WO2014162071A1

WO2014162071A1 - Architecture and method for transmitting an e-mail

Info

Publication number: WO2014162071A1
Application number: PCT/FR2014/000073
Authority: WO
Inventors: Laurent CAILLEUX; Ahmed BOUABDALLAH; Sylvain Gombault
Original assignee: Etat Français Represente Par Le Delegue General Pour L'armement; Telecom Bretagne
Priority date: 2013-04-02
Filing date: 2014-04-02
Publication date: 2014-10-09
Also published as: FR3004050A1

Abstract

The present invention concerns an architecture for transmitting an e-mail between a sender and one or a plurality of recipients, characterised by the fact that it comprises a sender mail client (MUA) component, a mail submission agent (MSA) component, N mail transfer agent (MTA) components, a correspondence directory (CR) component in which there is stored an association relationship between each of N processing attributes of a predefined set of the N processing attributes and each of the N mail transfer agent (MTA) components, the sender mail client (MUA) component transmitting, to the mail submission agent (MSA) component, the e-mail and a processing attribute assigned thereto by the sender, and the mail submission agent (MSA) component transferring the e-mail to the mail transfer agent (MTA) component corresponding to the processing attribute assigned to the e-mail by the sender according to the association relationship stored in the correspondence directory component.

Description

ARCHITECTURE AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING AN EMAIL

The invention relates to the field of telecommunications and relates to an architecture and a method of transmitting an email between an issuer and one or more recipients.

Currently, email messaging servers consistently handle all e-mails transmitted between a sender and one or more recipients. This principle of operation does not differentiate between personal, professional, official, administrative email exchanges.

It appears, however, that there is a need for differential treatment of e-mail exchanges. In a business environment for example, it is desirable that the secrecy of correspondence is guaranteed for personal emails, while some business emails must be signed cryptographically or otherwise controlled according to an authorization of the issuer and / or the (or) recipient (s).

U.S. Patent 6,430,272 B1 discloses a message switching device, including e-mail messages, where the messages are routed based on a set of message processing procedures and as a function of parameters. Each user sets the treatments that will be carried out according to his intentions. The invention described in US Pat. No. 6,430,272 B1 relates to mechanisms dedicated to the reception of messages and not to their sending (or submission). The messages are processed during the reception process. It is thus not possible, with the disclosed invention in US Pat. No. 6,430,272 B1, to define an upstream processing, that is to say at the level of the sending of messages, which has the consequence that messages, in particular e-mails, can be sent and therefore received at the level of one or more recipients without having undergone prior processing, which can be detrimental for example in terms of security.

European Patent Application EP 1 003 308 A1 discloses a priority and security coding system for emails, which positions an email characterization code on the email to enable the destination mail servers to more efficiently process the email. The priority and security coding system does not describe the possibility for the sender of the e-mail to assign a code to perform specific processing on the e-mail before sending it to a destination router or mail server.

International patent application

PCT / EP2007 / 057679 discloses a system and method in which a user assigns an e-mail to an indication of its content and defines instructions for distributing the e-mail to recipients according to each of the recipients of the e-mail.

The system and method described in International Patent Application PCT / EP2007 / 057679 do not allow systematic processing of emails based solely on the type assigned to it by the issuer. In the system and method described in International Patent Application PCT / EP2007 / 057679, the sender must enter information on each of the recipients, which is tedious.

The invention aims to overcome these problems and aims to provide an architecture and a method of transmission of emails able to apply specific and appropriate processing to each email based on a processing attribute assigned to it by the issuer.

The object of the invention is to provide an electronic messaging system capable of applying specific and appropriate processing to each email sent according to its attribute (which may for example be its type, for example personal, professional, administrative, operational ...). When submitting an email, the issuer's mail server transmits the message to a dedicated component that performs the various checks, including authorization. After passing controls, the dedicated component retrieves the information to identify the server capable of supporting the specific processing and appropriate to the email attribute and apply it before a transfer to the recipient or recipients.

