Mailbox Configuration Mechanism
An email configuration system may use a topology database to determine if a change request results in a valid configuration. The topology database may contain a definition of an enterprise email system, including forests, servers, and individual mailboxes. If a valid configuration is found, a change request may be scheduled and implemented. The email configuration system may store the change request so that a change may be undone at a later time. Changes may be implemented to the enterprise mail system by changing the topology definition and running an analysis of the current topology and a desired topology.
1 . A system comprising:
a topology database comprising a topology description for a plurality of mail servers;
a scheduler comprising:
an input queue adapted to receive a change request; and
a change request analyzer adapted to determine that said change request results in a permissible configuration by comparing said change request to said topology database; and
a mailbox configuration tool adapted to implement said change request.
2 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a topology analyzer adapted to compare said topology description in said topology database to a current configuration and generate at least one change request.
3 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a user interface adapted to receive said change request.
4 . The system of claim 3 , said user interface further adapted to display at least a portion of said topology database.
5 . The system of claim 1 , said topology description comprising mail server specific rules.
6 . The system of claim 1 , said topology description comprising mailbox specific rules.
7 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
an implementation database adapted to store at least a portion of said change request after said change request is implemented.
8 . The system of claim 7 , said mailbox configuration tool further adapted to undo said change request using said implementation database.
9 . The system of claim 1 , said scheduler further comprising:
a task generator adapted to generate a set of individual tasks for said change request.
10 . The system of claim 9 , said change request analyzer adapted to determine that each of said individual tasks result in a permissible configuration.
11 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a performance database comprising performance data from said plurality of mail servers.
12 . The system of claim 11 , said analyzer further adapted to determine that an unbalanced load condition exists and generate said change request, said change request being adapted to change said unbalanced load condition to a balanced load condition.
13 . A method comprising:
receiving a change request, said change request comprising a change to a mailbox;
analyzing said change request by a method comprising:
determining a proposed final state from said change request; and
comparing said proposed final state to a topology description of a plurality of mail servers, said topology description being defined in a topology database;
creating a set of actions to be performed in order to fulfill said change request;
storing said set of actions in a change database; and
performing said actions.
14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
receiving an undo request; and
undoing said change request using said change database.
15 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
determining a current actual topology;
comparing said current actual topology to said topology database to identify an impermissible condition; and
generating said change request adapted to change said impermissible condition to a permissible condition.
16 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
searching a network to discover a new mail server; and
adding said new mail server to said topology database.
17 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
analyzing a performance database and said topology description to determine that a load imbalance condition exists; and
generating said change request adapted to change said load imbalance condition to a balanced load condition.
18 . The method of claim 13 , said topology description comprising mail server specific rules.
19 . The method of claim 13 , said topology description comprising mailbox specific rules.
20 . A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to perform the method of claim 1 .