System and method for provisioning an email account using mail exchange and address records

Abstract

A system for provisioning an electronic mail (email) account of a user for allowing access to an electronic mailbox from a remote device to retrieve email includes a communications module that receives email address parameters entered by the user and transmits a domain name system (DNS) query to the Internet for returning mail exchange (MX) and address (A) records corresponding to the entered email address parameters of the user. A configuration module processes any returned MX and A records to determine whether the email address parameters entered by the user are valid before attempting to provision the email account of the user.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A system for provisioning an electronic mail (email) account for allowing access to an electronic mailbox from a remote device to retrieve email, the system comprising:
 a database; and   a processor cooperating with the database to
 receive at least one entered email address parameter and transmit a domain name system (DNS) query to the Internet for concurrently returning mail exchange (MX) and address (A) records corresponding to the at least one entered email address parameter, and 
 process returned MX and A records to determine whether the at least one entered email address parameter is valid before attempting to provision the email account for allowing access to the electronic mailbox from the remote device to retrieve email. 
   
     
     
         27 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein the processor also cooperates with the database to determine that if no MX and A records exist, email cannot be delivered or retrieved from the email account based on the entered email address. 
     
     
         28 . The system according to  claim 27 , wherein the processor also cooperates with the database to indicate that incorrect data has been entered and provisioning of the email account cannot begin until correct email address parameters are entered. 
     
     
         29 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein the processor also cooperates with the database to determine from the MX or A records a mail exchange server for an email domain name to which email is sent for the email account. 
     
     
         30 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein the processor also cooperates with the database to receive a password, and determine configuration parameters for accessing the email account and attempting access to the email account based on the configuration parameters and the received password. 
     
     
         31 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein the processor also cooperates with the database to obtain from the MX records a prioritized list of possible mail servers to which the email account is to be accessed and attempt access to an email account based on priority. 
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein the processor also cooperates with the database to determine configuration parameters, including at least one of a mail host, port, log-in name or password. 
     
     
         33 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein the processor also cooperates with the database to generate a subset of possible configuration parameters by using heuristics of likelihood that a set of configuration parameters would be valid for accessing the electronic mailbox. 
     
     
         34 . The system according to  claim 33 , wherein the database contains relevant configuration conventions that are sets of email expressions formed by symbols that symbolically represent the conventions used by email service providers for a set of configuration parameters, and wherein the processor also cooperates with the database to generate sets of possible configuration parameters that can be tried for accessing the electronic mailbox. 
     
     
         35 . A method for provisioning an electronic mail (email) account for allowing access to an electronic mailbox from a remote device to retrieve email, the method comprising:
 using a processor and a database coupled thereto to
 receive at least one entered email address parameter and transmit a domain name system (DNS) query to the Internet for concurrently returning mail exchange (MX) and address (A) records corresponding to the at least one entered email address parameter, and 
 process returned MX and A records to determine whether the at least one entered email address parameter is valid before attempting to provision the email account for allowing access to the electronic mailbox from the remote device to retrieve email. 
   
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising using the processor and the database to determine that if no MX and A records exist, email cannot be delivered or retrieved from the email account based on the entered email address. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising using the processor and the database to indicate that incorrect data has been entered and provisioning of the email account cannot begin until correct email address parameters are entered. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising using the processor and the database to determine from the MX or A records a mail exchange server for an email domain name to which email is sent for the email account. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising using the processor and the database to receive a password, and determine configuration parameters for accessing the email account and attempting access to the email account based on the configuration parameters and the received password. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising using the processor and the database to obtain from the MX records a prioritized list of possible mail servers to which the email account is to be accessed and attempt access to an email account based on priority. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising using the processor and the database to determine configuration parameters, including at least one of a mail host, port, log-in name or password. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising using the processor and the database to generate a subset of possible configuration parameters by using heuristics of likelihood that a set of configuration parameters would be valid for accessing the electronic mailbox. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the database contains relevant configuration conventions that are sets of email expressions formed by symbols that symbolically represent the conventions used by email service providers for a set of configuration parameters, and further comprising using the processor and the database to generate sets of possible configuration parameters that can be tried for accessing the electronic mailbox. 
     
     
         44 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for executing instructions comprising:
 receiving at least one entered email address parameter and transmitting a domain name system (DNS) query to the Internet for concurrently returning mail exchange (MX) and address (A) records corresponding to the at least one entered email address parameter; and   processing returned MX and A records to determine whether the at least one entered email address parameter is valid before attempting to provision the email account for allowing access to the electronic mailbox from the remote device to retrieve email.   
     
     
         45 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 44 , wherein the instructions further comprise determining that if no MX and A records exist, email cannot be delivered or retrieved from the email account based on the entered email address.