Abstract:
A method of archiving email that includes receiving an email on an email server, determining whether to archive the email based upon received archive control commands and then archiving the a copy of the email in native format in a pre-designated file system on the email server. The method further comprises deleting the email from the mailbox and using a store function to trigger backup program, which moves the file from the pre-designated file system onto the backup server.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention generally relates to archiving email. More specifically, the invention relates to the archiving of individual email in a native format without the use of a third-party product.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Mail archival and retrieval capabilities exist within email applications today. Additionally, third-party software application and programming interfaces allow non archiving email applications to archive and retrieve individual emails, in addition to entire email “mailboxes.” With more and more emails being used as legal evidence often years after it was produced, new compliance regulations for proper electronic document accessibility have appeared—most recently in the Open Records Act, requiring that email be stored for longer periods of time. These compliance issues have to be balanced against the ever-increasing cost of storing emails for the long term on expensive storage devices in a centralized fashion.  
         [0003]     In order to manage the size of email databases, email administrators have used, for example, quota policies to limit the number of stored emails and to alleviate the costs associated with the storage of the email content. However, one drawback of the available email storage methods is that they require third-party connect agents and software to bridge the gap between the email application and the centrally managed backup and archive solution. Another drawback is that though the available third-party software (e.g., KVS) and native features (e.g., export/import) allow for the archival and retrieval of an individual email message, they do not preserve the formatting of the original email or save the attachments contained within the original email.  
         [0004]      FIG. 1  illustrates one example of a current system for archiving email using third-party products. The system consist of an email client application  115  such as Lotus Notes or Microsoft Exchange, an email server  120 , and a backup server  130 . An email server application  121  such as Lotus Notes or Microsoft Exchange is located on email server  120 . Storage Area Network (SAN) based client programs  128  and non SAN based backup client programs  127  are also located within email server  120 . Presently, in order to archive email from email server  120  to backup server  130 , Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for both the email server application and the backup client must interact. Third-party products  126  are necessary to perform the interaction. It is desirable to provide a system and method for storing email that overcomes these and other disadvantages.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     One aspect of the invention provides for a method of archiving email. The method of archiving email includes receiving an email on an email server, determining whether to archive the email based upon received archive control commands and then archiving the a copy of the email in native format in a pre-designated file system on the email server. The method further comprises deleting the email from the mailbox and using a store function to trigger backup program, which moves the file from the pre-designated file system onto the backup server.  
         [0006]     Another aspect of the invention provides a computer readable medium including computer readable code for archiving email. The computer readable medium includes computer readable code for receiving an email at a user mailbox on an email server, computer readable code for determining whether to archive at least one email based on an archive control command, computer readable code for archiving at least one email in native format in a pre-designated file system on the email server based on the determination and computer readable code for storing the at least one email on a backup server in response to archiving the at least one email.  
         [0007]     Yet another aspect of the invention provides a system for archiving email. The system includes means for receiving an email at a user mailbox on an email server, means for determining whether to archive at least one email based on an archive control command, means for archiving at least one email in native format in a pre-designated file system on the email server based on the determination and means for storing the at least one email on a backup server in response to archiving the at least one email.  
         [0008]     The forgoing embodiment and other embodiments, objects and aspects as well as features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of various embodiments of the present invention. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the present invention, rather than limiting the scope of the present invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a prior art email archiving system;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2A  illustrates one embodiment of a network system for use in accordance with one aspect of the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2B  illustrates one embodiment of a computer for use in accordance with one aspect of the invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a native email archival system made in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method of archiving email in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method of retrieving email in accordance with the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]      FIG. 2A  illustrates one embodiment of a network system  200  for archiving email. Network system  200  is illustrative only and is not an architectural limitation for the practice of this invention. Network system  200  includes network  202 , which is the medium used to provide communication links between various devices and computers connected together within distributed network system  200 . Network  202  may include permanent connections, such as wire or fiber optic cables, or temporary connections made through telephone connections. In other embodiments, network  202  includes wireless connections using any appropriate wireless communications protocol including short range wireless protocols and/or long range wireless protocols such as a satellite or cellular protocol.  
         [0016]     In  FIG. 2A , connections to network  202  include a computer  210 , an email server  220  and a backup server  230 . Network system  200  may include additional servers and other devices not shown.  FIG. 2A  merely illustrates a basic system for archiving email. For purposes of this application, a network computer is any computer, coupled to a network. In the depicted example, server  220  provides data, such as boot files, operating system images, and applications to computer  210 . Computer  210  is a client to servers  220  and  230 . Network system  200  may include additional servers, clients, and other devices not shown. In the depicted example, network system  200  is the Internet with network  202  representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols to communicate with one another. Network system  200  also may be implemented as a number of different types of networks, such as for example, an intranet or a local area network.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2B  illustrates one embodiment of a computer client  250  for use in accordance with one aspect of the invention. Computer system  250  is an example of a client computer, such as client  210 . Computer system  250  employs a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) local bus architecture. Although the depicted example employs a PCI bus, other bus architectures such as Micro Channel and ISA may be used. PCI bridge  258  connects processor  252  and main memory  254  to PCI local bus  256 . PCI bridge  258  also may include an integrated memory controller and cache memory for processor  252 . Additional connections to PCI local bus  256  may be made through direct component interconnection or through add-in boards. In the depicted example, local area network (LAN) adapter  260 , SCSI host bus adapter  262 , and expansion bus interface  264  are connected to PCI local bus  256  by direct component connection. In contrast, audio adapter  266 , graphics adapter  268 , and audio/video adapter (A/V)  269  are connected to PCI local bus  256  by add-in boards inserted into expansion slots. Expansion bus interface  264  connects a keyboard and mouse adapter  270 , modem  272 , and additional memory  274  to bus  256 . SCSI host bus adapter  262  provides a connection for hard disk drive  276 , tape drive  278 , and CD-ROM  280  in the depicted example. In one embodiment, the PCI local bus implementation support three or four PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors, although any number of PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors can be used to practice the invention.  
