OFFLINE SIMULATION OF ONLINE SESSION BETWEEN CLIENT AND SERVER

• US 20100100367A1
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Hopkins, Christopher D.
• Application Number:
  US12/581,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100367A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/214 Database migration support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2372 Updates performed during offline database operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• 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: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for conducting an offline session simulating an online session between a client and server in a network environment. The client imports data and functional logic from the server prior to going offline. The imported functional logic is embedded into a format or document that is capable of being interpreted and performed by the local interface at the client that is used to interact with server during an online session. Whether offline or online, the user utilizes the same local interface at the client to transmit instructions to the functional logic in order to manipulate the data. In an offline session, such instructions cause the imported and embedded functional logic to execute, thereby manipulating the data that is imported at the client. Known synchronization methods may also be used in order to maintain consistency and coherency between the imported data at the client and the database at the server.

Claims

1. A method for simulating, at a client, an online session between the client and a remote server when the client is offline, wherein the client includes a local interface and the remote server includes data and functional logic that manipulates the data via instructions received through the local interface, the method comprising:

a. while the client is online,

1. importing at least a subset of the data;

2. importing at least a subset of the functional logic as an embedded portion of a format capable of being interpreted and performed by the local interface; and

b. while the client is offline,

1. invoking the embedded functional logic to manipulate the imported data in response to instructions received through the local interface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of importing user customizations for the presentation of the imported data by the local interface while the client is online.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the local interface is a web browser.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the embedded functional logic is expressed in a scripting language understood by the web browser.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the format comprises at least one document that utilizes a markup language to identify structures within the document.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the imported data is stored in at least one document that utilizes a markup language to identify structures within the document.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the imported data and embedded functional logic relate to customer relationship management.

8. A system for enabling a client to simulate an online session when the client is offline, the system comprising:

a. a database; and

b. a server capable of conducting an online client session, the server providing;

1. a synchronization service capable of exporting data from the database for storage at the client, and

2. an initiation service for exporting documents, wherein the documents

a. are capable of being interpreted and performed by a local client interface, and

b. include embedded functional logic to manipulate the exported data via instructions received through the local client interface.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the synchronization service is further capable of importing data from the client.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the synchronization service is further capable of exporting user customizations for the presentation of the exported data by the local client interface.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the synchronization service is implemented with XML-RPC.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the local client interface is a web browser.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the embedded functional logic is expressed as a scripting language understood by the web browser.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the documents utilize a markup language to identify structures within the documents.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the exported data is exported as at least one document that utilizes a markup language to identify structures within the document.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein the exported data and embedded functional logic relate to customer relationship management.

17. Computer instructions embodied on a computer-readable medium for simulating, when the client is offline, an online session between a client and a remote server, the computer instructions comprising:

a. logic for manipulating data imported from the remote server;

b. logic for rendering a presentation of the imported data on a local client interface; and

c. logic for communicating with the remote server during a synchronization process;

wherein at least a portion of the computer instructions are embedded into a format capable of being interpreted and performed by the local client interface.

18. The computer instructions of claim 17 wherein the local client interface is a web browser.

19. The computer instructions of claim 18 wherein at least a portion of the computer instructions are expressed in a scripting language.

20. The computer instructions of claim 17 wherein the format comprises at least one document that utilizes a markup language to identify structures within the document.

21. The computer instructions of claim 17 wherein the imported data is stored in at least one document that utilizes a markup language to identify structures within the document.

22. The computer instructions of claim 17 wherein the computer instructions and the imported data relate to customer relationship management.

23. A system for simulating, at the client, an online session between the client and a remote server when the client is offline, wherein the client includes a local interface and the remote server includes data and functional logic that manipulates the data via instructions received through the local interface, the system comprising:

a. means for exporting at least a subset of the data while the client is online;

b. means for exporting at least a subset of the functional logic as an embedded portion of a format capable of being interpreted and performed by the local interface while the client is online; and

c. means for synchronizing data at the client with data at the remote server.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising means for exporting user customizations for the presentation of the imported data by the local interface.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the local interface is a web browser.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the embedded functional logic is expressed in a scripting language understood by the web browser.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the synchronization means utilizes remote procedure calls.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the format comprises at least one document that utilizes a markup language to identify structures within the document.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the imported data is stored in at least one document that utilizes a markup language to identify structures within the document.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the imported data and embedded functional logic relate to customer relationship management.