DATA SYNCHRONIZATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20070143358A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: INOUE, Masato, SASAKI, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,165,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

A method and system for synchronizing data between a network server and a mobile device is provided. In an embodiment, a plurality of object instances may be received from the network server, and at least one object instance may be selected. For each selected object instance, the plurality of object instances may be recursively searched to identify related object instances, the related object instances may be sorted, and the sorted object instances may be sent to the mobile device, followed by the selected object instance. In this manner, data synchronization between the network server and the mobile device may advantageously include only those object instances that are needed by the mobile device, thereby preventing redundant, or omitted, data transfers.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing data between a network server and a mobile device, comprising:

selecting an object instance from a plurality of object instances for transmission from the network server to the mobile device;

starting from the selected object instance as a current object instance, recursively searching for object instances related to the selected object instance, comprising;

(a) identifying data dependencies between the current object instance and other object instances among the plurality of object instances; and

(b) for each of the other object instances identified in (a), recursively repeating (a) using each identified object instance as the current object instance;

sending object instances identified by the recursive searching as being related to at least one selected object instance to the mobile device; and

sending the selected object instance to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein of the plurality of object instances, said sending object instances identified by the recursive searching includes only object instances identified by the recursive searching as being related to at least one selected object instance.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining which of the object instances identified by the recursive searching as being related to at least one selected object instance have been previously sent to the mobile device; and

extracting object instances determined to have been previously sent to the mobile device from results of the recursive searching, prior to sending the object instances identified by the recursive searching to the mobile device,

wherein said sending object instances identified by the recursive searching includes only those object instances not previously sent to the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sorting the object instances identified by the recursive searching prior to said sending object instances identified by the recursive searching, wherein those object instances that are sent to the mobile device are ordered in accordance with the sorting.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said sorting includes sorting object instances identified as being related to the selected object instance based on a hierarchical level of relationship to the selected object instance.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining which of the object instances identified by the recursive searching as being related to at least one selected object instance have been previously sent to the mobile device; and

extracting object instances determined to have been previously sent to the mobile device from results of the recursive searching, prior to sending the object instances identified by the recursive searching to the mobile device,

wherein said sending object instances identified by the recursive searching includes only those object instances not previously sent to the mobile device.

7. A computer-readable medium including instructions adapted to be executed by at least one processor to implement a method for synchronizing data between a network server and a mobile device, the method comprising:

selecting an object instance from a plurality of object instances for transmission from the network server to the mobile device;

starting from the selected object instance as a current object instance, recursively searching for object instances related to the selected object instance, comprising;

(a) identifying data dependencies between the current object instance and other object instances among the plurality of object instances; and

(b) for each of the other object instances identified in (a), recursively repeating (a) using each identified object instance as the current object instance;

sending object instances identified by the recursive searching as being related to at least one selected object instance to the mobile device; and

sending the selected object instance to the mobile device.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein of the plurality of object instances, said sending object instances identified by the recursive searching includes only object instances identified by the recursive searching as being related to at least one selected object instance.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

determining which of the object instances identified by the recursive searching as being related to at least one selected object instance have been previously sent to the mobile device; and

extracting object instances determined to have been previously sent to the mobile device from results of the recursive searching, prior to sending the object instances identified by the recursive searching to the mobile device,

wherein said sending object instances identified by the recursive searching includes only those object instances not previously sent to the mobile device.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, the method further comprising sorting the object instances identified by the recursive searching prior to said sending object instances identified by the recursive searching, wherein those object instances that are sent to the mobile device are ordered in accordance with the sorting.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said sorting includes sorting object instances identified as being related to the selected object instance based on a hierarchical level of relationship to the selected object instance.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, the method further comprising:

determining which of the object instances identified by the recursive searching as being related to at least one selected object instance have been previously sent to the mobile device; and

extracting object instances determined to have been previously sent to the mobile device from results of the recursive searching, prior to sending the object instances identified by the recursive searching to the mobile device,

wherein said sending object instances identified by the recursive searching includes only those object instances not previously sent to the mobile device.

13. A system for synchronizing data between a network server and a mobile device, comprising:

a processor coupled to a network; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, storing data and instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to;

select an object instance from a plurality of object instances for transmission from the network server to the mobile device;

starting from the selected object instance as a current object instance, recursively search for object instances related to the selected object instance, comprising;

(a) identify data dependencies between the current object instance and other object instances among the plurality of object instances; and

(b) for each of the other object instances identified in (a), recursively repeat (a) using each identified object instance as the current object instance;

send object instances identified by the recursive search as being related to at least one selected object instance to the mobile device; and

send the selected object instance to the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein of the plurality of object instances, the object instances identified by the recursive search to be sent by the processor include only object instances identified by the recursive search as being related to at least one selected object instance.

15. The system of claim 14, the data and instructions further adapted to be executed by the processor to:

determine which of the object instances identified by the recursive search as being related to at least one selected object instance have been previously sent to the mobile device; and

extract object instances determined to have been previously sent to the mobile device from results of the recursive search, prior to sending the object instances identified by the recursive search to the mobile device,

wherein the object instances identified by the recursive search to be sent by the processor include only those object instances not previously sent to the mobile device.

16. The system of claim 13, the data and instructions further adapted to be executed by the processor to sort the object instances identified by the recursive search prior to the processor sending object instances identified by the recursive search to the mobile device, wherein those object instances that are sent to the mobile device are ordered in accordance with the sort.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the sort includes sorting object instances identified as being related to the selected object instance based on a hierarchical level of relationship to the selected object instance.

18. The system of claim 16, the data and instructions further adapted to be executed by the processor to:

determine which of the object instances identified by the recursive search as being related to at least one selected object instance have been previously sent to the mobile device; and

extract object instances determined to have been previously sent to the mobile device from results of the recursive search, prior to sending the object instances identified by the recursive search to the mobile device,

wherein the object instances identified by the recursive search to be sent by the processor include only those object instances not previously sent to the mobile device.