System and method for optimizing synchronization

• US 20050165947A1
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Brien, Michael R., Mammen, Ashok C., Auriemma, Stephen T., Corbett, Maria M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/233
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A system and method is provided for optimizing a SyncML slow sync between a proprietary client and server. When a slow sync is detected, the client and server can depart from the normal SyncML protocol and process summary data without having to compare all items on a field-by-field basis.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing a slow synchronization between a client and a server, the method comprising:

receiving, at the server, a synchronization package having missing or corrupt synchronization anchors;

sending a request to the client to initiate a slow synchronization process;

receiving a slow synchronization package from the server, wherein the slow synchronization package includes summary data;

determining if the slow synchronization package was received from a client designated as one that may depart from a slow synchronization process; and

processing the received summary data if the client is so designated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if the slow synchronization package was received from a proprietary client further comprises:

receiving the slow synchronization package; and

examining a header field to determine if the client has been designated proprietary.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the server has been designated a proprietary server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the received summary data further comprises:

comparing a unique identifier and a timestamp for each document sent from the client with a unique identifier and timestamp for each document stored at the server; and

determining if said unique identifiers and said timestamps match wherein;

if said unique identifiers do not match, sending a status to the client indicating that the unique identifiers do not match; and

in response to the client processing the status and modifying its timestamp to a higher value to be included in a subsequent synchronization package, receiving the document associated with the unique identifier from the client during said subsequent synchronization.

5. A system for optimizing a slow synchronization between a client and a server, the method comprising:

means for receiving, at the server, a synchronization package having missing or corrupt synchronization anchors;

means for sending a request to the client to initiate a slow synchronization process;

means for receiving a slow synchronization package from the server, wherein the slow synchronization package consists of summary data;

means for determining if the slow synchronization package was received from a client designated as one that may depart from a slow synchronization process; and

means for processing the received summary data if the client is so designated.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein means for determining if the slow synchronization package was received from a proprietary client further comprises:

means for receiving the slow synchronization package; and

means for examining a header field to determine if the client has been designated proprietary.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the server has been designated a proprietary server.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein processing the means for received summary data further comprises:

means for comparing a unique identifier and a timestamp for each document sent from the client with a unique identifier and timestamp for each document stored at the server; and

means for determining if said unique identifiers and said timestamps match wherein;

if said unique identifiers do not match, means for sending a status to the client indicating that the unique identifiers do not match; and

in response to the client processing the status and modifying its timestamp to a higher value to be included in a subsequent synchronization package, means for receiving the document associated with the unique identifier from the client during said subsequent synchronization.