The invention may in particular be implemented by means of computers in an environment possibly virtualized.

The present invention therefore relates to an architecture for transmitting an email to one or more recipients, characterized in that it comprises:

at least one Message Submission Agent (MS) component;

at least one transmitter messaging client component (MUA), by which a sender composes an e-mail and assigns to it a processing attribute among a predefined set of N processing attributes, the or each mail client component (MUA) of 'transmitter being in bidirectional communication with a Message Submission Agent (MSA) component;

N message transfer agent (MTA) components, each in bidirectional communication with the message submission agent (MSA) component (s) and receiving an e-mail input, applying a process to it before outputting it to one or several recipients, each of the N transfer agent components (MTAs) applying different processing to the e-mails it receives, allowing as many different e-mail processing as there are processing attributes in the predefined set of attributes of treatment ;

a correspondence directory component (CR) in which is stored an association relation between each of the N processing attributes of the predefined set of N processing attributes and each of the N message transfer agent (MTA) components,

an interface component between each message submission agent (MSA) component and the correspondence directory component (CR), this interface component consisting of a correspondence executing agent component (CEA) and a Correspondence Delivery Agent component (CPA,

the correspondence executing agent component (CEA) being connected with the Message Submission Agent (MSA) component and the Correspondence Providing Agent (CPA) component,

the correspondence providing agent component (CPA) being connected on the one hand with the correspondence executing agent component (CEA) and on the other hand with the matching directory component (CR) According to a particular embodiment, the invention is characterized in that:

the correspondence executing agent component (CEA) is configured to, based on an email processing attribute corresponding to an email received by the Message Submission Agent (MSA) component from a messaging client component ( MUA), querying the Correspondence Provisioning Agent (CPA) component to indicate back to the Message Submission Agent (MSA) component, the Message Transfer Agent (MTA) component corresponding to the processing attribute so that the component Message Submission Agent (MSA) forwards said email to said corresponding Message Transfer Agent (MTA) component,

the correspondence providing agent component (CPA) is configured to query the correspondence directory component (CR) on the basis of the processing attribute to indicate back to said correspondence executing agent component (CEA) the agent component Message Transfer Agent (MTA) corresponding to the processing attribute so that the Message Submission Agent (MSA) component transfers said mail to said corresponding Message Transfer Agent (MTA) component.

I

According to one embodiment, the architecture may further comprise an authorization component in bidirectional communication with the interface component, the authorization component authorizing or not the transmission of an email between a messaging client component and a client. message submission agent component according to the sender of the e-mail and / or the recipient (s) and / or the processing attribute assigned to it by the sender, the authorization component authorizing, in addition, authorization component permits the transfer of the email between the messaging client component and the message submission agent component, the correspondence directory component to be transmitted to the dynamic interface component, the indication of the message transfer agent component corresponding to the the processing attribute assigned to the email by the sender so that the message submission agent component can transmit the email to this message transfer agent component.

The interface component may comprise two modules, one in bidirectional communication with the message submission agent component, the other in bidirectional communication with the correspondence directory component and optionally with the authorization component, both modules being in two-way communication. Thus, with the architecture of the invention, a single authorization component and a single match directory component can be used for multiple message submission agent components. The configuration is thus much more flexible in case of modification of policy or addition of a new attribute.

The authorization component may be a policy execution point component in bidirectional communication with a policy decision point component, according to the RFC2753 standard.

The invention also relates to a method of transmitting an email from a transmitter to one or more recipients, characterized in that it comprises: - the writing of an email by the issuer;

- the assignment of a processing attribute to the email;

- processing the email according to the processing attribute assigned to it by the issuer before it is transferred to the recipient or to the different recipients.

The method of transmitting an email may include. in addition to a step of authorizing the transfer of the email according to the sender of the e-mail and / or the recipient (s) of the e-mail.

The processing attribute may include a message type and optionally additional information.

This additional information may in particular be a level of urgency or a level of sensitivity of the message.

