JPH024057A - Electronic mail system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To re-send an electronic mail without applying a load to a user by storing the electronic mail once to which a sending failure is generated, and thereafter, re-sending it, when the fact that the sending of the electronic mail is impossible is discriminated. CONSTITUTION:A mail server network management service has a CPU 32 built in the device main body. The CPU 32 is connected through a bus 33 to a RAM 34, a display 35, a magnetic disk 18 and a keyboard 36. When the fact that the sending of the electronic mail is impossible is discriminated, the CPU 32 stores the electronic mail, to which the sending failure is generated, to the magnetic disk 18 once. The stored electronic mail is re-sent to an exclusive-use re-sending means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to an e-mail system for delivering messages using a computer network, local area network, etc. as a communication network, and particularly relates to an e-mail system for delivering e-mails between networks. This invention relates to an e-mail system that is convenient for resending in the event of some kind of failure.

``Prior Art'' E-mail, which electronically delivers messages from one terminal to another connected to a communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), quickly delivers messages without human intervention. It is attracting attention as a system that can.

By the way, in an e-mail system, for example, by connecting the communication network located at the head office in Tokyo and the communication network located at the office in Osaka with a line, messages can be sent from one communication network to the other communication network. can be sent.

A communication server is placed in each communication network and provides services such as connection between the networks.

By the way, when you send an e-mail from a terminal within a communication network, if the communication server of your own or the other party is out of order, or there is some kind of failure in the route to the destination terminal, the e-mail may not be sent. It will become. Conventionally, in such cases, the originating user would wait for the failure to recover before sending the e-mail again.

``Problem to be solved by the invention'' Therefore, if it is impossible to send e-mail,
The user had to take the trouble of retransmitting the data. In addition, if it takes time to recover from a failure, the e-mail may not be successfully sent after several resends, and the user will have to resend the e-mail repeatedly, which wastes the user's time. There were also cases of restraint.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an e-mail system that does not increase the burden on the user when it is impossible to send an e-mail.

"Means for Solving the Problem" The present invention includes (+) a mail sending means connected to a predetermined network and sending e-mail to another network; and (ii) e-mail sending from this predetermined network to another network. (iii) email storage means for temporarily storing the target email when the shipping availability determining means determines that shipping is impossible; iv) The e-mail system is equipped with resending means for attempting to resend e-mails stored in the e-mail storage means to other networks.

That is, when it is determined that the e-mail system cannot send the e-mail, the e-mail that has failed to be sent is temporarily stored in the e-mail storage means, and the stored e-mail is resent by a dedicated retransmission means. This makes it possible to resend the e-mail without placing any burden on the user who sent the e-mail.

"Example" The present invention will be described in detail with reference to Examples below.

FIG. 2 shows an overview of this e-mail system. The e-mail system of this embodiment, for example, connects the Ethernet 11-1 located at the head office in Tokyo and the Ethernet 11-2 located at the office in Osaka using a modem (modulator/demodulator) 12-1. It is now possible to connect via line 13 via -2. Here, Ethernet (Ethernet; A Local A
rea Network Data LinkL
ayer and Physical Layer 5
specifications) refers to a LAN researched and developed by Xerox Corporation in the United States. Each Ethernet 11
-1.11-2 is connected to modem 12-1.12-2 via communication server 14-1.14-2. Also each Ethernet 11-1.11-
2 cable has workstation 15-1-1.1
5-1-2..., 15-2-1.15-2-2
. . . , a mail server network management service (mail server>16-1, 16-2, and a print server, file server, etc. not shown) are connected.

The print server receives a print request from the workstation 15 and prints it using, for example, a radar printer.The file server stores documents and data from the workstation 15, and receives a search request from the workstation 15. It has a function to send files.

(1! *If no harm occurs) In such a system, when sending an e-mail from Ethernet 11-1 located at the head office in Tokyo to Ethernet 11-2 located at the office in Osaka, First, a case in which the transmission ends without any problem will be briefly explained.

Now, workstation 15-1-1 to two workstations 15-2-1. When an e-mail is sent specifying 15-2-2 as the destination, this e-mail is temporarily stored on the magnetic disk 18-1 in the mail server network management service 16-1. Mail server network management service 16-
1 reads out the destination of this stored e-mail, and if it is determined that it belongs to another network, transfers it to the communication server 14-1. In this example, the communication server 14-1 transfers this to the destination Ethernet 1.
1-2 and stored in the magnetic disk 18-2 within the mail server network management service 16-2. Note that the mail server network management service 16-1, which manages users and resources on the network, is operating on the network at this time.

