Distributing and synchronizing objects
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for distributing and synchronizing objects. One or more embodiments of the invention provide for distributing copies of the objects locally. By copying objects (including the data and behavior for the object) into local address space, the object'"'"'s methods may be executed locally thereby avoiding excessive network traffic. The state of the various object copies across a network may not be synchronized due to local changes and modifications. To synchronize the objects, one or more embodiments of the invention provide for the use of a policy that specifies conditions as to when objects are synchronized. Embodiments of the invention provide flexibility in setting the policy to accommodate varying applications. For example, a policy may provide for synchronization that is based temporally (e.g., every 10 minutes or daily at 10:00 P.M.). Alternatively, a policy may provide for synchronization based on the type or number of messages transmitted. In one or more embodiments, a default policy may be utilized that provides for the synchronization of local objects whenever a client issues a request from the remote server. In such an embodiment, the remote server transmits any updated object information when it responds to the local object request. The updated object information may be utilized to synchronize the objects.
63 Citations
48 Claims
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1-28. -28. (canceled)
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29. A method for synchronizing distributed software objects comprising:
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copying a first object having data and behavior from a first computer across a network to a second computer, creating a second object having at least parts of said data and behavior, wherein said second object is capable of executing without having all parts of said data and behavior of said first object;
executing said second object on said second computer, wherein said executing comprises sending a plurality of messages between said first computer and said second computer, said plurality of messages comprising remote accessing by said second object of an uncopied part of said data and behavior of said first object;
synchronizing said first object and said second object between said first computer and said second computer wherein said synchronizing comprises transferring and merging differences between said first object and said second object. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A system comprising:
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a software object having data and behavior stored on a first computer;
a copy of said software object obtained on a second computer, wherein said copy has at least parts of said data and behavior, wherein said second object is capable of executing without having all parts of said data and behavior of said first object by remotely accessing an uncopied part of said data and behavior of said software object on said first computer; and
code configured to synchronize said software object and said copy of said software object, wherein said code is enabled to transfer and merge differences between said software object and said copy. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A computer program product comprising:
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a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to synchronize distributed software objects, said computer program product comprising computer readable code configured to;
cause an object and an object copy to exchange a plurality of messages comprising a remote access by said object copy of an uncopied portion of data and behavior of said object; and
cause a computer to synchronize said object and said object copy based on a policy, causing a transfer and merge of differences between said object and said object copy. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification