CLIENT SIDE BASED DATA SYNCHRONIZATION AND STORAGE

• US 20090006529A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shukla, Jagdeesh, Singh, Harsh Vardhan, Chittamuru, Satish K., Sivadas, Anup
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Client side based data synchronization and storage is accomplished through a smart way of data off-lining coupled with a synchronization technique implemented on the client side that does not require any modifications to the server side. The customized client utilizes the server as a temporary placeholder for document synchronization. Attached documents to an item will be off-loaded from the client based on a predetermined policy. The clients make off-line copies of the items and documents. The server will maintain only the document store skeleton or metadata for such processed items. Any client which has not made an off-line copy of an item will pass a synchronization request via the server to the other clients so that at least one of its peers may upload the document onto the server. The requesting client can then retrieve the item from the server and synchronize/off-line that item on its local store.

Claims

1. A method for operation of a client computing device running client software for performing client side based data synchronization and storage, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving in a first client computing device, running a client software, an item from a server managing an account accessible by said first client computing device, said item having at least one attachment;

(b) off-lining a copy of said at least one attachment onto a client store of said first client computing device;

(c) storing said item with said at least one attachment in a folder in said first client computing device;

(d) sending an instruction by said first client computing device to said server to delete said at least one attachment from said item stored on a server store of said server, forming an off-loaded version of said item; and

(e) off-loading said attachment from said item in said folder of said first client computing device based on a predetermined policy.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined policy is based on one or more of:

a size of said at least one attachment;

a predetermined amount of time;

or

an item property of any type.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving from said account said off-loaded version of said item in a second client computing device, running said client software, wherein said account is accessible by said second client computing device;

creating a request message by said second client computing device requesting said at least one attachment; and

posting said request message in a sync post folder of said second client computing device.

4. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

synchronizing said sync post folder of said second client computing device having said request message with a sync post server folder of said server; and

synchronizing said sync post server folder having said request message with a sync post folder of said first client computing device.

5. The method according to claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

preparing a response message by said first client computing device, wherein said response message contains said at least one attachment; and

posting said response message to said sync post folder of said first client computing device.

6. The method according to claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

synchronizing said sync post folder of said first client computing device having said response message with said sync post server folder of said server; and

synchronizing said sync post server folder having said response message with said sync post folder of said second client computing device.

7. The method according to claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

processing said response message by said second computing device, wherein said at least one attachment is stored in said client store of said second computing device; and

deleting said request message from said sync post folder of said second client computing device.

8. The method according to claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

synchronizing said sync post folder of said second client computing device with said sync post server folder of said server; and

deleting said request message from said sync post server folder of said server.

9. The method according to claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

synchronizing said sync post server folder of said server with said sync post folder of said first client computing device;

deleting said request message from said sync post folder of said first client computing device; and

deleting said response message from said sync post folder of said first client computing device.

10. The method according to claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

synchronizing said sync post folder of said first client computing device with said sync post server folder of said server; and

deleting said response message from said sync post server folder of said server.

11. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

synchronizing said sync post server folder of said server with said sync post folder of said second client computing device; and

deleting said response message from said sync post folder of said first client computing device.

12. A computer system for performing client side based data synchronization and storage, the system comprising:

a server;

an account managed by said server;

a first client computing device in communication with said server for accessing said account;

a client software running on said first client computing device, wherein said first client computing device receives an item from said account on said server, said item having at least one attachment;

a client store in said first computing device for off-lining a copy of said at least one attachment of said item;

a folder in said first computing device, wherein said item with said at least one attachment is stored;

a server store in said server, wherein said server receives an instruction from said first computing device to delete said at least one attachment from said item stored on said server store, forming an off-loaded version of said item; and

a predetermined policy of said first computing device for off-loading said attachment from said item in said folder according to said predetermined policy.

13. The system according to claim 12 further comprising:

a second client computing device in communication with said server for accessing said account; and

a sync post folder of said second client computing device for posting a request message when said second client computing device receives said off-loaded version of said item.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein said a first client computing device and said second client computing device are at least a one of:

a desktop computer;

a laptop computer;

a personal digital assistant; and

any other portable computing device.

15. The system according to claim 13 further comprising:

a sync post server folder of said server for synchronizing said request message from said sync post folder of said second client computing device.

16. The system according to claim 15 further comprising:

a sync post folder of said first client computing device for synchronizing said request message from said sync post server folder.

17. The system according to claim 16 further comprising:

a response message containing said at least one attachment created by said first client computing device for posting to said sync post folder of said first client computing device, wherein said response message is synchronized with said sync post server folder of said server and synchronized with said sync post folder of said second client computing device.

18. The system according to claim 12 wherein said predetermined policy for off-loading said attachment from said item is based on one or more of:

a size of said at least one attachment;

a predetermined amount of time;

or

an item property of any type.

19. A tangible computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for performing client side based data synchronization and storage, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an item from a server managing an account accessible by the processor, said item having at least one attachment;

(b) off-lining a copy of said at least one attachment onto a client store of the processor;

(c) storing said item with said at least one attachment in a folder in a storage device in communication with the processor;

(d) sending an instruction by the processor to said server to delete said at least one attachment from said item stored on a server store of said server, forming an off-loaded version of said item; and

(e) off-loading said attachment from said item in said folder in said storage device based on a predetermined policy.

20. The tangible computer readable storage medium according to claim 19 wherein said predetermined policy is based on one or more of:

a size of said at least one attachment;

a predetermined amount of time;

or

an item property of any type.