Archiving mail servers via a simple mail transfer protocol (smtp) server

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing data storage operations, such as archiving and/or backing up of data, for mail servers, such as Exchange servers, via a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) interface are described. For example, the systems and methods may provide an SMTP server between one or more Exchange servers and a media agent, which is configured to performing secondary copy operations, in order to quickly and/or efficiently generate archive or other secondary copies of various mailboxes within the mail server before or during the transfer of mail data to the media agent for data storage operations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for archiving a mail server, the method comprising:
 performing, by a data agent of a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server:
 accessing data stored in one or more mailboxes of the mail server, wherein the data is accessed via an SMTP interface established between the SMTP server and the mail server; 
 generating one or more files that contain the data from the one or more mailboxes; and 
   performing, by a cleanup agent of the SMTP server:
 transferring the one or more files to a media agent of an information management system, wherein the media agent is in communication with the SMTP server; and 
   generating, by the media agent, backup copies of the one or more files, wherein the backup copies are of a different data format than the one or more files.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing, by an archive agent of the SMTP server:
 storing the one or more files to a local storage of the SMTP server. 
   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing, by an archive agent of the SMTP server:
 storing the one or more files to a network storage associated with the SMTP server. 
   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing, by the media agent, the backup copies to one or more secondary storage devices.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the data stored in one or more mailboxes of the mail server comprises a primary copy of mail data, and the method further comprising:
 creating secondary copies of the primary copy of the mail data.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein accessing the data stored in one or more mailboxes of the mail server further comprises copying the data from the one or more mailboxes into multiple different SMTP servers, wherein the SMTP server is one of the multiple different servers. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a request from a user of the mail server to provide a message contained in the one or more files within a local storage of the SMTP server; and   retrieving the message from the local storage of the SMTP server.   
     
     
         8 . A system for archiving a mail server, the system comprising:
 a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server configured to communicate with the mail server over an SMTP interface, wherein the SMTP server comprises a data agent configured to:
 access data stored in one or more mailboxes of the mail server, wherein the data is accessed via the SMTP interface established between the SMTP server and the mail server; and 
 generate one or more files that contain the data from the one or more mailboxes; 
   wherein the SMTP server comprises a cleanup agent configured to:
 transfer the one or more files to a media agent of an information management system, wherein the media agent is in communication with the SMTP server; and 
   wherein the media agent is configured to:
 generate backup copies of the one or more files, wherein the backup copies are of a different data format than the one or more files. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the SMTP server is further configured to:
 store the one or more files to a local storage of the SMTP server.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the SMTP server is further configured to:
 store the one or more files to a network storage associated with the SMTP server.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the media agent is configured to:
 store the backup copies to one or more secondary storage devices.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the data stored in one or more mailboxes of the mail server comprises a primary copy of mail data, and the data agent is configured to create secondary copies of the primary copy of the mail data. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein to access the data stored in one or more mailboxes of the mail server, the data agent is configured to:
 copy the data from the one or more mailboxes into multiple different SMTP servers, wherein the SMTP server is one of the multiple different servers.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the data agent is configured to:
 receive a request from a user of the mail server to provide a message contained in the one or more files within a local storage of the SMTP server; and   retrieve the message from the local storage of the SMTP server.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon software instructions that, when executed by a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server cause the SMTP server to perform a method for archiving a mail server, the method comprising:
 accessing data stored in one or more mailboxes of the mail server, wherein the data is accessed via an SMTP interface established between the SMTP server and the mail server;   generating one or more files that contain the data from the one or more mailboxes;   transferring the one or more files to a media agent of an information management system, wherein the media agent is in communication with the SMTP server; and   generating, by the media agent, backup copies of the one or more files, wherein the backup copies are of a different data format than the one or more files.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 storing the one or more files to local storage of the SMTP server.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 storing the one or more files to a network storage associated with the SMTP server.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 storing, by the media agent, the backup copies to one or more secondary storage devices.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the data stored in one or more mailboxes of the mail server comprises a primary copy of mail data, and wherein the method further comprises creating secondary copies of the primary copy of the mail data. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving a request from a user of the mail server to provide a message contained in the one or more files within a local storage of the SMTP server; and   retrieving the message from the local storage of the SMTP server.