Email Client Plug-in Communication via Encrypted X-headers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Third-party email client plug-ins face limitations in access and communication with the application server, leading to suboptimal management, software updates, and functionality issues, especially when offline or without internet connectivity, resulting in orphaned agents that consume memory and cause system errors.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that enables communication between a third-party application server and a third-party email client plug-in by injecting a plug-in header into email messages, allowing the plug-in to receive instructions and perform actions, even when the user is offline, through encryption and key-sharing mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a third-party email client plug-in is installed in the email client, then custom functionalities and enhanced user experience are provided, but the third-party application vendor loses access to the plug-in for management and updates
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary communication channel is established through encrypted email messages that allow the third-party application vendor to send management instructions and update notifications to the plug-in installed in the user's email client, bypassing the access restriction while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
A feedback mechanism is implemented where the plug-in can send status information and acknowledgments back to the application vendor through email, enabling the vendor to monitor plug-in performance and verify successful updates without direct access
2Reliability
If the email client is offline or without internet connectivity, then local functionality is maintained, but the plug-in cannot communicate with the application server for updates or information retrieval
Solution Approach 1:
Update instructions and necessary information are embedded in email messages that are delivered to the offline email client, allowing the plug-in to receive and process update information even without internet connectivity at the moment of execution
Solution Approach 2:
The plug-in is designed to autonomously process embedded instructions from email messages and perform self-updates or self-configuration without requiring real-time connection to the application server, enabling offline operation with updated functionality
3Reliability
If the plug-in lacks access to communication channels, then security is maintained, but the ability to manage configuration and initiate software updates is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
Email messages serve as an intermediary communication medium that maintains security boundaries while enabling the application vendor to transmit configuration instructions and update packages to the plug-in without compromising the security model
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional direct API-based communication mechanism is replaced with an email-based communication system that uses cryptographic encryption and decryption to achieve secure information exchange, substituting a mechanical direct connection with a more secure but indirect communication pathway
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are described for communication of a third-party application server with a third-party email client plug-in. The systems and the methods enable the third-party application server to provide a plug-in header contained in a message. The plug-in header may include an X-header. The X-header may be injected into the message. The plug-in installed within an email client receives the message. The plug-in is configured to process the plug-in header to identify one or more instructions to perform an action of one or more actions. The one or more instructions may relate to a property of a user and/or a property of the email client of the user. Responsive to the one or more instructions, the plug-in performs the action.