Abstract: Techniques for classifying failure messages received from email messages that are sent are provided. A plurality of rules are created that are used to classify a plurality of failure types for email messages. Email messages are sent to an email address associated with an Internet service provider. When an email message fails, a failure message is determined. A rule that applies to the failure message is then determined and based on the rule, a failure type associated with the rule is determined. Once a failure type is determined, an action may be performed based on the failure type. For example, the email address associated with the email message may be marked as invalid.

Abstract: A method for linking data using persistent links is disclosed. The links are created in a central repository, which maintains an identification class for each entity. The identification class contains all available information concerning the entity. By matching links instead of names and addresses, potential ambiguities and erroneous duplicates are eliminated. The links are encoded before external distribution with a client-specific key; the link encoding discourages clients from collaborating to use personal information without authorization.

Abstract: A method for linking data using permanent tokens is disclosed. The tokens may be used to link data pertaining to a consumer, a business, an address, an occupancy, or a household. The tokens are created in a central repository, which maintains an identification class for each entity. The identification class contains all available information concerning the entity. The tokens may be applied to a data storage system to allow real-time construction of a total customer view. The tokens may also be used to link the data storage system to a repository, such that the total customer view contains all available information concerning the customer. The total customer view may be used to formulate a response to customer input, such as a purchase or access to an Internet web page maintained by the data owner. By matching tokens instead of names and addresses, potential ambiguities and erroneous duplicates are eliminated.

Abstract: A method and system for the creation, enhancement and update of data on a customer database using data from a central database and persistent keys that are linked to each data structure is disclosed. The persistent keys allow the matching of equivalent data structures between the remote and central databases so that enhancement data from the central database can be overlaid onto the customer database. The persistent keys also make the update of data on the customer database more efficient, since key matching allows the transfer of only the data that is needed to update the customer database. The central database may physically contain all of the enhancement data, or may use a central database manager to transparently link a group of physically remote databases using the persistent keys. Data may be transferred from the central database to the customer database either in batch mode or in a near real-time mode through a direct table join.