Now, as shown in FIG. 3, the storage area in the magnetic disk 18-2 includes a mail body storage area 19-2 and a mail body storage area 19-2, and mail storage areas prepared for each terminal belonging to the own Ethernet 11-2. A mailbox area 21-2-1 and 21-2-2 as a box is arranged. The main body of the e-mail is stored in the mail main body storage area 19-2, and a tag (marker tag) 22 indicating the destination is stored in the corresponding mailbox.

In this example, there are two workstations 15-2-
Since the destination is 1.15-2-2, data indicating the tag 22 will be written to each of the corresponding mailbox areas 21-2-1.21-2-2.

In this state, the mail server network management service 16-2 that received the e-mail sends the e-mail to the workstation 15-2-1.15-2-2 as the destination.
Notify that email delivery is available. At workstation 15-2-1.15-2-2, the C
An icon indicating this is displayed in one corner of the RT display 23. When the operator selects this icon, a list of e-mails that can be delivered is displayed.

When an e-mail is selected, the e-mail body stored in the e-mail body storage area 19-2 in the mail server network management service is copied, and this is sent to the workstation 15-2-1 or 15-2- that requested delivery. It will be sent to 2.

(When a Failure Occurs) Next, a case will be described in which a failure occurs in the delivery of e-mail using the above example.

E-mails sent from workstation 15-1-1 are sent to mail server network management service 16-1.
The information is temporarily stored on the magnetic disk 18-1 inside. The e-mail read from here is sent to the destination Ethernet 11-2 via the communication server 14-1. However, the communication server 14-1 is out of order,
If any failure occurs in the devices after the modem 12-1, the e-mail will not be delivered to the destination mail server network management service 16-2. When the sender's mail server network management service 16-1 detects such a sending failure, it stores the e-mail in its built-in unprocessed queue. The unprocessed queue is a storage area in which unprocessed e-mails are sequentially stored and read out in order from the oldest to the oldest. The mail server network management service 16-1 on the sending side periodically reads the e-mail stored in the unprocessed queue at preset time intervals and attempts to send it to the destination.

Emails that fail to be sent are stored in the unprocessed queue again, ready for the next retransmission. The processing of the e-mail stored on the magnetic disk 18-2 in the destination mail server network management service 16-2 is as described above.

(Management of e-mail using tags) Now, as shown in FIG. 3, the storage area in the magnetic disk 18-2 includes the e-mail body storage area 19-2 and each terminal belonging to its own Ethernet 11-2'. Mailbox areas 21-2-1 and 21-2-2 are arranged as mailboxes prepared correspondingly. The main body of the e-mail is stored in the mail main body storage area 19-2, and a tag (marker tag) 22 indicating the destination is stored in the corresponding mailbox. In this example, since the destinations are two workstations 15-2-1 and 15-2-2, the corresponding mailbox area 21-2
Data indicating the tag 22 will be written to each of -1, 21, 2 and 2.

In this state, the mail server network management service 16-2 that received the e-mail sends the e-mail to the workstation 15-2-4.15-2-2 as the destination.
Notify that email delivery is available. At workstation 15-2-1.15-2-2, the C
An icon indicating this is displayed in one corner of the RT display 23. When the operator selects this icon, a list of e-mails that can be delivered is displayed.

When an e-mail is selected, the e-mail body stored in the e-mail body storage area 19-2 in the mail server network management service is copied, and this is sent to the workstation 15-2-1 or 15-2- that requested delivery. It will be sent to 2.

Note that in this embodiment, the e-mails stored in the mail server network management service 16-2 are not delivered to the destination as they are, but copies thereof are delivered. However, it is also possible to send e-mails in one-to-one correspondence from the destination to the destination, and to directly deliver these e-mails to the destinations.

(Unprocessed queue) In contrast, FIG.
This represents a part of the storage area within. The storage area is provided with a storage area 25 called an unprocessed queue, in which unprocessed e-mails (unsent mails) 26 that have failed to be sent are stored in order from the oldest to the oldest. It has become. The unsent mail 26 is called up one by one at predetermined time intervals, and an attempt is made to send it to each recipient's network. Emails that failed to be sent are stored in the storage area 25 again as unsent emails 26.
is stored in The date and time of the first attempt to send mail is recorded in the unshipped mail 26, and is checked against the current date and time each time it is read. If the difference between these dates and times exceeds a predetermined period, restoring to the storage area 25 is stopped and the sender's terminal is notified of this fact.