The method may furthermore comprise a step of verifying the authorization of the processing of the e-mail corresponding to the attribute assigned to it by the sender before it is transferred to the recipient or to the different recipients.

The invention also relates to a messaging server, characterized in that it comprises an architecture as defined above or that it implements a method as defined above.

The email submission process, according to a particular embodiment of the method of the invention, comprises the following steps:

- the issuer writes an email on his email client; the issuer selects an attribute for the email (for example a personal, professional, administrative, operational, specific company type ...)

the sender sends, from the mail client, to the mail submission component of the mail server, the email and the attribute assigned to it by the sender;

the email and its attribute are received by the mail submission component of the mail server;

- depending on the attribute, the message submission component transmits the email to a forwarding component of the mail server which will be responsible for applying a particular policy to it;

- the email to which, before sending, a particular policy has been applied at the level of the mail server is then transmitted to his or her recipients.

The message attribute may consist solely of the type of message or may include the type and additional information to characterize more finely the exchange of email between the sender and the different recipients.

As indicated above, the additional information may include a level of urgency or a level of sensitivity of the message.

To better illustrate the object of the present invention, will be described below, by way of illustration and not limited to, a particular embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing.

On this drawing : - Figure 1 is a diagram of a method of transferring an email according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, it can be seen that there is shown a particular embodiment of the present invention.

Terms and acronyms. used in the description of the system of the invention and its flows are extracted part of the RFC 5598 standard on the architecture of email on the internet _. (Internet Mail Architecture).

The system includes the following elements:

- a mail client agent (MUA) component;

- a Mail Submission Agent (MSA) component;

- a Correspondence Enforcement Agent (CEA) component;

a Correspondence Providing Agent (CPA) component;

- a Policy Enforcement Point (PEP) component;

- a Policy Decision Point (PDP) component;

- a correspondence directory component (Correspondence Repository - CR); and

- several Message Transfer Agent (MTA) components.

The MSA, CEA, CPA, PEP, PDP, CR, and MTA components are functional components present within the email sending mail server. They can However, they must also be separate from the messaging server and in communication with it.

From a functional point of view, the MUA is connected only to the MSA via a bidirectional communication interface, the MSA is connected on the one hand to the CEA and on the other hand to each MTA by a bidirectional communication interface, the CEA is connected to Partly to the MSA and secondly to the CPA, also each time via a bidirectional communication interface, the CPA is connected to the PEP and the CR each time via a bidirectional communication interface and finally the PEP is connected to the PDP. by a bidirectional communication interface. Because MSA, CEA, CPA, PEP, PDP, CR, and MTA components are components in the messaging server, the two-way communication interfaces between them are software communication interfaces.

As indicated above, these components (MSA, CEA, CPA, PEP, PDP, CR and MTA) can also be outside the messaging server and in communication therewith, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The method, according to the embodiment described in Figure 1, is as follows.

In a first step, a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) connection is opened between the MUA and the MSA.

The issuer writes his email in the MUA and indicates, still via the MUA, the type of email among several predefined email types.

The types of email predefined can be for example: personal, professional, administrative, operational .... The type of email assigned to the email by the sender is then forwarded from the MUA to the MSA.

The MSA sends a request to the CEA, the request comprising:

- a request for authorization to send an e-mail depending on the sender or the recipient (s) and according to the type of e-mail assigned;

a request for information concerning the MTA corresponding to the type of e-mail assigned to the e-mail by the sender, which the MSA will have to contact to send the e-mail.

The CEA transmits the request to the CPA, in XML format.

The CPA interfaces with a privilege management infrastructure and then sends an authorization request to the PEP.

The PEP sends an authorization request (in XACML format - Extensible Access Control Markup Language) to the PDP, which forwards the authorization request response, also in XACML format, to the PEP.

The PEP transmits the authorization request response to the CPA.

If the answer is negative, the CPA transmits the information to the MSA which blocks the transfer of the email from the MUA.

