Data Synchronization Protocol

• US 20090228606A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McCarthy, Brendan A., Guenther, Carsten
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,784 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: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Among other things, techniques and systems are disclosed for syncing data between a client device and a server. Synchronizing data includes initiating a sync session by negotiating a sync mode between a client device and a server for each of one or more dataclasses. A status code is generated based on a result of the negotiating. Based on the generated status code, the client device and the server exchanges one or more data items to be updated for the one or more dataclasses using the negotiated sync mode for each dataclass. The exchanged one or more data items are updated at the client device or the server The updated one or more data items are committed at the client or the server.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing data, the method comprising:

receiving a request to initiate a sync session, wherein the request includes

a proposed sync mode for each of one or more dataclasses, and

one or more changes to the one or more dataclasses;

generating one or more status codes to indicate whether the proposed sync mode for each dataclass is accepted;

based on the generated status code, using the accepted sync mode for each dataclass to selectively update one or more data items associated with the one or more changes to the one or more dataclasses; and

selectively committing the updated one or more data items at the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the one or more status codes comprises accessing information saved from a previous sync session to determine whether to use the proposed sync mode to synchronize the one or more data items.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the proposed sync mode for two or more dataclasses in parallel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the proposed sync mode that includes a fast sync mode, a slow sync mode or a reset sync mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the request comprises receiving the proposed sync mode that includes a fast sync mode that enables exchange of data items to be updated only.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising reaccepting the fast sync mode after the sync session is interrupted.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising completing the sync session in one round trip that includes two messages.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises:

receiving the proposed sync mode and the one or more changes to the one or more dataclasses in a single message from a client device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively committing comprises:

selectively committing the updated one or more data items at the server when a client device sends a command to commit the updated one or more data items.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rejecting the proposed sync mode; and

responding to the request with a different sync mode.

11. A computer program product, embodied on a computer readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to initiate a sync session, wherein the request includes

a proposed sync mode for each of one or more dataclasses, and

one or more changes to the one or more dataclasses;

generating a status code to indicate whether the proposed sync mode for each dataclass is accepted;

based on the generated status code, using the accepted sync mode for each dataclass to selectively update one or more data items associated with the one or more changes to the one or more dataclasses; and

selectively committing the updated one or more data items at a data repository.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to access information saved from a previous sync session to generate the one or more status codes.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to receive the proposed sync mode for two or more dataclasses in parallel.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to receive the proposed sync mode that includes a fast sync mode, a slow sync mode or a reset sync mode.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to receive the proposed sync mode that includes a fast sync mode that enables exchange of data items to be updated only.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising reinitiating a fast sync mode when the sync session is interrupted.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to complete the sync session in one round trip that includes two messages.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to

receive the proposed sync mode and the one or more changes to the one or more databases in a single message from a client device.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to

selectively commit the updated one or more data items at the server when a client device sends a command to commit the updated one or more data items.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

reject the proposed sync mode; and

respond to the request with a different sync mode.

21. A synchronization server comprising:

a processor configured to operate

a transport protocol that enables opening of one or more connections to one or more client devices; and

a sync protocol that enables data synchronization between the server and the one or more client devices over the opened one or more connections, wherein the sync protocol enables the server to

receive a request to initiate a sync session, wherein the request includes

a proposed sync mode for each of one or more dataclasses, and

one or more changes to the one or more dataclasses,

generate one or more status codes to indicate whether the proposed sync mode for each dataclass is accepted,

based on the generated status code, using the accepted sync mode for each dataclass to selectively update one or more data items associated with the one or more changes to the one or more data classes, and

selectively commit the updated one or more data items.

22. The server of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to access a data repository to update one or more data items based on the received one or more changes.

23. The server of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to accept or reject the proposed sync mode for each dataclass based on information saved from a previous sync session.

24. The server of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to received the proposed sync mode for two or more dataclasses in parallel.

25. The server of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to receive the proposed sync mode that includes a fast sync mode, a slow sync mode or a reset sync mode.

26. The server of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to receive the proposed sync mode that includes a fast sync mode that enables the one or more client devices to send data items to be updated only.

27. The server of claim 26, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to receive request to reinitiate a fast sync when the sync session is interrupted.

28. The server of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to complete the sync session in one round trip that includes two messages.

