Automated dereferencing of electronic communications for archival
AssigneeSymantec Operating Corporation
InventorsAngshuman Bezbaruah, Ankur P. Panchbudhe
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Abstract
Various methods and systems for automatically obtaining documents that are referenced by an electronic communication, such as an email or instant message, for archival are disclosed. One method involves searching at least a portion (e.g., the header and/or body) of an electronic communication for a reference to a document and, in response to detecting the reference, automatically obtaining an electronic copy of the document. The electronic copy of the document can then be archived.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- obtaining a copy of an electronic communication, wherein the electronic communication comprises a reference to a document, and contents of the document are not included in the copy of the electronic communication as an attachment;
- obtaining a copy of the document, in response to the reference, wherein the document exists at a location identified by the reference;
- archiving the copy of the electronic communication and the copy of the document in archive media;
- storing relationship information to identify a relationship between the electronic communication and the document;
- and
- adding information associated with the document to a set of archival metadata to indicate that the copy of the document has been archived, wherein the information associated with the document comprises location information which identifies the location of the copy of the electronic communication and the copy of the document in the archive media.
A system comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the processor to:
- obtain a copy of an electronic communication, wherein the electronic communication comprises a reference to a document, and contents of the document are not included in the copy of the electronic communication as an attachment,
- obtain a copy of the document, in response to the reference, wherein the document exists at a location identified by the reference,
- archive the copy of the electronic communication and the copy of the document in archive media,
- store relationship information to identify a relationship between the electronic communication and the document, and
- add information associated with the document to a set of archival metadata to indicate that the copy of the document has been archived, wherein the information associated with the document comprises location information which identifies the location of the copy of the electronic communication and the copy of the document in the archive media.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions executable to:
- obtain a copy of an electronic communication, wherein the electronic communication comprises a reference to a document, and contents of the document are not included in the copy of the electronic communication as an attachment;
- obtain a copy of the document, in response to the reference, wherein the document exists at a location identified by the reference;
- archive the copy of the electronic communication and the copy of the document in archive media;
- store relationship information to identify a relationship between the electronic communication and the document;
- and
- add information associated with the document to a set of archival metadata to indicate that the copy of the document has been archived, wherein the information associated with the document comprises location information which identifies the location of the copy of the electronic communication and the copy of the document in the archive media.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.