System and method for synchronizing data records between multiple databases

• US 20050071358A1
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Hind, Hugh, Dunk, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 7,490,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

First and second pairs of synchronization parameters are stored in first and second databases. The first and second pairs are compared upon a data record being updated in either database to determine whether a synchronization conflict has occurred and a corresponding synchronization operation is executed.

Claims

1. A data structure stored in computer-readable media, comprising:

a first pair of synchronization parameters associated with a data record stored in a first database and a second database, the first pair of synchronization parameters including a first synchronization parameter associated with the first database and indicative of a current version of the data record stored at the first database, and a second synchronization parameter associated with the second database and indicative of a current version of the data record stored at the second database, the first pair of synchronization parameters stored in the first database.

2. The data structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a second pair of synchronization parameters associated with the data record stored in the first database and the second database, the second pair of synchronization parameters including a third synchronization parameter associated with the first database and indicative of a current version of the data record stored at the first database, and a fourth synchronization parameter associated with the second database and indicative of a current version of the data record stored at the second database, the second pair of synchronization parameters stored in the second database.

3. The data structure of claim 2, wherein the first synchronization parameter associated with the data record at the first database is incremented when the data record in the first database is updated and is the first pair of synchronization parameters and the data record are transmitted to the second database after the first synchronization parameter is updated.

4. The data structure of claim 3, where the second data base is designated a master database and the first database is designated a slave database.

5. The data structure of claim 3, wherein the fourth synchronization parameter of the second synchronization parameter are compared to detect a synchronization level conflict condition.

6. The data structure of claim 2, wherein the first pair of synchronization parameters are associated with a mobile communication device and the second pair of synchronization parameters are associated with the host system.

7. A method of synchronizing data records stored in a host system and a device system, comprising the steps of:

associating a first device synchronization parameter and a first host synchronization parameter with a data record stored at the host system;

associating a second device synchronization parameter and a second host synchronization parameter with a data record stored at the device system;

updating the first host synchronization parameter when the data record is updated at the host system and transmitting a first update message from the host system to the device system; and

updating the second device synchronization parameter when the data record is updated at the device system and transmitting a second update message from the device system to the host system;

wherein the first and second host synchronization parameters are indicative of versions of data records stored at the host system, and the first and second device synchronization parameters are indicative of versions of records store at the device system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first update message includes the updated first host synchronization parameter and the first device synchronization parameter.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second update message includes the updated second device synchronization parameter and the second host synchronization parameter.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the first update message at the device system;

detecting for conflicts between the updated data record at the device system and the data record at the host system; and

ignoring the updated data record if there is a conflict detected.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the device system comprises a mobile communication device.

12. A method of resolving conflicts resulting from multiple data record updates for a data record stored in a first database and a second database, comprising:

storing in the first database a first synchronization parameter indicative of a version of the data record stored in the first database and a second synchronization parameter indicative of a version of the data record stored in the second database;

storing in the second database a third synchronization parameter indicative of the version of the data record stored in the first database and a fourth synchronization parameter indicative of the version of the data record stored in a second database;

upon the change of the version of the data record in either the first or second database, comparing the first and third synchronization parameters or the second and fourth synchronization parameters to determine whether a conflict condition has occurred.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein comparing the first and third synchronization parameters or the second and fourth synchronization parameters to determine whether a conflict condition has occurred comprises:

designating the second database as a master database; and

determining that a conflict condition has occurred if the second synchronization parameter indicates an older version than the fourth synchronization parameter.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising changing the data record in the first database to the version of the data record stored in the second database upon a conflict condition occurring.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein changing data record in the first database to the version of the data record stored in the second database upon a conflict condition occurring comprises:

changing the first synchronization parameter to match the third synchronization parameter;

changing the second synchronization parameter to match the fourth synchronization parameter; and

changing the data record in the first database to match the data record in the second database.

16. A system for resolving conflicts resulting from multiple data record updates for a data record stored in a first database and a second database, comprising:

a first and second synchronization parameter stored in the first database, the first synchronization parameter indicative of a version of the data record stored in the first database and the second synchronization parameter indicative of a version of the data record stored in the second database;

a third and fourth synchronization parameter stored in the second database, the third synchronization parameter indicative of the version of the data record stored in the first database and the fourth synchronization parameter indicative of the version of the data record stored in a second database;

processor-executable software code stored in machine readable media, the execution of which causes a comparison of the first and third synchronization parameters or the second and fourth synchronization parameters to determine whether a conflict condition has occurred upon the change of the version of the data record in either the first or second database.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor-executable software code stored in machine readable media is operable to compare the first and third synchronization parameters if the first database is designated a master database and compare the second and fourth synchronization parameters if the second database is designated a master database.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first database is stored in a mobile communication device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the first synchronization parameter associated with the data record at the first database is incremented when the data record at the first database is updated and the first and second synchronization parameters and the data record are transmitted to the second database after the first synchronization parameter is updated; and

the fourth synchronization parameter associated with the data record at the second database is incremented when the data record at the second database is updated and the third and fourth synchronization parameters and the data record are transmitted to the first database after the fourth synchronization parameter is updated.

20. A system for synchronizing data records stored in a host system and a device system, comprising the steps of:

means for associating a first device synchronization parameter and a first host synchronization parameter with a data record stored at the host system;

means for associating a second device synchronization parameter and a second host synchronization parameter with a data record stored at the device system;

means for updating the first host synchronization parameter when the data record is updated at the host system and transmitting a first update message from the host system to the device system; and

means for updating the second device synchronization parameter when the data record is updated at the device system and transmitting a second update message from the device system to the host system;

wherein the first and second host synchronization parameters are indicative of versions of data records stored at the host system, and the first and second device synchronization parameters are indicative of versions of records store at the device system.