Patent ID: 8447826

Claim:
A method comprising: updating, using one or more processors, a persistent information as an updated persistent information, wherein the persistent information identifies a first mapping, the first mapping maps a node to a first mailbox of a plurality of mailboxes, the plurality of mailboxes are stored using a first storage, the node is configured to provide email services to the plurality of mailboxes, and the updating updates the persistent information such that the updated persistent information identifies an other node as a failover target for the first mailbox; coupling the first mailbox with the other node, wherein the coupling is based on the updated persistent information, after the coupling, the other node is configured to provide the email services to the first mailbox, and after the coupling, the plurality of mailboxes are stored using the first storage; and modifying the first mapping as a modified first mapping, wherein the modified first mapping maps the first mailbox to the other node, the modifying the first mapping is based on the failover target identified in the updated persistent information, and the modifying the first mapping is performed in response to performing the coupling the first mailbox with the other node.