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US-12627725-B2 - Provisioning a service using file distribution technology

US12627725B2US 12627725 B2US12627725 B2US 12627725B2US-12627725-B2

Abstract

According to certain embodiments, a provisioning manager comprises an interface and processing circuitry. The interface is configured to obtain provisioning data from a provisioning database. The processing circuitry is configured to prepare one or more configuration files based on the provisioning data and provide the one or more configuration files to the one or more service instances using file distribution technology. The one or more configuration files indicate how to provision one or more service instances used in sending or receiving electronic messages.

Inventors

  • Bryan Adam Joyner
  • Kelly Sue Morrison
  • Dustin Stewart Silverman
  • Patrick Stephen Trantham

Assignees

  • ZIXCORP SYSTEMS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20240725

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A system, comprising: a provisioning manager remote from a set of service instances of a service, wherein the set of service instances are deployed across one or more devices in a network, the provisioning manager is associated with the service, and the provisioning manager is adapted for: periodically polling a provisioning database to determine added, deleted, or modified provisioning data associated with the service; preparing a configuration file based on the provisioning data, the configuration file indicating how to provision the set of service instances; storing the configuration file in a configuration repository in a location associated with the service; wherein the set of service instances each comprise a configuration module adapted for: periodically pulling from the location in the configuration repository to obtain the configuration file; determining a change to a configuration of that service instance based on the configuration file; and implementing the change to the configuration of that service instance based on the configuration file.
  2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of service instances are deployed across multiple tenants.
  3. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of services are deployed at a single site.
  4. 4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the provisioning manager is deployed offsite.
  5. 5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration file is formatted according to a directory structure the set of service instances.
  6. 6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the configuration file designates the set of service instances, and the set of service instances is a subset of services instances of a same type.
  7. 7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of service instances are associated with providing electronic communications and the change comprises a change in a policy related to the provisioning of electronic communications.
  8. 8 . A method, comprising: at a provisioning manager remote from a set of service instances of a service, wherein the set of service instances are deployed across one or more devices in a network, and the provisioning manager is associated with the service: periodically polling a provisioning database to determine added, deleted, or modified provisioning data associated with the service; preparing a configuration file based on the provisioning data, the configuration file indicating how to provision the set of service instances; storing the configuration file in a configuration repository in a location associated with the service; and at the set of service instances: periodically pulling from the location in the configuration repository to obtain the configuration file; determining a change to a configuration of that service instance based on the configuration file; and implementing the change to the configuration of that service instance based on the configuration file.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the set of service instances are deployed across multiple tenants.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the set of services are deployed at a single site.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the provisioning manager is deployed offsite.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the configuration file is formatted according to a directory structure the set of service instances.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the configuration file designates the set of service instances, and the set of service instances is a subset of services instances of a same type.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the set of service instances are associated with providing electronic communications and the change comprises a change in a policy related to the provisioning of electronic communications.
  15. 15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions for: at a provisioning manager remote from a set of service instances of a service, wherein the set of service instances are deployed across one or more devices in a network, and the provisioning manager is associated with the service: periodically polling a provisioning database to determine added, deleted, or modified provisioning data associated with the service; preparing a configuration file based on the provisioning data, the configuration file indicating how to provision the set of service instances; storing the configuration file in a configuration repository in a location associated with the service; and at the set of service instances: periodically pulling from the location in the configuration repository to obtain the configuration file; determining a change to a configuration of that service instance based on the configuration file; and implementing the change to the configuration of that service instance based on the configuration file.
  16. 16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the set of service instances are deployed across multiple tenants.
  17. 17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the set of services are deployed at a single site.
  18. 18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the provisioning manager is deployed offsite.
  19. 19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the configuration file is formatted according to a directory structure the set of service instances.
  20. 20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the configuration file designates the set of service instances and the set of service instances is a subset of services instances of a same type.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is a continuation of and claims a benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 from, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/170,410, filed Feb. 16, 2023, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 12,095,611, entitled “PROVISIONING A SERVICE USING FILE DISTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGY,” which is a continuation of and claims a benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 from, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/942,202, filed Jul. 29, 2020, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,611,473, entitled “PROVISIONING A SERVICE USING FILE DISTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGY,” which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/154,755, filed Jan. 14, 2014, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,742,717, entitled, “ELECTRONIC CONTENT DELIVERY WITH DISTRIBUTED RECIPIENT DELIVERY PREFERENCE,” and also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/896,569, filed Feb. 14, 2018, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,102,192, entitled “HARVESTING AND DISTRIBUTING A CERTIFICATE BASED ON A DNS NAME.” All applications listed in this paragraph are fully incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. FIELD OF THE INVENTION Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate, in general, to provisioning a service and, more specifically, to provisioning a service using file distribution technology. BACKGROUND A service may be provisioned in a computer network to configure the service for use by a user. Existing methods for provisioning a service may have some drawbacks. For example, existing methods for provisioning a service may require a service provider to manually configure certain settings. Manually configuring these settings may be inefficient and error-prone, particularly when provisioning services for many users. SUMMARY According to certain embodiments, a provisioning manager comprises an interface and processing circuitry. The interface is configured to obtain provisioning data from a provisioning database. The processing circuitry is configured to prepare one or more configuration files based on the provisioning data and provide the one or more configuration files to one or more service instances using file distribution technology. The one or more configuration files indicate how to provision the one or more service instances used in sending or receiving electronic messages. According to certain embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable medium stores logic that, when executed by processing circuitry of a provisioning manager, is operable to cause the provisioning manager to perform actions comprising obtaining provisioning data from a provisioning database, preparing one or more configuration files based on the provisioning data, and providing the one or more configuration files to one or more service instances using file distribution technology. The one or more configuration files indicate how to provision the one or more service instances used in sending or receiving electronic messages. According to certain embodiments, a method comprises obtaining provisioning data from a provisioning database, preparing one or more configuration files based on the provisioning data, and providing the one or more configuration files to one or more service instances using file distribution technology. The one or more configuration files indicate how to provision the one or more service instances used in sending or receiving electronic messages. Certain embodiments of the above-described provisioning manager, computer readable medium, and/or method may include one or more additional features, such as any one or more of the following: In some embodiments, providing the one or more configuration files to the one or more service instances using file distribution technology comprises initiating storing the one or more configuration files in one or more repositories. Each of the one or more repositories is configured to make at least one of the configuration files available to at least one of the service instances. In some embodiments, preparing the one or more configuration files comprises periodically polling the provisioning database, identifying new provisioning data based on polling the provisioning database, and preparing the one or more configuration files based on the new provisioning data. The new provisioning data indicates data that has been added, removed, or changed in the provisioning database. In some embodiments, the one or more configuration files comprise a first configuration file prepared for a first service instance of the one or more service instances. In some embodiments, preparing the first configuration file comprises determining whether to include any additional data to assist the first service instance in applying the provisioning data, formatting the configuration file according to a format that the first service instance is able to use for provisioning, and indicating that the first configuration file applies to the first service instance of the one or more service instances. In some embodime