If the answer is positive (authorization granted by the PDP), the CPA sends a request for information request to the CR.

The CR then transmits to the CPA the information necessary for the differentiated transfer of the email, that is to say in particular the MTA corresponding to the type of the email assigned by the issuer.

The CPA transmits the response to the CEA in XML format. The CEA transmits to the MSA the positive response to the authorization request and the information necessary for the differentiated transfer of the email.

The MSA, through the retrieved information, transfers the email to the corresponding MTA which will apply the policy corresponding to the type of email assigned by the sender.

The MSA transmits an email support code, and the MUA can close the open SMTP connection in the first step if there are no other emails to transmit.

As noted above, although the method has been described using only the type of the message as an attribute, a broader attribute including the type of the message and other factors to further characterize the exchange can be used to determine the type of the message as an attribute. MTA.

Claims

1 - Architecture of transmission of an email to one or more recipients, characterized in that it comprises:

at least one Message Submission Agent (MSA) component;

at least one transmitter messaging client component (MUA), by which a sender composes an e-mail and assigns to it a processing attribute among a predefined set of N processing attributes, the or each mail client component (MUA) of transmitter in bidirectional communication with a Message Submission Agent (MSA) component;

a correspondence directory component (CR) in which is stored an association relationship between each of the N processing attributes of the predefined set of N processing attributes and each of the N message transfer agent (MTA) components,

- an interface component between each message submission agent (MSA) component and the directory component correspondence (CR), this interface component consisting of a correspondence executing agent component (CEA) and a correspondence providing agent component (CPA,

the correspondence providing agent component (CPA) being connected on the one hand with the correspondence executing agent component (CEA) and on the other hand with the matching directory component (CR).

2 - Architecture according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the correspondence providing agent component (CPA) is configured to query the correspondence directory component (CR) on the basis of the processing attribute for indicating back to said correspondence executing agent component (CEA) the message transfer agent (MTA) component corresponding to the processing attribute so that the Message Submission Agent (MSA) component transfers said email to said corresponding Message Transfer Agent (MTA) component.

3 - Architecture according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it further comprises an authorization component in bidirectional communication with the interface component, the authorization component allowing or not the transmission of an email between a messaging client component (MUA) and a message submission agent (MSA) component depending on the sender of the e-mail and / or the recipient (s) and / or attribute assigned to it by the issuer, the authorization component also allowing, when the authorization component allows the transfer of the email between the messaging client component (MUA) and the message submission agent component ( MSA), the correspondence directory component (CR) to be transmitted to the dynamic interface component, the indication of the message transfer agent (MTA) component corresponding to the processing attribute assigned to the email by the issuer afi n that the Message Submission Agent (MSA) component can transmit the email to this Message Transfer Agent (MTA) component.

4 - Architecture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the interface component comprises two modules, one in bidirectional communication with the message submission agent component (MSA), the other in communication bidirectional with the matching directory component (CR) and optionally with the authorization component, the two modules being in bidirectional communication.

5 - Architecture according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the authorization component is a policy execution point component (PEP) in two-way communication with a policy decision point component (PDP).

6 - Method of transmitting an email from a transmitter to one or more recipients, characterized by the fact that it comprises:

- the writing of an email by the issuer;

- the assignment of a processing attribute to the email;

7 - Method of transmitting an email according to claim 6, characterized in that it further comprises a transfer authorization step of the email according to the sender of the e-mail and / or the recipient (s) (s) email.

8 - Method according to one of claims 6 or

7, characterized in that the processing attribute comprises a message type and optionally additional information.

9 - Process according to one of claims 7 and

8, characterized by the fact that it furthermore comprises a step of checking the authorization of the processing of the e-mail corresponding to the attribute which has been assigned to it by the issuer before it is transferred to the addressee or to the different addressees.

10 - Messaging server, characterized in that it comprises an architecture according to one of claims 1 to 5 or that it performs a work a method according to one of claims 6 to 9.