Patent ID: 7584256

Claim:
A method for processing an email by a plurality of email gateway servers coupled in a cluster, the method comprising: receiving the email by a first email gateway server, the first email gateway server being configured to relay the email toward a destination and to assign a unique identifier to the email; copying the email and the unique identifier to a second email gateway server, the second email gateway server being configured to relay the email toward the destination should the relay of the email by the first email gateway server fail; and relaying the email toward the destination by the first email gateway server or the second email gateway server, wherein the relaying includes: the first email gateway server sending the second email gateway server the unique identifier when the first email gateway server has relayed the email toward the destination; the second email server monitoring the receipt of the unique identifier from the first email gateway server and, upon determining that a pre-selected time period has passed without receiving the unique identifier, the second email gateway server deeming the relaying of the email toward the destination by the first email gateway server to have failed and relaying the email toward the destination by the second email gateway server.