Importance

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Abstract

A system and methods that allow local access of data residing and processed on remote messaging system computers is provided. In an illustrative implementation, a plurality of messaging systems having host computers coupled to network interface units (NIUs) act as messaging system nodes (MS Nodes). The NIUs of each of the MS Nodes are interconnected to form a wide area network (WAN) such that data may be freely communicated between the MS Nodes. An exemplary messaging system architecture comprises a host computer interconnected to a NW that, itself, is interconnected to telephone networks and to external computer networks. NIUs support a number of interfaces that allow the communication of data between the NIU and the host, and between the NIU and the external telephone and computer networks. In the distributed messaging system, a call originating from a local MS Node requesting data that resides on a remote messaging system may be transferred to the remote MS Node that has the requested data. The call is processed such that a local NIU accepts the call and communicates the call to a local host. The local host processes the call and determines that the data being requested resides on a remote host. The call is then passed back to the local NIU and transferred to the appropriate NIU using the WAN for processing by the appropriate remote host having the requested data.

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First Claim