(Configuration of mail server network management service) 1st
The figure shows the configuration of the mail server network management service on the sending side.

The mail server network management service 16-1 has a CPU (central processing unit) in its main body 31 (Fig. 2).
It has 32 built-in.

The CPU 32 is connected to the following units via a bus 33 such as a data bus.

(i) RAM 34: A random access memory that stores programs read from the magnetic disk drive 8 and temporarily stores data for various processing.

(ii) Display device 35: This is a CRT for monitoring.

(iii) Magnetic disk 18: Stores a program for controlling this mail server network management service and also stores e-mails (see FIG. 3). Storage area 25 for storing unshipped mail
(See Figure 4) is also provided here.

(iv) Keyboard 36: This is a human-powered device for manually inputting data for instructions.

(E-mail sending process) Figure 5 shows the workstation 15- installed at the head office in Tokyo in the e-mail system configured as above.
Taking the case where an e-mail is sent from 1-1 as an example, the sender's mail server network management service 16-1
This is to explain the work.

E-mails sent from the workstation 15-1-1 are sent to the magnetic disk 1 of the mail server network management service 1G-1 that is in charge of this workstation.
8-1 (Step ■ in Figure 5). The mail server network management service 16-1 reads the destination of this e-mail and searches for the mail server network management service 16 of the corresponding workstation (step 2). In this example, this corresponds to the mail server network management service 16-2. After this, the mail server network management service 16-1 sends the destination mail server network management service 16-
A control signal is transmitted to the terminal 2, and it is determined whether or not there is some kind of failure in the communication, etc., depending on whether the result is received or not (step ①). If there is a problem interfering with the transmission (Y), the sending of the e-mail will be stopped;
The mail is stored in the storage area 25 as an unshipped mail 26 (step 2).

On the other hand, if there is no problem in sending the e-mail in step (2) (N), the e-mail is sent to the destination mail server network management service 16-2.

(Processing of unshipped mail) FIG. 6 is for explaining the processing of unshipped mail 26.

The CPU 32 (see Figure 1) measures time,
Every time a predetermined time elapses (step ■; Y), the unsent mail 26 is retrieved from the storage area 25 (step ■)
. This time may be shortened in inverse proportion to the number of unshipped mails 26 stored in the α area 25.

The date and time of the first attempt to send each mail 26 called up is recorded.

The CPU 32 compares this date and time with the current date and time, and checks whether the time limit for retransmission has been exceeded (step 2). If the time limit has not been exceeded (Y), an attempt is made to resend the unsent mail 26 (step ■).

If the retransmission is successful (step ■; Y), this unsent mail 26 is deleted from the queue and all work is completed (step ■). On the other hand, if the retransmission fails (step ■; N), the data of this unshipped mail 26 is moved to the last column of the α area 25 (step ■).

In contrast, unsent mail 2 called in step ■
If 6 is too old (Y), work is done to abort the retransmission attempt. In other words, an e-mail indicating that it cannot be sent is created and sent back to the sender's workstation 15-1-1 (step
). Then, the unsent mail 26 that was attempted to be sent is retrieved from the storage area 25, and the workstation 15-
1-1 (step ■). If necessary, the workstation 15-1-1 can store this in its own hard disk or the like and make the call again.

(E-mail reception and delivery processing) FIG. 7 shows the e-mail reception and delivery processing in the mail server network management service on the receiving side.

When the e-mail is successfully transmitted from the mail server network management service 16-2, the e-mail is stored in the magnetic disk 18-2 in the mail server network management service 16-2 (step 2). The CPU 32 in the mail server network management service 16-2 determines whether there are multiple destinations (step
).

Although this example is different, if there is only one destination (N),
A tag indicating the arrival of the mail is placed in the destination mailbox (step ■). If there are multiple destinations as in this example, the tags corresponding to the e-mail are copied as many as the corresponding number and stored in the mailboxes of each of the destinations (step 2). That is, in this example, as shown in FIG. 3, the mailbox area 21-
Data indicating the tag 22 will be written to each of 2-1, 21-2-2. The body of the e-mail remains stored in the mail body storage area 19-2.

After completing step ■ or step ■,
The destination workstation 15 is notified of the arrival of the e-mail (step ■). At this time, the destination workstation 15 displays an icon (not shown) on its display indicating that the e-mail has arrived.
will be displayed. In this state, the operator can retrieve the e-mail by operating the mouse 41 (FIG. 2).

