Proactive message buffering across intermittent network connections

A method for the delivery of an incoming message in a messaging system comprising a central server of said messaging system, a plurality of messaging nodes, a plurality of user accounts with distinct messaging address identifiers, and a communications means for establishing a first communications link between each of said messaging nodes and said central server, said method comprising the steps of

• a) maintaining an association table, associating user accounts with at least one messaging node;
• b) identifying at least one user account indicated as a recipient of said incoming message, determined from a header of said incoming message;
• c) identifying a primary messaging zone, corresponding to a subset of said messaging nodes associated in said association table with said recipient user account;
• d) transmitting said incoming message across said first communications link to members of said primary messaging zone, and
• e) buffering said incoming message at said messaging nodes, prior to a user request to collect new messages from said messaging system,
• whereby said incoming message is buffered at messaging nodes from which recipients may subsequently request the collection of said incoming message.

A proactive buffering means within a messaging system, comprising

• a) a central server of said messaging system;
• b) a plurality of messaging nodes;
• c) a plurality of user accounts with distinct messaging address identifiers;
• d) a communications means for establishing a first communications link between each of said messaging nodes and said central server;
• e) a database maintenance means for maintaining an association table associating user accounts with at least one messaging node;
• f) an identification means for identifying at least one user account indicated as a recipient of an incoming message, determined from a header of said incoming message;
• g) a determination means for determining membership of said messaging node within a primary messaging zone, corresponding to a subset of said messaging nodes associated in said association table with said recipient user account;
• h) an intermittent communications means for transmitting said incoming message across said first communications link to said messaging node;
• i) a storage means for buffering said incoming message at said messaging node, prior to a user request to collect new messages from said messaging system,
• for buffering said incoming message at messaging nodes across intermittent network connections from which recipients may subsequently request the collection of said incoming message.