Patent ID: 7567965
Filing Date: 2009-07-28
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. In a computer system that is network connectable along with one or more other computer systems to a network, a method for presenting a message attachment at a user interface, the message attachment presented independent of message item content previously corresponding to the message attachment, and even when the message item content is deleted, the method comprising: an act of presenting a user interface, the user interface including a unified query interface configured to receive query criteria for simultaneously querying data from any of a plurality of different silos in a database, the database including at least a message silo and a separate document silo, the message silo configured to store message item content contained in electronic messages, the separate document silo configured to store message item attachments attached to electronic messages such that message item attachments are stored separately from previously corresponding message item content, the database further storing attachment metadata that at least links message item attachments to electronic messages; an act of receiving user input at the unified query interface, the user input representing query criteria; an act of submitting the query criteria to the database to simultaneously query the plurality of silos for data that satisfies the query criteria, the query further submitting a query for specified values within attachment metadata; an act of receiving at the user interface a plurality of different portions of data representing data that satisfies the query criteria from any of the plurality of silos and the attachment metadata, the plurality of portions of data including at least a message attachment link to a message attachment, the message attachment originally contained in an electronic message along with message item content when received at the database, the message attachment subsequently separated from the electronic message for storage in the document silo, the attachment metadata linking the message attachment to the electronic message; and an act of presenting the plurality of portions of data including the message attachment link at the user interface, the message attachment link providing direct access to the message attachment independent of the electronic message such that the message attachment can be accessed in response to a data query even after the electronic message is deleted and it can be determined that the message attachment was originally contained in the electronic message even after the electronic message is deleted.