System and method for accessing different types of back end data stores

• US 20050228812A1
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Merk, Lothar, Hepper, Stefan, Stober, Thomas, Hansmann, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 7,404,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The present discloses a framework that allows a synchronization engine to synchronize data between a mobile device and Back End data stores independently from the architecture and data formats of that Back End data store. The framework introduces content adapters, which access synchronization data from backend data systems. These adapters convert the data into a Back End data store independent representation, which can be used by all applications or modules which need to access different back-ends in a generic manner. A generic synchronization engine for the purpose of conflict detection and resolution is one example for a module of this kind. Other applications that could use the content adapter are Notification Frameworks or Portals and all other applications aggregating data.

Claims

1. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. A system for exchange of data between a plurality of clients and at least one back end data store by using a central synchronization server having a connection to said, said clients generating data to be synchronized, said system comprising:

a sync engine for performing synchronization with said central synchronization server and connected to said central synchonization server;

a single back end neutral interface associated with and connected to said sync engine; and

a component assigned to each of said at least one back end data store, each of said components comprising a back end dependent part having an interface with said single back end neutral interface and an interface with said assigned back end data store.

2. A system according to claim 22, wherein each of said components further comprises an abstract Back End independent part, wherein said abstract Back End independent part provides common functionalities for use by all the Back End dependent parts.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein each of said at least one back end data store is assigned its own said component.

4. A system according to claim 22, wherein said exchange of data is synchronization of data.

5. A system according to claim 2, further comprising a cache for permanently buffering of updates of said at least one back end data store and said clients, and each said component comprises a caching mechanism for controlling and executing buffering updates into said cache and replicating buffered updates to said respective clients and said assigned back end data store.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said caching mechanism has a Back End Monitor.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein said caching mechanism includes a Cache Monitor.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein said caching mechanism further includes a Back End Manager.

9. A system according to claim 6, wherein said caching mechanism provides for each of said at least one back end data store its own Back End Monitor, Cache Monitor, and Back End Manager with its Back End dependent part and its abstract Back End independent part.

10. A system according to claim 5, wherein said caching mechanism further comprises a persistent store.

11. A system according to claim 7, wherein said Cache Monitor replicates updates from said cache to the associated one of said at least one back end data store in a batch or a continuous trickle mode.

12. A system according to claim 6, wherein said Back End Monitor replicates updates between said cache and the associated one of said at least one back end data store in a batch or a continuous trickle mode.

13. A system according to claim 5, wherein said cache and said at least one back end data store are databases.

14. A system according to claim 22, wherein said clients are mobile clients.

15. A system according to claim 4, wherein SyncML is employed as a synchronization protocol.

23. A method for synchronization of data, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a sync session request from a client;

authenticating said client against a sync server;

receiving an update from said client;

authenticating said client against a back end data store via a content adaptable framework interface using a back end monitor;

creating data objects and filling in the update received from said client by said sync server;

calling said content adaptable framework interface and forwarding said data objects;

selecting an appropriate back end specific part of a component assigned to said back end data store;

transforming a content adaptable framework of said data objects into a back end specific format; and

executing the update by calling the back end specific part and passing the data objects to the back end specific part.

17. A method according to claim 23, wherein the back end specific part is inherited from an abstract back end independent part assigned to said back end data store.

19. A method according to claim 23, wherein said data objects contain meta data.

20. A method according to claim 23, wherein a synchronization protocol used exclusively between said client and said synch server is SyncML and the update received by said synch server is presented as XML documents.