Synchronization and Collaboration Within Peer-to-Peer and Client/Server Environments

• US 20090327302A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Richardson, Ransom Lloyd, Pyle, Hugh Francis, Slapikoff, Robert Sean, Jeffers, Michael Andrew, Zircher, Dana, Norman, Christopher, Fischer, Edward J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104

Abstract

Tools and techniques are described for synchronization and collaboration within peer-to-peer and client/server environments. These tools may provide methods that include establishing peer-to-peer relationships between two or more client systems. These relationships enable the client systems to create respective local instances of workspaces, shared between the client systems to allow them to collaborate with one another. The client systems may participate in peer-to-peer synchronization flows with one another, with the synchronization flows representing updates made local to the shared workspaces of the client systems. The methods may also establish establishing a client/server relationship between one of the client systems and a server system. Through this client/server relationship, the client and server systems may participate in client/server synchronization flows, with these flows representing updates made to the local shared workspace at the client system.

Claims

1. At least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a client system operable with at least one server system, cause the client system to perform a method comprising:

establishing at least one peer-to-peer relationship with at least one other client system, by which the client systems create respective local shared workspaces on the client systems for collaboration;

participating at least one peer-to-peer synchronization flow with at least the other client system, wherein the synchronization flow represents updates made to at least one of the local shared workspaces by at least one of the client systems;

establishing at least one client/server relationship with at least the server system;

participating in at least one client/server synchronization flow with the server system, wherein the client/server synchronization flow represents updates made to the local shared workspace associated with the client system.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for dissipating and at least one client/server synchronization flow include instructions for receiving a synchronization data flow from the server.

3. The storage medium of claim 2, further comprising instructions for deconstructing the synchronization flow into at least two subsets, and further comprising instructions for defining a multi-representative data type to represent the deconstructed synchronization flow.

4. The storage medium of claim 3, further comprising instructions for storing the multi-representative data type on the client system for reference by at least the other client system via the shared workspaces.

5. At least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a client system operable with at least one server system, cause the client system to perform a method comprising:

providing at least one production database on the client system, wherein the production database is for instantiating at least one application related to a workspace shared between the client system in at least one other client system, wherein the production database is associated with a current schema;

receiving at least one synchronization flow from the server system, wherein the synchronization flow includes at least information representing a second schema;

comparing the current schema to second schema, as received from the server system;

creating a clone of the production database;

loading the current schema into the clone database;

incorporating the second schema into the clone database;

evaluating whether the clone database is valid, as updated with the incorporated second schema.

6. The storage medium of claim 5, further comprising instructions for merging the second schema into the production database, in response to determining that the clone database is valid.

7. The storage medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions for propagating the merged production database to at least the other client system.

8. At least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a first system operable with at least a second system, cause the first system to perform a method comprising:

establishing a synchronization relationship between at least the first and second systems, by which the first and second systems exchange synchronization flows;

receiving through the synchronization flows, at the first system, at least one indication of a revision occurring on the second system;

evaluating whether the revision from the second system conflicts with information represented on the first system;

resolving the conflict in favor of the first system or the second system; and

maintaining the conflicting revisions for access by the first and second systems.

9. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for establishing a synchronization relationship include instructions for establishing a peer-to-peer collaborative relationship between a first client system and at least a second client system.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for establishing a client/server relationship between the first client system and at least one server system.

11. The storage medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions for evaluating a first conflict arising between revisions occurring respectively on the first and second client systems, and further comprising instructions for evaluating at least a second conflict arising between the first client system in the server system.

12. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for establishing a peer-to-peer relationship between the first and second client systems include instructions for creating respective shared workspaces locally on the first and second client systems, with the first and at least the second client systems collaborating through the shared workspaces.

13. The storage medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for determining whether a conflict exists between revisions made on the respective shared on the workspaces maintained locally on the first and second client systems.

14. The storage medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for providing a conflict resolution user interface that includes representations of the conflicting revisions.

15. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for establishing a synchronization relationship include instructions for establishing a client/server relationship between at least a client system and a server system.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for syncing a representation of a revision occurring on the client system to the server system.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for receiving a response from the server system, in response to the client system in syncing a representation of a revision to the server system.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions for receiving a response from the server system include instructions for receiving an indication that the server system rejected the revision.

19. The storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for marking the revision as rejected, in response to an indication received from the server system.