Method for synchronizing documents for disconnected operation

• US 20050210079A1
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lessler, Justin Thomas, Baratham, Sesha Sung Shan, Ruvolo, Joann, Edlund, Stefan Bengt
• Granted Patent: US 9,104,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems

Abstract

Described is a method for synchronizing a client with a server. A document score is calculated for each document in a server database. The document score indicates the importance of the respective document to the client. Documents are transferred from the server to the client if their document scores exceed a threshold value. The calculation of the document score can be determined from time the document was created, the number of times the document has been read, the time the document was last accessed, the author of the document and one or more terms in the document. Relationships between the document and other documents on the server database can also affect the document score.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing a client having a client database with a server having a server database, the method comprising:

calculating a document score for each of a plurality of documents in the server database, the document score designating an importance of the document to the client; and

transmitting one of the documents in the server database to the client based on a respective document score.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the one of the documents in the server database to the client if the respective document score exceeds a threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining the threshold value based on a data storage capacity of the client.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the calculating a document score for one of the documents is determined from at least one of a time of creation of the document, a number of times the document has been read, a time of last access of the document, an author of the document and a term in the document.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the calculating a document score is determined from a relationship between the document and another of the documents in the server database.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting one of the documents in the server database to the client based on the respective document score if the one of the documents is not stored in the client database.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if the client database includes a newly created document; and

transmitting the newly created document to the server.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising assigning a document score having a maximum value to the newly created document.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if the client database includes a modified document; and

transmitting the modified document to the server.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising assigning a document score having a maximum value to the modified document.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the client database includes a plurality of client documents, the method further comprising designating for deletion one of the client documents based on a document score of a complementary document in the server database.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the client database includes a plurality of client documents, the method further comprising removing one of the client documents from the client database based on a document score of a complementary document in the server database.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising resolving a conflict between the modified document in the client database and a modified document in the server database.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising removing the designation for deletion based on a document score of the complementary document in the server database.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising increasing a data storage capacity of the client by deleting the one of the client documents designated for deletion.

16. A computer program product for use with a computer system having a server with a server database, the server database storing a plurality of documents accessible to a client, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

program code for calculating a document score for each of the documents, the document score designating an importance of the document to a client; and

program code for transmitting one of the documents in the server database to the client based on a respective document score.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the program code embodied in the computer useable medium further comprises program code for determining a threshold value, the one of the documents in the server database being transmitted to the client if the respective document score exceeds the threshold value.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the determination of the threshold value is based on a data storage capacity of the client.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the calculating a document score for one of the documents is determined from at least one of a time of creation of the document, a number of times the document has been read, a time of last access of the document, an author of the document and a term in the document.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the calculating a document score is determined from a relationship between the document and another of the documents in the server database.

21. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for use with a computer system having a server with a server database, the server database storing a plurality of documents accessible to a client, the computer data signal comprising:

program code for calculating a document score for each of the documents, the document score designating an importance of the document to a client; and

program code for transmitting one of the documents in the server database to the client based on the document score.

22. The computer data signal of claim 21 further comprising program code for determining a threshold value, the one of the documents in the server database being transmitted to the client if the respective document score exceeds the threshold value.

23. The computer data signal of claim 21 wherein the determination of the threshold value is based on a data storage capacity of the client.

24. The computer data signal of claim 21 wherein the calculating a document score for one of the documents is determined from at least one of a time of creation of the document, a number of times the document has been read, a time of last access of the document, an author of the document and a term in the document.

25. The computer data signal of claim 21 wherein the calculating a document score is determined from a relationship between the document and another of the documents in the server database.

26. An apparatus for synchronizing a client having a client database with a server having a server database, the apparatus comprising:

means for calculating a document score for each of a plurality of documents in the server database, the document score designating an importance of the document to the client; and

means for transmitting one of the documents in the server database to the client based on a respective document score.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising means for determining a threshold value, the one of the documents in the server database being transmitted to the client if the respective document score exceeds the threshold value.