Synchronization for smart clients

• US 20060080363A1
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vadlamani, Viswanath, Elliott, Jon Milo, Silat, Mohammad Mushtaque
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A Smart Client solution for an enterprise application (e.g., a Customer Relationship Management system) includes a base application (e.g., Microsoft Outlook), and add-in software that interacts with the base application. The add-in software allows the base application to be used to access data and functions of the enterprise application. The add-in software includes an interface manager for accessing items (corresponding to data in the enterprise application) in a data store for the base application, a communications agent in communication (via web services) with the enterprise application, and a synchronization manager in communication with both the interface manager and the communications agent for synchronizing data between the data store for the base application and the enterprise application. In addition to synchronization, Smart Client data can also be converted to and from data for the base application.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing, comprising:

editing a first data item using a smart client, said smart client includes an e-mail messaging function, said first data item is associated with an application external to and remote from said smart client; and

using said smart client to synchronize said first data item with said application.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of using said smart client to synchronize said first data item comprises:

waking a synchronization process from a sleep mode;

determining whether remote communication is available;

synchronizing domain data with said application;

synchronizing account data with said application; and

synchronizing transactional data with said application.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein:

said step of determining whether remote communication is available includes determining whether said smart client is online.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein:

said step of determining whether remote communication is available includes determining whether web services are available to said smart client.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said synchronizing domain data comprises:

marking domain data files for synchronization;

retrieving data from said application for said domain data files marked for synchronization; and

overwriting said domain data files marked for synchronization with said retrieved data from said application.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein said synchronizing account data comprises:

retrieving first information from said application;

retrieving additional information from additional applications; and

overwriting at least a subset of said account data with said first information and said additional information.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein said synchronizing account data comprises:

providing a user with an opportunity to choose a set of accounts;

retrieving information from said application for said set of accounts;

overwriting account data with said information from said application for said set of accounts; and

removing folders for accounts not in said set of accounts.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of using said smart client to synchronize said first data item includes using web services external to said smart client in order to communicate with said application.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said smart client includes a base application and add-in software;

said base application includes said e-mail messaging function;

said step of using said smart client to synchronize said first data item is performed by said add-in software; and

said first data item is an object stored in a data store for said base application.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein:

said object stores its creation time and synchronization status.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating said first data item at said smart client, step of using said smart client to synchronize said first data item includes obtaining an identification for said first data item from said application and using said identification at said smart client to reference said first data item.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of using said smart client to synchronize said first data item comprises:

comparing a first time stamp for said first data item with a second time stamp for a corresponding data item at said application;

updating said corresponding data item based on said first data item if said first time stamp matches said second time stamp; and

rejecting updates to said second data item from said first data item if said first time stamp does not match said second time stamp.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using said smart client to synchronize additional data items with additional applications external to and remote from said smart client, said first data item and said additional data items pertain to a common account, said application includes a CRM system.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said smart client includes a messaging and scheduling base application;

said smart client includes add-in software that performs said step of using said smart client to synchronize said first data item; and

said application includes a CRM system.

15. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

creating a first data item locally;

assigning a local identification to said first data item;

storing said first data item in a local data store;

using said local identification to reference said first data item;

synchronizing said first data item to a remote entity;

receiving a first remote identification from said remote entity for said first data item;

adding said first remote identification to said first data item in said local data store; and

using said first remote identification to reference said first data item.

16. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a copy of a second data item from said remote entity, said copy of said second data item includes a second remote identification for said second data item;

updating said copy of said second data item locally; and

synchronizing said copy of said second data item with said remote entity using said second remote identification.

17. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein:

said steps of creating, assigning, storing, using said local identification, receiving, adding and using said first remote identification are performed by a smart client, said smart client includes a messaging and scheduling function; and

said remote entity is a CRM system.

18. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein:

said step of synchronizing includes using web services to communicate with said remote entity.

19. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 15, wherein:

said steps of creating, assigning, storing, using said local identification, receiving, adding and using said first remote identification are performed by a smart client;

said smart client includes a messaging and scheduling application;

said smart client includes add-in software to said messaging and scheduling application;

said step of synchronizing is performed by said add-in software; and

said first data item is an object stored in a data store for said messaging and scheduling application.

20. A method for synchronizing, comprising:

editing a first data item using a smart client, said smart client includes an e-mail messaging function, said first data item is associated with an application external to and remote from said smart client, said first data item includes an identification provided by said application and a first time stamp provided by said application, said editing does not change said first time stamp; and

synchronizing said first data item with a corresponding data item at said application using said identification provided by said application, said synchronizing includes;

comparing said first time stamp with a second time stamp for said corresponding data item,

updating said corresponding data item based on said first data item if said first time stamp matches said second time stamp, and

rejecting updates to said second data item from said first data item if said first time stamp does not match said second time stamp.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein:

updating said first data item based on said corresponding data item if said second time stamp is later in time than said first time stamp.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein:

moving said first data item to an error folder if said first time stamp does not match said second time stamp.

23. A method according to claim 20, wherein:

said synchronizing includes using web services external to said smart client in order to communicate with said application.

24. A method according to claim 20, wherein:

said smart client includes a base application and add-in software;

said base application includes said e-mail messaging function;

said synchronizing is performed by said add-in software; and

said first data item is an object stored in a data store for said base application.

25. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

synchronizing additional data items based on data from additional applications.

26. A method according to claim 20, wherein:

said smart client includes a messaging and scheduling system;

said smart client includes add-in software that performs synchronizing; and

said application includes a CRM system.

27. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

creating a first item for an application using a smart client external to said application;

creating a second item for said application using said smart client;

associating said first item with said second item;

storing said first item and said second item at said smart client;

commencing a synchronization process of said first item with said application prior to commencing synchronization of said second item with said application;

in response to said commencing synchronization of said first item and prior to actual synchronization of said first item, synchronizing said second item with said application;

receiving an identification of said second item from said application;

storing said identification of said second item with said first item in order to reference said second item from said first item; and

completing synchronization of said first item with said application using said identification of said second item.

28. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 27, wherein:

said application includes a CRM system;

said first item is an activity item; and

said second item is an opportunity item.

29. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 27, wherein:

said application includes a CRM system;

said first item is an activity item; and

said second item is a contact item.

30. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 29, wherein said method further comprises

using a temporary identification of said second item in order to reference said second item from said first item prior to said synchronizing said second item with said application.

31. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 29, wherein:

said smart client includes a messaging and scheduling system and add-in software;

said synchronizing is performed by said add-in software; and

said first data item is an object stored in a data store for said messaging and scheduling system.

32. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 31, wherein:

said application includes a CRM system.

33. An apparatus capable of synchronizing data, comprising:

a storage device;

a communication interface; and

one or more processors in communication with said storage device and said communication interface, said one or more processors implement a smart client that performs a method comprising accessing a plurality of data items in a smart client data store and synchronizing said data items with multiple applications external and remote from said smart client.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein:

one of said multiple applications includes a CRM system;

said smart client includes a messaging and scheduling system and add-in software; and

said synchronizing is performed using said add-in software communicating with said CRM system via said communication interface.