OCCASIONALLY CONNECTED EDGE APPLICATION ARCHITECTURE

• US 20080215664A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schon, Bjarne, Dibbern, Erik Roser, Lopez, Laurent, Rasmussen, Ricky Kaare
• Application Number:
  US11/680,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215664A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

User devices may have connectivity with a backend server only occasionally. Provided is a communication means for such user devices to operate offline, when connectivity is unavailable, and to seamlessly transition to online connectivity when it is available. At least a subset of information from the backend server is communicated to the user device to enable the user to perform functions with the device regardless if the device is online or offline. The information from the user device can be communicated to the backend server when connectivity is established and/or can be communicated based on a cost verses value analysis.

Claims

1. A system for transitioning between offline and online communication in a seamless and transparent manner, comprising:

a replication component that stores a subset of business data;

a modification module maintains data changes to the subset of business data;

a creation component that generates at least one request document that includes the maintained data changes; and

a connectivity component that selectively communicates the at least one request document to a backend server.

2. The system of claim 1, the modification module does not change the subset of business data.

3. The system of claim 1, the at least one request document is placed in a queue until communicated to the backend server.

4. The system of claim 1, the at least one request document is communicated to the backend server or in conjunction with at least a second request document.

5. The system of claim 1, the connectivity component communicates the at least one request document to the backend server when a value of the data outweighs a cost of sending the at least one request document.

6. The system of claim 1, the connectivity component does not communicate the at least one request document to the backend server when a cost of sending that at least one request document outweighs a value of the data contained in the request document.

7. The system of claim 1, the data changes maintained by the modification components include a data input or a transaction.

8. The system of claim 1, the creation component generates the at least one request document though utilization of at least one orchestrations and at least one tasklet.

9. The system of claim 1, the request document is an XML document, a plain text file, a database, or a binary file or combinations thereof.

10. A method for communicating data from a device to a backend server, comprising:

receiving a data change notification to a subset of business information;

creating a request document that includes the data change notification;

storing the request document if a device is offline; and

selectively sending the request document to a backend server when the device is online.

11. The method of claim 10, receiving a data change notification is performed each time there is a data change.

12. The method of claim 10, receiving a data change notification is performed when an event occurs.

13. The method of claim 10, selectively sending the request document comprises determining when it is cost-effective to send the request document.

14. The method of claim 10, creating the request document comprises including at least one orchestrations and at least one tasklet.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving from the backend server a replication of the at least a subset of business information.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

assigning an estimated value to the request document;

determining a cost of connectivity;

comparing the estimated value to the cost of connectivity; and

selectively communicating the request document to the back end server based on the comparison.

17. The method of claim 16, the request document is communicated to the back end server is the estimated value is greater than or equal to the cost of connectivity.

18. The method of claim 16, the request document is not communicated to the backend server if the estimated value is less than the cost of connectivity.

19. A computer executable system that provides an occasionally connected edge application architecture, comprising:

means for providing at least a subset of business information to a device;

means for selectively receiving a notification of a change intended for the subset of business information from the device.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for updating the business information based in part on the received notification.