29. The server of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to receive the proposed sync mode and the one or more changes to the one or more dataclasses in a single message from at least one of the one or more client devices.

30. The server of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to selectively commit the updated one or more data items at the server when one of the one or more client devices sends a command to commit the updated one or more data items.

31. The server of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to

rejecting the proposed sync mode;

and

responding to the request with a different sync mode.

32. A method of synchronizing data, the method comprising:

sending a request to a server to initiate a sync session, wherein the request includes

a proposed sync mode for each of one or more dataclasses, and

one or more changes to the one or more dataclasses;

receiving one or more status codes indicative of whether the proposed sync mode for each dataclass has been accepted by the server;

based on the received status code, using the accepted sync mode to receive from the server additional changes to the one or more dataclasses; and

committing at a client device the additional changes received from the server.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving the one or more status codes that indicate that the proposed sync mode for at least one of the one or more data classes has been rejected by the server; and

sending another request that includes a different sync mode than the rejected sync mode.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

sending the proposed sync mode and the one or more changes in a single message to the server.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

sending the proposed sync mode for two or more dataclasses in parallel.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein sending the proposed sync mode for two or more dataclasses in parallel comprises sending a different proposed sync mode for each of the two or more dataclasses in parallel.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein sending a different proposed sync modes for each of the two or more dataclasses in parallel comprises sending a proposed fast sync mode for one of the dataclasses and a proposed slow sync mode for another of the dataclasses.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising reinitiating the sync session using the accepted sync protocol after the sync session is interrupted.

39. A computer program product, embodied on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform one or more operations comprising:

sending a request to a server to initiate a sync session, wherein the request includes

a proposed sync mode for each of one or more dataclasses, and

one or more changes to the one or more dataclasses;

receiving one or more status codes indicative of whether the proposed sync mode for each dataclass has been accepted by the server;

based on the received status code, using the accepted sync mode to receive from the server additional changes to the one or more dataclasses; and

committing at a client device the additional changes received from the server.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving the one or more status codes that indicate that the proposed sync mode for at least one of the one or more data classes has been rejected by the server; and

sending another request that includes a different sync mode than the rejected sync mode.

41. The computer program product of claim 39, further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to send the proposed sync mode and the one or more changes in a single message to the server.

42. The computer program product of claim 39, further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to send the proposed sync mode for two or more dataclasses in parallel.

43. The computer program product of claim 42, further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to send a different proposed sync mode for each of the two or more dataclasses in parallel.

44. The computer program product of claim 42, further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to send a proposed fast sync mode for one of the dataclasses and a proposed slow sync mode for another of the dataclasses.

45. The computer program product of claim 39, further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to reinitiate the sync session using the accepted sync protocol after the sync session is interrupted.

46. A client device comprising:

a processor configured to operate

a transport protocol that enables opening of one or more connections to a server; and

a sync protocol that enables data synchronization between the client device and the server over the opened one or more connections, wherein the sync protocol enables the client device to

send a request to a server to initiate a sync session, wherein the request includes

a proposed sync mode for each of one or more dataclasses, and

one or more changes to the one or more dataclasses;

receive one or more status codes indicative of whether the proposed sync mode for each dataclass has been accepted by the server;

based on the received status code, use the accepted sync mode to receive from the server additional changes to the one or more dataclasses; and

commit at a client device the additional changes received from the server.

47. The client device of claim 46, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to:

receive the one or more status codes that indicate that the proposed sync mode for at least one of the one or more data classes has been rejected by the server; and

send another request that includes a different sync mode than the rejected sync mode.

48. The client device of claim 46, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to:

send the proposed sync mode and the one or more changes in a single message to the server.

49. The client device of claim 46, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to send the proposed sync mode for two or more dataclasses in parallel.

50. The client device of claim 49, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to send the proposed sync mode for two or more dataclasses in parallel comprising sending a different proposed sync mode for each of the two or more dataclasses in parallel.

51. The client device of claim 49, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to send a proposed fast sync mode for one of the dataclasses and a proposed slow sync mode for another of the dataclasses.

52. The client device of claim 49, wherein the processor is configured to operate the sync protocol to reinitiate the sync session using the accepted sync protocol after the sync session is interrupted.