         [0018]     An operating system runs on processor  252  to coordinate and provide control of various components within computer system  250 . The operating system may be any appropriate available operating system such as Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, LINUX, or OS/2, which is available from International Business Machines Corporation. “OS/2” is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Instructions for the operating system, an object-oriented operating system, and applications or programs are located on storage devices, such as hard disk drive  276  and may be loaded into main memory  254  for execution by processor  252 .  
         [0019]     Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in  FIG. 2B  may vary depending on the implementation. For example, other peripheral devices, such as optical disk drives and the like may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted in  FIG. 2B .  FIG. 2B  does not illustrate any architectural limitations with respect to the present invention, and rather merely discloses an exemplary system that could be used to practice the invention. For example, the processes of the present invention may be applied to multiprocessor data processing system.  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a system  300  for archiving received email. System  300  includes an email client application  315 , an email server  320  and a backup/archive server  330 . In one embodiment, email client application  315  is located on user computer  210 . Email client application  315  may be, for example, Lotus Notes or Microsoft Exchange. Network  202  connects email client application  315  to email server  320 . Email server application  321  located on email server  320  permits communication between email client application  315  and email server  320 . Email server application  321  may be, for example, applications such as Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange. Email server application  321  includes native email archive software, a database mailbox  323  and a pre-designated file system  322 .  
         [0021]     In one embodiment, email server  320  also includes a Storage Area Network (SAN) based backup client  328  and a non-SAN based backup client  327 . Backup server  330  is operably connected to email server  320 . In one embodiment, backup server  330  comprises server application  331 , a tape library  333  and a disk cache  332 . A SAN based backup client  328  sends files directly to a tape library  333  and a disk cache  332  via FCP. The non-SAN based backup client  327  sends the files via an FTP/IP through a backup server application  331  located on the backup server  330 . The backup server application  331  then sends the files to the tape library  333  and disk cache  332 . In one embodiment, the most recently accessed files are stored in the disk cache  332  and the long-term files are stored in the tape library  333 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of a method  400  for archiving email, made in accordance with the present invention. Method  400  begins at step  440  when email server  320  receives at least one archival control command. In one embodiment, the archive control command includes at least one archive control parameter such as, for example, a number, a character, and a set of characters. The archival control command becomes integrated within the native email archival system and method located on email server  320 .  
         [0023]     In one embodiment, email server  320  receives at least one email at step  441  and then determines whether or not to archive at least one received email, step  442 . In one embodiment, the determination comprises comparing the received email to the received archive control command. In one embodiment, this comparison permits archiving email based on parameters such as date, sender, subject and a word or phrase contained in the body. In another embodiment, email server  320  receives at least one email and then compares the archive control command with the user mailbox at step  442 . In this embodiment, the contents of the mailbox are relevant and the content of specific email is irrelevant. In one embodiment, the comparison of the mailbox allows archival of email based upon parameters such as mailbox size. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , when email server  320  receives email that triggers the archival process at step  442 , a copy of the email is created in native format and placed in pre-designated file system  322  (Step  443 ). Pre-designated file system  322  is located within email server application  321  on email server  320 . In step  444 , the email is deleted from user mailbox  323  located on email server  320 . Deletion of the email from the user mailbox triggers the store function in step  445 .The store function instructs the backup program, SAN based  328  or non-SAN based  327 , to move the email from the pre-designated file system to the backup server (Step  446 ). The email is now stored in native format on the backup server.  
         [0024]     In another embodiment of the method, email stored on the backup server  330  is dynamically linked to the mailbox on the email server  323 . This provides for a macro level control for archiving email in a manner unnoticeable to the user.  
         [0025]     In yet another embodiment of the invention, the email filename is arbitrary. In one embodiment the email file name is comprised of the message ID, which is unique to every individual email sent. Thus, the email server application and the backup server share management of the email filename.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of a method  500  for retrieving an email stored on the backup server. Method  500  begins at  501 .  
         [0027]     At step  510 , the email server  320  receives a command to retrieve an email, having a specific file name, from the backup server. Email server application  321  processes the command received at the email server at step  515 . At step  520 , email server application  321  sends the retrieve command to backup programs  327  and  328 . Receipt of the retrieve command by backup programs  327  and  328  triggers at least one of the backup programs  327  or  328  to retrieve the email from backup server  330 , at step  530 . The retrieved email is then sent to mailbox  323  located on email server  320 , at step  540 .  
         [0028]     While the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein are presently considered to be preferred embodiments, various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents are intended to be embraced therein.