Maintaining and replicating chat histories

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining that a consolidated instant messaging chat history is maintained at a selected instant messaging point of presence that is selected from a plurality of instant messaging points of presence, wherein one or more of the non-selected instant messaging points of presence include one or more local chat histories stored on one or more local nonvolatile storage devices, the local chat histories comprising a first plurality of instant messaging messages transmitted during one or more previous instant messaging sessions conducted between the non-selected instant messaging points of presence and one or more instant messaging participants, the instant messaging participants being different than the plurality of instant messaging points of presence;

in response to the determination, retrieving, at the selected instant messaging point of presence, the plurality of instant messaging messages included at the non-selected instant messaging points of presence from the local chat histories of the non-selected instant messaging points of presence;

creating an updated consolidated instant messaging chat history by storing, on a selected nonvolatile storage device accessible to the selected instant messaging point of presence, the retrieved instant messaging messages in the consolidated instant messaging chat history;

in response to creating the updated consolidated instant messaging chat history, initiating, by the selected instant messaging point of presence, a passive instant messaging session;

in response to initiating the passive instant messaging session, receiving, at the selected instant messaging point of presence, a second plurality of instant messaging messages, wherein the second plurality of instant messaging messages correspond to a plurality of messages transmitted during an active instant messaging session being concurrently conducted between a first of the non-selected instant messaging points of presence and one or more of the instant messaging participants; and

storing the second plurality of instant messaging messages in the updated consolidated instant messaging chat history.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to the retrieving:

reading a plurality of network identifiers, wherein each of the network identifiers corresponds to one of the non-selected instant messaging points of presence;

wherein the retrieving further includes:

sending, from the selected instant messaging point of presence, an instant message retrieval request over a computer network to each of the non-selected instant messaging points of presence.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the selected instant messaging point of presence, an instant messaging chat history request from a second of the non-selected instant messaging points of presence;

in response to receiving the instant messaging chat history request:

retrieving one or more stored instant messaging messages from the consolidated instant messaging chat history; and

returning the retrieved instant messaging messages to the second non-selected instant messaging point of presence.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

prior to receiving the instant messaging chat history request, receiving a chat list request from the second non-selected instant messaging point of presence;

in response to receiving the chat list request:

retrieving one or more historical chat session identifiers, wherein each of the historical chat session identifiers corresponds to a prior instant messaging session from which messages are included in the consolidated instant messaging chat history; and

returning the one or more historical chat session identifiers to the second non-selected instant messaging point of presence, wherein the received chat history request corresponds to a selected one of the historical chat session identifiers, and wherein the instant messaging messages retrieved from the consolidated instant messaging chat history are messages that were transmitted during the prior instant messaging session corresponding to the selected historical chat identifier.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to the determining:

commencing execution of an instant messaging software application on the selected instant messaging point of presence; and

reading a configuration data store that includes an indicator to keep the consolidated instant messaging chat history at the selected instant messaging point of presence, the reading of the indicator resulting in the determination.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of selected instant messaging points of presence are present, wherein the plurality of instant messaging messages are retrieved by each of the plurality of selected instant messaging points of presence and wherein the consolidated instant messaging chat history is stored at each of the plurality of selected instant messaging points of presence.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, from a user, a chat history request, while the user is using a first of the plurality of instant messaging points of presence;

determining whether the consolidated instant messaging chat history is stored at the first instant messaging point of presence;

in response to determining that the consolidated instant messaging chat history is stored at the first instant messaging point of presence:

retrieving one or more stored instant messaging messages from the consolidated instant messaging chat history stored at the first instant messaging point of presence; and

in response to determining that the consolidated instant messaging chat history is not stored at the first instant messaging point of presence:

requesting an instant messaging chat history from the first instant messaging point of presence to the selected instant messaging point of presence.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving, at the first instant messaging point of presence, a plurality of instant messaging messages retrieved by the selected instant messaging point of presence from the consolidated instant messaging chat history.