JP2003333102A - Internet mail system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a quality of a mail system and to reduce a burden of a system manager or the like. <P>SOLUTION: An internet 1 is connected with a provider 2 by the Internet 3. The internet 1 includes insides a PC 10 of a mail user, a mail proxy server 11, an access control DB 12 and an ADSL connector 13. The provider 2 includes a mail server 20 and a user DB 21. The mail user requests transmission or reception of mail from the PC 10 to the proxy server 11. The mail proxy server 11 checks a client connection request from the access control DB 12. When a connection is allowed, the request is transferred to the mail server 20 and an access log is outputted. The mail server 20 performs the transmission/ reception of mail to the Internet 3, and received mail is stored in a mail box of every user. The user receives the mail by a POP authentication. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for constructing an internet mail environment within an intranet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, network construction and security measures have been required to construct a mail server in an intranet and connect it to the Internet. Also, mail server operation (user management and server management)
This was also done by the system administrator in the intranet.

[0003]

The conventional method described above has the following problems. 1. It was necessary to build a mail server and have the system administrator perform all user management and server management. 2. The dedicated line connection and dial-up connection service that were used for the conventional Internet connection are not used. 3. When using the mail service of the provider, it was necessary to be conscious of the Internet in the settings of the mail environment.

An object of the present invention is to provide an Internet mail system which improves the quality of the mail system and reduces the load on the system administrator.

[0005]

The internet mail system of the present invention is provided in a mail server provided in a provider and in an intranet, and sends a mail from a mail user to the mail server and uses the mail. A mail proxy server that receives a mail requested by a person from the mail server from the mail server and delivers the mail to the mail recipient.

By transferring the operation of the mail server performed by the system administrator to the provider, the system operation load is reduced, the operation cost is reduced, and the stable operation of the mail server becomes possible. Also, by using a mail proxy server, security can be secured, network problems can be absorbed, and mails can be sent and received with a provider mail server on the Internet. Further, since the introduction of the proxy server reduces the number of terminals (servers) disclosed on the Internet, the number of global IP addresses can be reduced and the addresses can be effectively used.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the internet system further comprises an ADSL connection device for connecting the intranet to the internet.

Conventionally, the connection between the intranet and the Internet has been made by a leased line connection or an ISDN connection, but by using the ADSL connection service, the communication cost is reduced as compared with these lines, and the line quality is improved. improves.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an Internet mail system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The intranet 1 is connected to the provider 2 by the Internet 3. The intranet 1 has a personal computer (PC) of the mail user.
ter) 10, a mail proxy server 11, an access control DB 12, and an ADSL connection device 13. The provider 2 has a mail server 20 and a user DB 2
1 is included. In the present embodiment, the intranet 1 and the Internet 3 are connected by connecting the line to the ADSL connection company 5 using the ADSL connection device 13.

The mail user requests the proxy server 11 from the PC 10 to send or receive the mail. The mail proxy server 11 checks the client connection request with the access control DB 12, and if the connection is permitted,
The request is transferred to the mail server 20 and the access log is output. The mail server 20 sends and receives mail to and from the Internet 3, and the received mail is the mail box of each user.
Accumulate in. The user receives the mail by POP authentication.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. 1. The mail user sends a mail to the mail proxy server 11 (SMTP (Simple Mail)
(Transfer Protect)) (A1). 2. The mail proxy server 11 is the access control DB 12
, The access check of the request source client is performed, and the result judgment and the transmission history are output to the access log (A2).

If the access check does not permit transmission, the request is rejected. 3. If the mail proxy server 11 can send the mail, it sends the mail to the mail server 20 of the provider 2 (SMT
P) (A3). 4. The mail server 20 refers to the user DB 21 and authenticates the user (A4).

If the user authentication fails, the mail transmission is rejected. 5. After the user authentication, the mail server 20 sends a mail (SMTP) to the destination mail server 4 (A5). 6. A mail is received (SMTP) from the partner mail server 4 to the mail server 20 of the provider 2 (B
1). 7. The received mail is stored in the mail box of the destination user (B2). 8. The mail user receives (POP) the mail to the mail proxy server 11 (C1). 9. The mail proxy server 11 is the access control DB 12
, The access check of the request source client is performed, and the result judgment and the reception history are output to the access log (C2).

If the access check does not permit reception, the request is rejected. 10. If receivable, mail server 2 of provider 2
The mail is received (POP) to 0 (C3). 11. The user authentication is performed by referring to the user DB 21, and the received mail of the mail BOX is confirmed (C4).

If the user authentication fails, the mail reception is rejected. 12. If there is an incoming mail, deliver the incoming mail to the mail user.

If there is no received mail, the mail user is notified that there is no received mail (C5). 13. The system administrator manages the user information 14 and requests the provider 2 for user registration, change, and deletion. Provider 2 requests user D at the request of the system administrator.
B21, the mail box is created, changed, and deleted, and the mail server 20 is managed (D1). 14. The system administrator manages the access control DB 12 of the mail proxy server 11 based on the user information 14.

The system administrator periodically checks the access log and grasps the system status (D2).

As another embodiment of the present invention, in the Internet connection form on the mail user side, a dedicated line connection,
By replacing with a line suitable for communication traffic such as optical fiber connection or ISDN connection, a communication line can be selected according to the usage environment.

[0021]

As described above, the present invention has the following effects. 1. By managing the mail server with the provider,
There is no need to operate and maintain the server, and the load on the system administrator is greatly reduced.

In addition, the environment of the user side (power failure of the building, etc.)
Since it does not affect the above, it is possible to operate the mail server stably for 24 hours 365 days. 2. By introducing a mail proxy server, mail users can build a mail environment without being conscious of the Internet, making it difficult for unauthorized access and attacks from the Internet. 3. Even when using a global IP address, the number of servers that need to be open to the Internet is a mail proxy server, an ADSL router, etc.
It becomes possible to operate at the address, which can greatly contribute to effective utilization of the global I address. 4. Since the ADSL connection service is used for the Internet connection mode, the cost can be significantly reduced compared to the leased line connection and the introduction can be performed relatively easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an Internet mail system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Intranet 2 Provider 3 Internet 4 Internet Mail Server 5 ADSL Connection Provider 10 Mail User PC (Mail Client) 11 Mail Proxy Server 12 Access Control DB 13 ADSL Connection Device 14 User Information (Mail Account, Password,
Access restrictions, etc.) 20 Mail server 21 User DB A1 to A5, B1, B2, C1 to C5, D1, D2
Step

Claims (3)

[Claims] [Claim 1] A mail server provided in a provider and an intranet for sending a mail from a mail user to the mail server, and a mail requested by the mail user from the mail server An internet mail system having a mail proxy server for receiving and delivering to the mail recipient. 2. The Internet mail system according to claim 1, further comprising an ADSL connection device for connecting the intranet to the Internet. 3. The Internet mail system according to claim 1, wherein the mail proxy server further includes an access control DB for performing an access check on a client that is a request source for sending / receiving a mail.