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Selective mirrored site accesses from a communication

Selective mirrored site accesses from a communication description/claims

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates in general to improved network systems and in particular to a method for selectively sending and filtering links to mirrored sites in a communication. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to selectively displaying a selection of mirrored site address from among multiple mirrored site addresses embedded within a communication depending on which mirrored sites a particular recipient of the communication can access.

2. Description of the Related Art

The development of computerized information resources, such as interconnection of computer networks, allows users of data processing systems to link with servers within a network to access vast amounts of electronic information. Multiple types of computer networks have been developed that provide different types of security and access and operate at different speeds. For example, the internet, also referred to as an “internetwork”, is a set of computer networks, possibly dissimilar, joined together by means of gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages from the sending network to the protocols used by the receiving network. When capitalized, the term “Internet” refers to the collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols. The Internet is readily accessible through a multitude of service providers. An intranet is another network designed like the Internet for information processing, but in contrast to the Internet, an intranet is typically accessible only to those within a company or organization providing the intranet.

Servers connected within a network provide the information resources. The locations of servers within a network are identified by a network address, such as a Universal Resource Locator (URL). The URL specifies the protocol to be used in accessing the resource, the name of the server on which the resource resides, and optionally, the path to a resource.

Data available from one network location is often duplicated at or “mirrored” at other network locations. These duplicate locations are commonly referred to as “mirrored sites.” Often, if mirrored sites exist, the mirrored sites are displayed on an initial page retrieved from a first network location. A user may then select from among the multiple mirrored sites to download a file or application.

Mirrored sites are beneficial because the same or similar information is provided at multiple locations, allowing a user to attempt to choose the fastest location. For example, the Linux operating system can be downloaded from multiple mirrored sites with different access speeds at each site. Additionally, the client system may include a software function (such as the function described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,460) that monitors the performance of the mirrored locations in order to optimize the retrieval of information from the mirrored sites.

In addition to being a source of information, networks typically enable communications between clients. Multiple types of communication mediums are available across a network, such as electronic mail (e-mail), instant messaging, chatting and others. E-mail allows a person to quickly and easily send textual messages and other information, such as a textual link to a network location accessible to a recipient. Typically, e-mail client software allows the recipient of an e-mail to click on a selectable link displayed within an e-mail to initiate opening a browser window and attempt access of the network location.

One common use of e-mail is sending selectable site links to alert recipients to new downloadable files and other resources. Further, a user may send an e-mail with multiple selectable mirrored site links to the same resource. Currently, where an e-mail is sent that includes selectable mirrored site links, all recipients receive the same list, whether the mirrored sites are accessible to all recipients or not. For example, some mirrored sites may be accessible within an intranet while others are accessible within the Internet, but not all recipients have access to the intranet. Such a listing can be confusing for recipients and time consuming to find those mirrored sites accessible to each recipient, particularly as the number of listed mirrored sites increases.

Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method, system, and program for selectively enabling access to only those mirrored sites available to the recipient of a communication containing mirrored site addresses.

In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved network systems.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method, system and program for selectively sending and filtering links to mirrored sites in a communication.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method, system and program for selectively displaying a selection of mirrored site address from among multiple mirrored site addresses embedded within a communication depending on which mirrored sites a particular recipient of the communication may access.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a sender of a communication opens a target site address within a browser window. The sender then requests to send a link to the target site address to at least one recipient. By invoking the request to send a link to at least one recipient, a communication window is opened by the browser. Additionally, the browser determines whether there are any mirrored site addresses associated with the current target site address. The browser may search a network for mirrored site addresses or the mirrored site addresses may be embedded with the source code for the web site accessed from the current target site address. Any mirrored site addresses are embedded with the communication sent to a recipient designated by the sender such that when the communication is received the embedded site addresses are read by the e-mail client or browser at the recipient system and displayed with the communication if the mirrored site addresses are accessible to the recipient.

Alternatively, according to another aspect of the present invention, a sender of a communication opens a communication window and enters a target site address. The sender then requests to enter mirrored site addresses. The mirrored site addresses entered by the sender are embedded with the target site address such that when the communication is received the embedded site addresses are read by the e-mail client or browser at the recipient system and displayed with the communication if the mirrored site addresses are accessible to the recipient.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a communication is received at a client system with multiple mirrored site addresses. The communication is received by a particular recipient from among at least one intended recipient. A selection of accessible site addresses for the particular recipient is detected from among the multiple mirrored site addresses. The e-mail client receiving the communication or the browser invoked from the communication may detect the selection of accessible site addresses for the particular recipient. From among the multiple mirrored site addresses, only the selection of accessible site addresses for the particular recipient is displayed. A particular attributed may be associated with the display of the selection of accessible mirrored site addresses.

All objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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