Method And System For Server Synchronization With A Computing Device

• US 20070226272A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aaron Hansen, Brian Scott, David George, David Rabbers, Magnus Vejlstrup, Martin Susser, Pi-Yu Chung, Xiao Huang
• Original Assignee: Aaron Hansen, Brian Scott, David George, David Rabbers, Magnus Vejlstrup, Martin Susser, Pi-Yu Chung, Xiao Huang
• Inventors: Scott, Brian, George, David, Susser, Martin, Chung, Pi-Yu, Vejlstrup, Magnus, Hansen, Aaron, Rabbers, David, Huang, Xiao
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method and system for synchronizing a main database of a server and a local database of a handheld device. A user can use an application residing in the handheld device to make transactions in the local database. During a synchronization operation, the handheld device and server are coupled. The system then determines whether the application should be updated and, if so, causes the server to provide an update. The system also causes the handheld device to provide to the server information related to the transactions made by the user to the local database. The system causes the server to perform transactions on the main database based on the transaction information. The system also causes the server to extract data from the main database. The server can then provide at least some of the extracted data to the handheld device to update the local database.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a connection between a server and a synchronization client associated with a handheld device, the server having a first database and the handheld device having a second database, the handheld device having an application to allow a user to access the second database, wherein the server uses the connection in a synchronization operation of the second database and the first database;

providing to the synchronization client first information indicative of a structure of the first database;

receiving, from the synchronization client, filter information identifying content that is not desired by the user of the synchronization client;

filtering data based on the filter information; and

providing only a subset of the filtered data that has changed since the previous synchronization operation to the synchronization client to update the second database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to the synchronization client first information indicative of a structure of the first database;

providing to the synchronization client second information indicative of a version of the application;

receiving, from the synchronization client, information of transactions performed on the second database by a user via the handheld device; and

providing metadata to the synchronization client to update the application on the handheld device when the application has not been updated since a previous synchronization operation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining whether the structure of the first database has been updated since the previous synchronization operation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the structure of the first database has been updated since the previous synchronization operation, comprises:

receiving, from the synchronization client, third information stored on the handheld device that is indicative of the structure of the first database when the previous synchronization operation was performed; and

comparing the first information with the third information.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein providing a subset of the filtered data that has changed since the previous synchronization operation to the synchronization client to update the second database, comprises:

providing to the synchronization client a second set of filtered data from the first database when the structure of the first database has not been updated since the previous synchronization operation, the second set of data not including data that has not changed in the second database since the previous synchronization operation was performed.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining whether the application has been updated since the previous synchronization operation.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving information of transactions performed on the second database, comprises:

providing an identifier of a last received transaction to the synchronization client; and

receiving, from the synchronization client, transaction information that includes an identifier for each transaction made after the last received transaction.

8. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

establishing a connection between a computer and a synchronization client associated with a handheld device, the computer having a first database and the handheld device having a second database, the handheld device having an application to allow a user to access the second database, wherein the computer uses the connection in a synchronization operation of the second database and the first database;

receiving, from the synchronization client, user-specific filter information identifying content that is not desired by the user of the synchronization client;

identifying, in the first database, data visible to the user of the synchronization client;

filtering the identified data based on the user-specific filter information; and

;

providing a subset of the filtered data that has changed since the previous synchronization operation to the synchronization client to update the second database.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing to the synchronization client first information indicative of a structure of the first database;

providing to the synchronization client second information indicative of a version of the application;

receiving, from the synchronization client, information of transactions performed on the second database by a user via the handheld device; and

providing metadata to the synchronization client to update the application on the handheld device when the application has not been updated since a previous synchronization operation.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise instructions that when executed by the computer cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the structure of the first database has been updated since the previous synchronization operation.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for performing the operation of determining whether the structure of the first database has been updated since the previous synchronization operation, include instructions that when executed by the computer cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from the synchronization client, third information stored on the handheld device that is indicative of the structure of the first database when the previous synchronization operation was performed; and

comparing the first information with the third information.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for performing the operation of providing the filtered data to the synchronization client to update the second database, include instructions that when executed by the computer cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

providing to the synchronization client a first set of filtered data from the first database when the structure of the first database has been updated since the previous synchronization operation, the first set of data including data that has not changed in the second database since the previous synchronization operation was performed.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for performing the operation of providing the filtered data to the synchronization client to update the second database, include instructions that when executed by the computer cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

providing to the synchronization client a second set of filtered data from the first database when the structure of the first database has not been updated since the previous synchronization operation, the second set of data not including data from the second database that has remained unchanged since the previous synchronization operation was performed.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprises instructions that when executed by the computer cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the application has been updated since the previous synchronization operation.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for performing the operation of sending, to the server, information of transactions performed on the second database, include instructions that when executed by the computer cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

providing an identifier of a last received transaction to the synchronization client; and

receiving, from the synchronization client, transaction information that includes an identifier for each transaction made after the last received transaction.

16. A sync engine for use in synchronizing a synchronization client, the sync engine comprising:

a main database;

a transaction processor coupled to the main database and couplable to the synchronization client, wherein the transaction processor is to receive information during a synchronization operation from the synchronization client, the information related to a transaction made with a local database by a user of a handheld device, wherein the transaction processor further to perform the transaction to the main database using the received information; and

a data extractor coupled to the main database, wherein the data extractor is to receive, from the synchronization client, user-specific filter information identifying content that is not desired by the user of the synchronization client, and to provide data during the synchronization operation to the synchronization client, the data being extracted from the main database based on visibility rules and a subset of the extracted data representing a part of the extracted data that has changed since a previous synchronization operation, wherein extracted data that has not changed since the previous synchronization operation is not provided to the data extractor.

17. The sync engine of claim 16, wherein the data extractor further to determine whether a structure of the main database has been changed since a previous synchronization operation.

18. The sync engine of claim 16, wherein the data extractor to store the extracted data provided to the synchronization client.

19. The sync engine of claim 16, wherein the data extractor to provide a first set of data extracted from the main database when the structure of the main database has changed since the previous synchronization operation, the first set of data including data that has not changed in the main database since the previous synchronization operation was performed.