Communication network and method for storing message data in a communication network
A communication network having a number of server units connected with each other on the data side, to each of which a number of terminals is connected in a local environment, each server unit including a data storage area for saving message data, shall enable user access to the user-specifically saved message data from each of the local environments in a reliable and quick manner, even in case of limited data transmission capacity between the individual server units, maintaining at the same time an appropriate flow synchronization between the partial networks. For this purpose, each data storage area comprises, according to the invention, a first partial storage area for saving user data and a second partial storage area for saving control data. During operation, the user data are stored on all server units in a synchronized manner.
1. A communication network having a number of server units connected with each other, to each of which a number of terminals is connected in a local environment, each server unit including a processor receiving a message comprising message data, the message data comprising new or changed user data and control data, the processor saving the new or changed user data and the control data, a data storage area comprising a first partial storage area for saving the new or changed user data and a second partial storage area for saving the control data, wherein the user data and the control data can be accessed from each of the number of terminals connected to each of the number of server units, wherein in each server unit of which a synchronization module is allocated to each first partial storage area, said synchronization module, after saving the new or changed user data and in response to receiving the incoming message containing the new or changed user data and the control data, forwards the new or changed user data, but not the control data, to the respective other server units for saving the forwarded user data in each of the other server unit's respective first partial storage area.
2. The communication network according to claim 1 , wherein each server unit comprises a filter module, which splits an incoming data flow into the new or changed user data and the control data.
3. The communication network according to claim 1 , wherein a user of each terminal has access to the new or changed user data and the control data saved on the server unit connected with said terminal.
4. The communication network according to claim 1 , wherein message files are provided as user data.
5. The communication network according to claim 1 , wherein each server unit comprises a filter module operable to split the received message into the new or changed user data and the control data.
6. The communication network according to claim 1 , wherein a user of each terminal has access to the new or changed user data and the control data saved on the server unit connected with the terminal.
7. The communication network according to claim 1 , wherein message files are provided as user data.
8. The communication network according to claim 1 , wherein forwarding the new or changed user data, but not the control data to the respective other server units is accomplished only if the new incoming user data was not transmitted by another synchronization module.
9. A method for storing message data in a communications network comprising:
providing a number of server units connected with one another, and to each of the server units is connected a number of terminals in a local environment;
receiving a message comprising the message data, the message data comprising new or changed user data and control data, and
storing the message data in a data storage area in each of the server units, the message data being split into the new or changed user data and the control data and each data storage area comprising a first partial storage area for saving the new or changed user data and a second partial storage area for saving the control data, wherein the new or changed user data and the control data can be accessed from each of the number of terminals connected to each of the number of server units, wherein, in each server unit of which a synchronization module is allocated to each first partial storage area, said synchronization module, after saving the new or changed user data and in response to receiving the incoming message containing the new or changed user data and the control data, forwards the new or changed user data, but not the control data, to the respective other server units for saving the forwarded user data in each of the other server unit's respective first partial storage area.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the new or changed user data is stored on all server units in a synchronized manner.
11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the new or changed user data is stored in the data storage area of each server unit separately from the control data.
12. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising: splitting an incoming data flow into the new or changed user data and the control data.
13. A communication network comprising:
two or more terminals; and
two or more server units connected with each other and connected to the two or more terminals in a local environment, wherein each server comprises:
a data storage area comprising a first partial storage area for saving new or changed user data and a second partial storage area for saving control data; and
a synchronization module allocated to the first partial storage area, said synchronization module, after a saving the new or changed user data and in response to receiving an incoming message containing the new or changed user data and the control data, forwards the new or changed user data, but not the control data, to the respective other server units for saving the forwarded new or changed user data in each of the other server unit's respective first partial storage area.
14. The communication network according to claim 13 , wherein forwarding the new or changed user data, but not the control data to the respective other server units is accomplished only if the new incoming user data was not transmitted by another synchronization module.