Synchronized content library

• US 10,291,702 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Houston, Drew
• Primary Examiner(s): Henderson, Esther B.
• Application Number:
  US15/189,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20160301750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

The disclosed technology addresses the need in the art for synchronizing a content library between a content management system and client devices. Each content item in a user'"'"'s content library is stored on the content management system and a record of each change to the content library is recorded in a content journal. A client device transmits a synchronization request that a portion of the content journal representing unsynchronized changes be processed to update the content library on the client device. The synchronization request includes a content library identifier and a content journal number identifying the content entry in the content journal last processed by the client device. Synchronization commands are sent based on the content entries not processed by the client device. Updated synchronization data representing the processed content entries is sent to the client device after synchronization is completed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a content management system, a synchronization request from a client device, the synchronization request including a content library identifier and a first position in a content journal having content entries representing a latest synchronization state of a content library for content items known to the client device, wherein the content journal comprises, for content items associated with the content library, locations for each of the content entries, a list of content entries, directory indicators to indicate that a content item is a directory for each of the content entries and records changes to content items;

updating, by the content management system based on the synchronization request, the content journal and the content library to reflect a change to the content item; and

sending, to the client device by the content management system, synchronization data including the content library identifier and a second position in the content journal representing an updated state of the content library.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization request originates from a dedicated client application of the content management system running on the client device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the records changes to content items include adding content items to the content library, deleting content items from the content library, and modifying content items in the content library.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 comprising:

adding a new entry into the content journal for each change made to the content items in the content library.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

setting a latest flag to indicate that the new entry into the content journal is the most recent entry associated with the content item in the content journal.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that an older journal entry associated with the content item exists in the content journal; and

removing a latest flag from the older journal entry.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization data is encoded by the content management system prior to sending the synchronization data to the client device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content library identifier in the synchronization request includes multiple content library identifiers.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining if the content library includes a content entry at a subsequent position to the first position; and

when there is a content entry at the subsequent position, processing a journal entry and additional journal entries at any additional subsequent positions, wherein the synchronization data sent to the client device reflects processed journal entries.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining that the content journal includes a deletion of a content item;

determining that the synchronization request is a first synchronization request received from the client device; and

excluding synchronization data for the deletion of the content item.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed being effective to cause a computer to:

receive an update communication from a first client device, the update communication describing a change to a content item on the first client device, wherein the content item is associated with a content library on a content management system;

update a content journal having content entries on the content management system to reflect the change to the content item on the first client device, wherein the content journal comprises locations for each of the content entries, a list of content entries, directory indicators to indicate that the content item is a directory for each of the content entries and records changes to the content item; and

send synchronization data to the first client device including a content library identifier and a current content journal position that reflects the update to the content journal.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the update communication describing the change to the content item includes data reflecting one or more of a change to a location of the content item, a name of the content item, a file hierarchy of the content item, or an action taken to modify the content item.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the action taken to modify the content item is selected from the group consisting of:

an addition, a deletion, a move, and a modification, and wherein the content journal is updated by creating a new entry in the content journal for each action taken to modify the content item.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the computer to:

before updating the content journal, determine that the content journal contains an existing entry for the content item that contains a latest flag;

remove the latest flag from the existing entry for the content item; and

set a latest flag to indicate that a most recent new entry into the content journal is the most recent entry associated with the content item in the content journal.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the computer to:

receive a synchronization request from a second client device, the synchronization request including a content library identifier and a first position in a content journal representing a latest synchronization state of a content library known to the second client device; and

sending, to the second client device by the content management system, synchronization data including the content library identifier and a second position in the content journal representing an updated state of the content library.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the synchronization data is encoded by the content management system prior to sending the synchronization data to the second client device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the content library identifier in the synchronization request includes multiple content library identifiers.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the update communication received from the first client device, and the synchronization request received from the second client device, originate from a respective copy of a dedicated client application of the content management system running respectively on the first client device and the second client device.

19. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the processor are effective to cause a computer to;

receive, by a content management system, a synchronization request from a client device, the synchronization request including a content library identifier and a first position in a content journal having content entries representing a latest synchronization state of a content library for content items known to the client device, wherein the content journal comprises, for content items associated with the content library, locations for each of the content entries, a list of content entries, directory indicators to indicate that a content item is a directory for each of the content entries and records changes to content items;

update, by the content management system based on the synchronization request, the content journal and the content library; and

send, to the client device by the content management system, synchronization data including the content library identifier and a second position in the content journal representing an updated state of the content library.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the instructions are effective to cause the computer to:

receive an update communication from the client device, the update communication describing a change to a content item on the client device;

update a content journal on the content management system to reflect the change to the content item on the client device; and

send synchronization data to the client device including the content library identifier and a current content journal position that reflects an update to the content journal.