing service interruption. This overcomes the above described limitation of the MS Mail software and enables the users of the service to seamlessly migrate from one network to the other network, while maintaining directory integrity, with automatic directory updates and mail flow throughout.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5146403 (1992-09-01), Goodman
patent: 5758354 (1998-05-01), Huang et al.
patent: 5841982 (1998-11-01), Brouwer et al.
patent: 6101320 (2000-08-01), Schuetze et al.

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