FIG. 8 shows the contents displayed on the display of the workstation at this time. A list of e-mails stored in the magnetic disk 18-2 for the destination is displayed on the display, and two items, [Erase Tag] and [Retrieve], are displayed above the list. For the e-mail list, please enter (i) serial number, (1) in the order of arrival.
1) Subject (title), (iii) Sender, (iv)
) Displays the date and time the transmission occurred. In this state, the operator can select e-mails one by one and request their retrieval. When requesting e-mail retrieval, the user first selects whether or not to specify the [tag deletion] location. Specify this with the cursor and [Extract]
If you specify this item, after the specified e-mail is delivered, the tag for that e-mail in the corresponding mailbox will be deleted. As a result, the e-mail whose tag no longer exists in any mailbox is deleted from the magnetic disk 18-2.

If the cursor is moved to the [Eject] location using the mouse 41 and this is specified without specifying the [Erase Tag] location, the tag in the corresponding mailbox will not be erased.

FIG. 9 shows the work performed when e-mail is retrieved.

The mail server network management service 16-2 monitors whether the destination workstation 15 has issued an instruction to retrieve the e-mail (step (2)). When there is a request for e-mail retrieval from one of the workstations 15 (Y), the CP[J32 determines whether deletion of the tag is specified (step 2).

If deletion of the tag is not specified (N), the corresponding e-mail in the e-mail body storage area 19-2 is copied and delivered to the destination (step (2)). Since the tag is still present in the recipient's mailbox, the same email can be resent upon request. Examples of this include: In other words, a person receives an e-mail delivery at a business office in Osaka, but because he has to go on a business trip right away, he retains the e-mail without erasing the tag and sends it to other sales representatives at the business location. This is a case where the e-mail is re-delivered from a workstation at another location and processed.

If the tag is specified to be deleted in step ■ (Y)
, copies the corresponding e-mail in the mail body storage area 19-2, delivers it to the destination, and then erases the tag in the corresponding mailbox (step 2). Thereafter, the CPU 32 searches the subordinate mailbox and determines whether a tag related to the e-mail still exists (step 2). In this example, the e-mail is being sent to two workstations 15-2-1 and 15-2-2, so even if a copy of the e-mail is delivered to one recipient, only one tag will be erased. Not yet. In this state where the tag for the e-mail exists, the process ends and the retrieval of the e-mail is monitored again (step ① and subsequent steps). On the other hand, if all the tags are erased by the delivery of the e-mail (Y), the corresponding e-mail will be erased from the mail body storage area 19-2 (
Step ■).

In the embodiments described above, the time for attempting to resend an e-mail is limited, but the number of times resending is attempted can also be limited. By limiting the time for resending e-mails in this way, e-mails that have failed to be sent can be sorted out, and the storage area for storing these unsent mails can be made relatively small in capacity. Furthermore, if an e-mail that has failed to be retransmitted is returned to the sender within a predetermined period of time, there is an advantage that the sender can use it again for retransmission.

"Effects of the Invention" As explained above, according to the present invention, even if the other party's server malfunctions or communication fails, it is possible to send an e-mail, so the user has no problems with these points. You can concentrate on composing and sending e-mails without paying attention. As described above, according to the present invention, once the e-mail is sent, the communication system manages the delivery of the e-mail, thereby reducing the burden on the user.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings are for explaining one embodiment of the present invention, of which Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of the circuit configuration of a mail server network management service, and Figure 2 is a system configuration showing an overview of an e-mail system. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of the structure of the storage area of the magnetic disk, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which unshipped mail is stored in a storage area called an unprocessed queue, and FIG. is a flowchart showing the e-mail sending process, Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the unsent mail processing, Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the e-mail receiving and passing process by the mail server network management service, and Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the e-mail processing. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the contents displayed on the display when retrieving mail, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing when an e-mail request is received from the workstation. 11...Ethernet, 15...Work station, 16...Mail server network management service, 18...Magnetic disk, 25...・・Storage area (unprocessed queue), 26・
...Unshipped mail. Rijin Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Mail sending means connected to a predetermined network and sending e-mail to another network, and sending capability for determining whether or not it is possible to send e-mail from the predetermined network to the other network. determination means; e-mail storage means for temporarily storing the target e-mail when the sendability determination means determines that it is impossible to send the e-mail; An e-mail system comprising: a resending means for attempting to resend the e-mail.