OFFLINE WEB SERVICES API TO MIRROR ONLINE WEB SERVICES API

• US 20070078950A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Hopkins, Chris, Jasik, Benji
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2372 Updates performed during offline database operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

Methods and systems for simulating an online session between the client and a remote server when the client is offline including simulating a web services API to access information when the client is offline. The client includes a local interface that can communicate with the remote server. During an online session, the data and the functional logic that is invoked to manipulate the data reside on the remote server. As such, the user transmits instructions to view, create, update, delete, or otherwise modify portions of data through the local interface and subsequently through the underlying network. These instructions are ultimately received at the remote server, which then invokes the proper functional logic to perform the instructions in order to manipulate the data. An API is provided that is substantially identical to the web services API that is typically accessed over the internet, but which simulates online functionality when offline. The client program talks to a single API, and in certain aspects that API determines whether to direct requests to a local database (which can later be synchronized with the online system) if the client is offline, or directly against the online system (e.g., if the client is connected via the Internet).

Claims

1. A method of simulating, at a client device, an API for an online session between a remote server and the client when the client is offline, wherein the remote server includes data and functional logic that manipulates the data in response to API calls received from the client device, the method comprising:

downloading at least a portion of the data to a local database, and at least a subset of the functional logic, including one or more APIs, when an active network connection between the client device and the remote server is established (online session);

executing at the client, a portion of the downloaded functional logic to generate a message including an API call to access or manipulate data at the remote server; and

if the client is actively connected with the remote server over the network, sending the message to the remote server; and

if not, processing the message locally by accessing the data identified by the API call in the local database and responding to the API call by the listener module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the API call includes a request selected from the group consisting of a login request, a create record request, an update record request, a query request, a delete request, and a retrieve metadata request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the listener module includes a parser module, and wherein receiving the API call at the listener module includes parsing the message to determine a request in the API call.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the API call includes one of a query request or a querymore request and wherein the listener module includes a translation module configured to translate the request in the API call to a query compatible with the local database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the request in the API call includes a SOQL query, and wherein the translation module translates the request to a SQL92 query.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an XML SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more APIs include web services APIs.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the web services APIs include XML APIs, and SOAP APIs.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing with the remote server when an online connection is established between the remote server and the client device after a message is processed locally at the client device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the listener module includes a COM (Component Object Model) object that wraps the API call.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the listener responds to the API call with a message that the API call has been processed successfully or unsuccessfully, such that the executed functional logic that generated the API call registers that the remote server has processed the API call.

12. A computer readable medium, containing code executable by a processor in a client device to simulate an API for an online session between a remote server and the client when the client is offline, wherein the remote server includes data and functional logic that manipulates the data in response to API calls received from the client device, the code including instructions to:

download at least a portion of the data from the remote server to a local database, and at least a subset of the functional logic, including one or more APIs, when an active network connection between the client device and the remote server is established (online session);

execute at the client, a portion of the downloaded functional logic to generate a message including an API call to access or manipulate data at the remote server;

if the client is actively connected with the remote server over the network, send the message to the remote server; and

if not, process the message locally by accessing the data identified by the API call in the local database and responding to the API call.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the API call includes a request selected from the group consisting of a login request, a create record request, an update record request, a query request, a delete request, and a retrieve metadata request.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the code further includes instructions to parse the message to determine a request in the API call.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the API call includes one of a query request or a querymore request and wherein the code further includes instructions to translate the request in the API call to a query compatible with the local database.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the request in the API call includes a SOQL query, and wherein the request is translated to a SQL92 query.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the message is an XML SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) message.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more APIs include web services APIs.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the web services APIs include XML APIs, and SOAP APIs.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the code further includes instructions to synchronize with the remote server when an online connection is established between the remote server and the client device after a message is processed locally at the client device.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the listener module is a COM (Component Object Model) object that wraps the API call.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the code further includes instructions to respond to the API call with a message that the API call has been processed successfully or unsuccessfully, such that the executed functional logic that generated the API call registers that the remote server has processed the API call.

23. A computer system, comprising:

a remote server storing data and functional logic that manipulates the data in response to API calls received from one or more client devices;

a network interconnect; and

a client device, having a processor and a local database, wherein the processor executes logic that is operable to;

download at least a portion of the data from the remote server to a local database, and at least a subset of the functional logic, including one or more APIs, when an active network connection between the client device and the remote server is established (online session) over the network interconnect;

execute a portion of the downloaded functional logic to generate a message including an API call to access or manipulate data at the remote server; and

if the client is actively connected with the remote server over the network, send the message to the remote server; and

if not, process the message locally by accessing the data identified by the API call in the local database and responding to the API call.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the network interconnect includes the Internet.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the API call includes a request selected from the group consisting of a login request, a create record request, an update record request, a query request, a delete request, and a retrieve metadata request.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the logic executed by the processor is further operable to parse the message to determine a request in the API call.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the API call includes one of a query request or a querymore request and wherein the code further includes instructions to translate the request in the API call to a query compatible with the local database.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the request in the API call includes a SOQL query, and wherein the request is translated to a SQL92 query.

29. The system of claim 23,wherein the message is an XML SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) message.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more APIs include web services APIs.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the web services APIs include XML APIs, and SOAP APIs.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the logic executed by the processor is further operable to synchronize with the remote server when an online connection is established between the remote server and the client device after a message is processed locally at the client device.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the listener module includes a COM (Component Object Model) object that wraps the API call.

34. The system of claim 23, wherein the logic executed by the processor is further operable to respond to the API call with a message that the API call has been processed successfully or unsuccessfully, such that the executed functional logic that generated the API call registers that the remote server has processed the API call.

35. A method for simulating an online session with a server at an off line client, comprising:

downloading at least a portion of data stored at the server and at least a subset of functional logic of the server, including at least one API, to a database local to the client when an active network connection exists between the client and the server;

receiving a request to access data at the server using an API invocation; and

sending a message to the server to access data responsive to the request when the client is actively connected with the remote server and processing the message locally at the client by accessing data identified by the API invocation in the local database when the client is not actively connected with the server.

36. A computer readable medium, containing code executable by a processor in a client device to simulate an online session with a server at an off line client, the code including instructions to:

download at least a portion of data stored at the server and at least a subset of functional logic of the server, including at least one API, to a database local to the client when an active network connection exists between the client and the server;

receive a request to access data at the server using an API invocation; and

send a message to the server to access data responsive to the request when the client is actively connected with the remote server and processing the message locally at the client by accessing data identified by the API invocation in the local database when the client is not actively connected with the server.