Intermediary Domain Routing for Multi-Provider Email Delivery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current email delivery systems cannot split multiple email addresses within a single domain across different email service providers, limiting organizations to use a single service provider for all email addresses within their domain.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where an intermediary domain is appended to email addresses to forward messages between email service providers, allowing different email service providers to service different email addresses within the same domain by altering the DNS MX record and using an email domain modification module to remove the intermediary domain, ensuring seamless delivery across multiple providers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single email service provider is used for all email addresses within a domain, then email delivery is simple and reliable, but organizations cannot utilize multiple service providers to access different feature sets or reduce costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary domain name that acts as a mediator between the original email domain and multiple email service providers. When an email is sent to an address with the original domain, the system intercepts it and redirects to the appropriate service provider based on the intermediary domain's MX records. This intermediary layer enables multiple providers without requiring changes to the original domain's DNS configuration or email addresses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the email delivery process by separating the domain-level routing (handled by the intermediary domain) from the user-level delivery (handled by individual service providers). This segmentation allows different portions of the email infrastructure to be managed independently, enabling organizations to mix and match service providers for different users or departments while maintaining a unified domain appearance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple email service providers are used for different email addresses within a domain, then organizations can access diverse feature sets and reduce costs, but email delivery becomes complex and may disrupt functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary domain serves as a reliable mediator that centralizes the routing logic. By maintaining a single point of control for domain-level email routing, the system ensures that emails are consistently directed to the correct service provider without relying on complex configurations at each provider's end. This intermediary layer abstracts the complexity away from the delivery path, improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary routing actions by intercepting emails at the intermediary domain level before they reach the final service provider. The MX records of the intermediary domain are pre-configured to direct emails to the appropriate service providers based on the recipient's email address patterns. This preliminary action ensures that routing decisions are made in advance, reducing the risk of delivery failures during the actual email transmission.
3Adaptability or versatility
If an intermediary domain is appended to email addresses to enable multi-provider support, then different service providers can be utilized, but the email address structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of complicating the traditional username@domain structure horizontally, the patent adds a new dimension by appending the intermediary domain to create username@original-domain.intermediary-domain. This dimensional approach allows the system to encode routing information in the domain portion of the email address without affecting the username or original domain, enabling multi-provider support while preserving the core email address identity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the MX record is altered to route emails through an intermediary domain, then multiple service providers can be supported, but the DNS configuration becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The DNS configuration is segmented into two independent parts: the original domain's MX records (which remain unchanged and point to the intermediary domain) and the intermediary domain's MX records (which contain the actual routing rules to multiple service providers). This segmentation allows organizations to configure multi-provider support by only modifying the intermediary domain's DNS settings, leaving the original domain's DNS configuration simple and stable.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods provide an ability to split multiple email addresses having the same email domain across a plurality of email service providers. A first email server receives a forwarded email message from a second email server, the forwarded email message including an original domain and an intermediary domain, the intermediary domain added by the second email server. The first email server removes the intermediary domain from the recipient address and delivers the email message to a corresponding email account that is serviced by the first email server.