Enhanced Data Protection for Message Volumes

1. A method of providing data protection for a message volume in a message replication environment comprising a plurality of message systems and a plurality of instances of the message volume hosted by the plurality of message systems, the method comprising: each of the plurality of message systems receiving condition information from each other of the plurality of message systems comprising a health of each of the plurality of instances of the message volume; each of the plurality of message systems determining independently from each other of the plurality of message systems when a level of protection provided by the plurality of instances of the message volume comprises an insufficient level of protection based on the condition information and protection criteria comprising a threshold redundancy level and a threshold latency level; and each of the plurality of message systems initiating at least a protection action when the level of protection provided by the plurality instances of the message volume comprises the insufficient level of protection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level comprises determining when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level based at least on the threshold redundancy level and an actual redundancy level provided by the plurality of instances of the message volume.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising each of the plurality of message systems determining independently from each other of the plurality of message systems the actual redundancy level provided by the plurality of instances of the message volume based at least on the condition information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level comprises determining when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level based at least on the threshold latency level and an actual latency level of at least one of the plurality of instances of the message volume.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising each of the plurality of message systems determining independently from each other of the plurality of message systems the actual latency level provided by at least one of the plurality of instances of the message volume based at least on the condition information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level comprises determining when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level based at least on the threshold redundancy level, an actual redundancy level, the threshold latency level, and an actual latency level.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of message systems provide an email service, wherein the message volume comprises an active email database associated with the email service, and wherein the plurality of instances of the message volume comprises a plurality of passive email databases corresponding to the active email database.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising replicating the active email database to the plurality of passive email databases, and wherein the protection action comprises transferring an alert to a monitoring system indicative of the insufficient level of protection.

9. A message system in a message replication environment that comprises a plurality of message system, the message system comprising: one or more computer readable storage devices having stored thereon program instructions for protecting a message volume in the message replication environment; and a processing system operatively coupled with the one or more computer readable storage devices; wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to at least: receive from each other of the plurality of message systems condition information comprising a health status of each of a plurality of instances of the message volume hosted by the plurality of message systems; determine when a level of protection provided by the plurality of instances of the message volume comprises an insufficient level of protection based at least in part on the condition information and protection criteria comprising a threshold redundancy level and a threshold latency level; and initiate at least a protection action when the level of protection provided by the plurality instances of the message volume comprises the insufficient level of protection.

10. The message system of claim 9 wherein to determine when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level, the program instructions direct the processing system to determine when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level based at least on the threshold redundancy level and an actual redundancy level provided by the plurality of instances of the message volume.

11. The message system of claim 10 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to determine the actual redundancy level provided by the plurality of instances of the message volume based at least on the condition information.

12. The message system of claim 9 wherein to determine when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level, the program instructions direct the processing system to determine when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level based at least on the threshold latency level and an actual latency level of at least one of the plurality of instances of the message volume.

13. The message system of claim 12 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to determine the actual latency level provided by at least one of the plurality of instances of the message volume based at least on the condition information.

14. The message system of claim 9 wherein to determine when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level the program instructions direct the processing system to determine when the level of protection comprises the insufficient level based at least on the threshold redundancy level, an actual redundancy level, the threshold latency level, and an actual latency level.

15. The message system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of message systems provide an email service, wherein the message volume comprises an active email database associated with the email service, and wherein the plurality of instances of the message volume comprises a plurality of passive email databases to which the active email database is replicated, and wherein the protection action comprises an alert to a monitoring system indicative of the insufficient level of protection.

16. A message replication environment comprising: a first message system of a plurality of message systems that at least: determines a first health of a first instance of a plurality of instances of the message volume hosted by the first message system; determines a first health of a second instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume hosted by a second message system; determines a first health of a third instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume hosted by a third message system; determines if a first view of protection provided by the plurality of message systems is sufficient based on protection criteria comprising a threshold redundancy level and a threshold latency level and the first health of the first instance, the second instance, and the third instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume; and communicates a first alert if the first view of the protection is not sufficient; and the second message system of the plurality of message systems that at least: determines a second health of the second instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume hosted by the second message system; determines a second health of the first instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume hosted by the first message system; determines a second health of the third instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume hosted by the third message system; determines if a second view of the protection provided by the plurality of message systems is sufficient based on the protection criteria and the second health of the first instance, the second instance, and the third instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume; and communicates a second alert if the second view of the protection is not sufficient.

17. The message replication environment of claim 16 wherein the first message system: transfers first health information to the second message system indicating the first health of the first instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume; and determines the first health of the second instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume based on the second health of the second instance indicated in second health information.

18. The message replication environment of claim 17 wherein the second message system: determines the second health of the first instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume based on the first health of the first instance indicated in the first health information; and transfers the second health information to the first message system indicating the second health of the second instance of the plurality of instances of the message volume.

19. The message replication environment of claim 16 wherein the plurality of message systems provide an email service, wherein the message volume comprises an active email database associated with the email service, and wherein the plurality of instances of the message volume comprises a plurality of passive email databases to which the active email database is replicated.

20. The message replication environment of claim 16 , wherein to determine if a first view of protection provided by the plurality of message systems is sufficient, the first message system of the plurality of message systems at least determines when the first view of protection is sufficient based at least on the threshold redundancy level and an actual redundancy level provided by the plurality of instances of the message volume.