Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

Failure detection and reporting for a computer mail gateway is provided. In a preferred embodiment, two computer mail systems are connected by a gateway. The gateway includes an automatic gateway failure detection and reporting facility. The gateway also includes a message transfer store. The facility transmits a message from the first mail system into the message transfer store for retrieval by the second mail system. The facility then detects that the transmitted message from the first mail system has remained in the message transfer store for at least a predetermined time without being retrieved by the second mail system. In response to detecting that the transmitted message from the first mail system has remained in the message transfer store for at least a predetermined time without being retrieved by the second mail system, the facility diagnoses the failure of the gateway. In a further preferred embodiment, after diagnosing the failure of the gateway, the facility provides an indication that the gateway has failed to a user of the first mail system that can remediate the gateway failure. In a further preferred embodiment, the facility transmits test messages into the message transfer store to assist in detecting the failure of the gateway when no normal message traffic is traveling through the gateway.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim