Synchronization operations involving entity identifiers

• US 20080028000A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Novik, Lev, Shah, Ashish B., Padgett, Neil Leonard, Shah, Darshatkumar A., Sartor, Jeremie Emilio Marcel Marie, Makismenka, Andrei
• Granted Patent: US 7,523,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided for identity mapping in synchronization systems. For example, entities can be mapped across various entity stores, such that an entity in one store can be identified with an entity in another store even if such entities are of different types. When entities are being synchronized across various entity stores, new or updated entity identities (and associated metadata) can be supplied to these stores as part of the same operation as that used for supplying changes during synchronization: entities can be merged and associated identity information and metadata can be changed accordingly; entities can be resurrected and new identity information can be created; metadata can be utilized even though entities are deleted, and so on.

Claims

1. A system for identity mapping associated with synchronization of entity stores, comprising:

a local entity store configured to maintain at least one local entity of a first type;

a remote entity store configured to maintain at least one remote entity of a second type; and

a module for synchronizing entities, wherein said module synchronizes one of (a) said at least one local entity with said at least one remote entity and (b) said at least one remote entity with said at least one local entity, by performing in the same transaction a synchronization operation, an entity identity operation, and a metadata operation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said module persists in a programming platform and is accessible via a synchronization application programming interface, wherein.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said synchronization operation merges one of said at least one local entity and at least one remote entity with another entity, in response said entity identity operation assigns a primary identity to a subsuming entity of said merge.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said synchronization operation resurrects a previously deleted entity in one of said local entity store and remote entity store and wherein said identity operation one of (a) assigns a new identity to said previously deleted entity and (b) maintains an original identity for said previously deleted entity.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said synchronization operation deletes one of said at least one local entity and at least one remote entity, in response said metadata operation maintains metadata associated with said one of said at least one local entity and at least one remote entity, respectively.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an application programming interface that is configured for synchronization using said module, wherein said interface provides for selecting said synchronization operation, wherein maintenance of identity mapping of entities in said local entity store and said remote entity store is performed automatically pursuant to said selection of said synchronization operation.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an additional entity store, wherein one of said local entity store and said remote entity store is synchronized with said additional entity store.

8. A method for identity mapping associated with synchronization of entity stores, comprising:

accessing a local entity store configured to maintain at least one local entity of a first type;

accessing a remote entity store configured to maintain at least one remote entity of a second type; and

synchronizing one of (a) said at least one local entity with said at least one remote entity and (b) said at least one remote entity with said at least one local entity by performing in the same transaction a synchronization operation, an entity identity operation, and a metadata operation.

9. The method according to claim 8, providing access to configure said synchronizing via a synchronization application programming interface associated with a programming platform.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising synchronizing by merging one of said at least one local entity and at least one remote entity with another entity, in response said entity identity operation assigns a primary identity to a subsuming entity of said merge.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising performing said synchronization operation that resurrects a previously deleted entity in one of said local entity store and remote entity store and performing said identity operation that one of (a) assigns a new identity to said previously deleted entity and (b) maintains an original identity for said previously deleted entity.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising synchronizing by deleting one of said at least one local entity and at least one remote entity, in response said metadata operation maintains metadata associated with said one of said at least one local entity and at least one remote entity, respectively.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising providing an application programming interface that is configured for synchronization using a synchronization module, wherein said interface provides for selecting said synchronization operation, wherein maintenance of identity mapping of entities in said local entity store and said remote entity store is performed automatically pursuant to said selection of said synchronization operation.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising synchronizing an additional store with at least one of said local entity store and said remote store.

15. A computer readable medium bearing tangible computer executable instructions for identity mapping associated with synchronization of entity stores, comprising:

accessing a local entity store configured to maintain at least one local entity of a first type;

accessing a remote entity store configured to maintain at least one remote entity of a second type; and

synchronizing one of (a) said at least one local entity with said at least one remote entity and (b) said at least one remote entity with said at least one local entity by performing in the same transaction a synchronization operation, an entity identity operation, and a metadata operation.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, providing access to configure said synchronizing via a synchronization application programming interface associated with a programming platform.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising synchronizing by merging one of said at least one local entity and at least one remote entity with another entity, in response said entity identity operation assigns a primary identity to a subsuming entity of said merge.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising performing said synchronization operation that resurrects a previously deleted entity in one of said local entity store and remote entity store and performing said identity operation that one of (a) assigns a new identity to said previously deleted entity and (b) maintains an original identity for said previously deleted entity.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising synchronizing by deleting one of said at least one local entity and at least one remote entity, in response said metadata operation maintains metadata associated with said one of said at least one local entity and at least one remote entity, respectively.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising providing an application programming interface that is configured for synchronization using a synchronization module, wherein said interface provides for selecting said synchronization operation, wherein maintenance of identity mapping of entities in said local entity store and said remote entity store is performed automatically pursuant to said selection of said synchronization operation.