COEXISTENCE TOOLS FOR SYNCHRONIZING PROPERTIES BETWEEN ON-PREMISES CUSTOMER LOCATIONS AND REMOTE HOSTING SERVICES

• US 20090198835A1
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ward, Robert Charles, Madhusudanan, Vineeth, Sinha, Ananda, Meadows, Richard William, Peterson, Thane David, Ashby, Erik, Satagopan, Murli, Wu, Edward, Somasekaran, Anandhi
• Granted Patent: US 9,063,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Coexistence tools are described for synchronizing properties between on-premises customer locations and remote hosting services. These tools may provide methods that send the tools for installation onto on-premises infrastructure located at customer sites, execute the tools to manage the customer infrastructure remotely via a hosted service, and synchronize properties at the customer site with the hosted service. Other methods may include receiving the tools from the hosted service, communicating configuration parameters related to operating the tools, and executing the tools in response to the configuration parameters. The tools may also provide systems that include on-premises servers associated with the customer infrastructure, with the on-premises servers including on-premises coexistence components for maintaining the property at the customer site. These systems may also include administrative servers associated with the hosted service. The administrative servers may include hosted-side coexistence components for maintaining and synchronizing counterparts of the on-premises properties.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending coexistence tools to be installed onto on-premises infrastructure located within at least one customer site;

executing the coexistence tools to manage the on-premises customer infrastructure remotely via a hosted service; and

synchronizing at least one property located on the customer site using the coexistence tools.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending coexistence tools to be installed onto on-premises infrastructure located within at least a further customer site.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one identifier from the customer site, and wherein synchronizing least one property includes synchronizing the property based upon the identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a migration of at least the property from the customer site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing at least one property includes performing a total synchronization of the property between the hosted service and the on-premises infrastructure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing at least one property includes performing an incremental synchronization of the property between the hosted service and the on-premises infrastructure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing at least one property includes synchronizing at least one contact list, at least one directory structure, or at least one user list between the hosted service and the on-premises infrastructure.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a counterpart of at least the property on the hosted service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein creating a counterpart of at least the property includes creating a counterpart of a least one contact list maintained on-premises at the customer site, and wherein synchronizing at least one property includes synchronizing the contact list to create a least one global contact list unified across the customer site and the hosted service.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein creating a counterpart of at least the property includes creating a counterpart of at least one user list maintained on-premises at the customer site, and wherein synchronizing at least one property includes synchronizing the contact list to create at least one global user list unified across the customer site and the hosted service.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing at least one property includes synchronizing the property in response to a change that resulted from user action on the customer site.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing at least one property includes synchronizing the property in response to a change that resulted from user action at the hosted service.

13. A method comprising:

receiving coexistence tools from at least one remote hosted service;

communicating at least one configuration parameter to the remote hosted service, wherein the configuration parameter is related to operation of the coexistence tools;

executing the coexistence tools in accordance with the configuration parameter; and

synchronizing at least one property maintained on-premises at a customer site with the remote hosted service.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein communicating at least one configuration parameter includes communicating at least one identifier corresponding to the customer site, and wherein synchronizing at least one property includes referencing the identifier.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising compiling at least one global list of users, including a first plurality of users accessing the property on-premises at the customer site and at least a second plurality of users accessing at least one counterpart to the property that is maintained at the remote hosted service.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting at least a subset of the users, and activating the selected subset of users to access the remote hosted service.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising assigning at least one license to the selected subset of users, wherein the license allows the selected subset of users to access the remote hosted service.

18. A system comprising:

at least one on-premises server associated with infrastructure located at a customer site, the on-premises server including at least an on-premises coexistence component for maintaining at least one property at the customer site; and

at least one administrative server associated with a remote hosted service, the administrative server including at least a hosted-side coexistence component for maintaining at least one counterpart of the on-premises property, and for synchronizing the counterpart with the on-premises property.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the administrative server is for synchronizing with the on-premises server at least one change made to the counterpart of the property via the remote hosted service.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the on-premises server is for synchronizing with the administrative server at least one change made to the property at the customer site.