Message queues for rapid re-hosting of client devices

A system comprising:

• a plurality of gateway servers connected via a network, each of the plurality of gateway servers configured to relay an electronic message by:
• storing the electronic message in respective user message queues associated with at least one of a sender and a recipient of the electronic message;
• and
• sending the electronic message to another gateway server of the plurality of gateway servers;
• and
• a message module implemented by at least one processor and configured to:
• detect that the electronic message, sent from a first client device associated with the sender, has been received at a first gateway server of the plurality of gateway servers;
• identify a second gateway server, of the plurality of gateway servers, that is hosting a second client device that is associated the recipient of the electronic message;
• determine a sequence of gateway servers that starts at the first gateway server and ends at the second gateway server;
• instruct each of the gateway servers in the sequence to relay the electronic message to a subsequent gateway server in the sequence based on the subsequent gateway server following it in the sequence;
• detect that the last gateway server in the sequence is not functioning;
• and
• instruct the penultimate gateway server in the sequence to host the second client device.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code which, when executed, is operative to cause a computing device to perform the steps of:

• receiving an electronic message at a first gateway server of a plurality of gateway servers from a first client device associated with a sender of the electronic message;
• identifying a second gateway server, of the plurality of gateway servers, that is hosting a second client device that is associated with a recipient of the electronic message;
• determining a sequence of gateway servers, of the plurality of gateway servers, that starts at the first gateway server and ends at the second gateway server;
• performing by each of the gateway servers in the sequence:
• storing the electronic message in respective user message queues associated with the sender and the recipient of the electronic message, and
• sending the electronic message to a subsequent gateway server in the sequence based on the subsequent gateway server following it in the sequence;
• detecting that the last gateway server in the sequence is not functioning;
• and
• hosting the second client device by the penultimate gateway server in the sequence.