GRANULAR DATA SYNCHRONIZATION FOR EDITING MULTIPLE DATA OBJECTS

• US 20100262647A1
• Filed: 04/13/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tudor, Alexander D., Malek, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for the granular data synchronization of multiple data objects. A three-tiered cache may be automatically generated by an application program. A server data object may be stored in a first tier and may include a first set of properties for a current state of data stored on a server. A client data object may be stored in a second tier and may include a second set of properties including one or more properties in the first set and/or un-persisted edits made to the first set. A view data object may be stored in a third tier and may include a third set of properties including un-persisted and unsaved edits made to the first or second set which are being viewed on a client. The server and client data objects may be synchronized to determine edits made to the data stored on the server.

Claims

1. A method of granular data synchronization for editing multiple data objects on a client computer operating in a client-server computer network, comprising:

storing in a first tier of a client cache, by the client computer, a server data object, the server data object comprising a first set of properties, the set of properties comprising a current state of at least one data value stored on a server computer in the computer network, wherein the client cache utilizes an identifier for identifying a property type associated with the first set of properties;

storing in a second tier of the client cache, a client data object, the client data object comprising a second set of properties, the second set of properties comprising at least one of;

one or more properties in the first set of properties and un-persisted edits made to the first set of properties which are saved on the client computer;

storing in a third tier of the client cache, a view data object, the view data object comprising a third set of properties, the third set of properties comprising un-persisted and unsaved edits made to at least one of the first set of properties and the second set-of properties while the at least one of the first set of properties and the second set of properties is being viewed on the client computer, the client cache being automatically generated by an application program running on the client computer; and

synchronizing the server data object and the client data object with the server computer to determine edits made to the at least one data value stored on the server computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the server data object and the client data object with the server computer to determine edits made to the at least one data value stored on the server computer comprises:

receiving an updated set of properties from the server computer; and

comparing the first set of properties with the second set of properties.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

updating the server data object with the updated set of properties received from the server computer; and

updating the client data object with a union of identical properties in the first and second sets of properties and the updated set of properties received from the server computer.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising generating an update notification for the server data object, the update notification including the updated set of properties received from the server computer.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising generating an update notification for the client data object, the update notification including the union of the identical properties in the first and second sets of properties and the updated properties received from the server computer.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising updating the third set of properties in the view data object with the updated set of properties received from the server computer for views of the server data object on the client computer.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising updating the third set of properties in the view data object with the union of the identical properties in the first and second sets of properties and the updated properties received from the server computer for views of the client data object on the client computer.

8. A system for granular data synchronization for editing multiple data objects in a client-server computer network, comprising:

a client computer comprising a memory for storing executable program code and a processor, wherein the processor is functionally coupled to the memory and responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code, wherein the processor is operative to;

store in a first tier of a client cache, a server data object, the server data object comprising a first set of properties, the set of properties comprising a current state of at least one data value stored on a server computer in the computer network, wherein the client cache utilizes an identifier for identifying a property type associated with the first set of properties;

store in a second tier of the client cache, a client data object, the client data object comprising a second set of properties, the second set of properties comprising at least one of;

one or more properties in the first set of properties and un-persisted edits made to the first set of properties which are saved on the client computer;

store in a third tier of the client cache, a view data object, the view data object comprising a third set of properties, the third set of properties comprising un-persisted and unsaved edits made to at least one of the first set of properties and the second set of properties while the at least one of the first set of properties and the second set of properties is being viewed on the client computer, the client cache being automatically generated by an application program running on the client computer; and

synchronize the server data object and the client data object with the server computer to determine edits made to the at least one data value stored on the server computer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor, in synchronizing the server data object and the client data object with the server to determine edits made to the at least one data value stored on the server computer, is further operative to:

receive an updated set of properties from the server computer; and

compare the first set of properties with the second set of properties.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further operative to:

update the server data object with the updated set of properties received from the server computer; and

update the client data object with a union of identical properties in the first and second sets of properties and the updated set of properties received from the server computer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to generate an update notification for the server data object, the update notification including the updated set of properties received from the server computer.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to generate an update notification for the client data object, the update notification including the union of the identical properties in the first and second sets of properties and the updated properties received from the server computer.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operative to update the third set of properties in the view data object with the updated set of properties received from the server computer for views of the server data object on the client computer.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operative to update the third set of properties in the view data object with the union of the identical properties in the first and second sets of properties and the updated properties received from the server computer for views of the client data object on the client computer.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed on a client computer, will cause the client computer to perform a method of granular data synchronization for editing multiple data objects in a client-server computer network, comprising:

storing in a first tier of a client cache, by the client computer, a server data object, the server data object comprising a first set of properties, the set of properties comprising a current state of at least one data value stored on a server computer in the computer network, wherein the client cache utilizes an identifier for identifying a property type associated with the first set of properties;

storing in a second tier of the client cache, a client data object, the client data object comprising a second set of properties, the second set of properties comprising at least one of;

one or more properties in the first set of properties and un-persisted edits made to the first set of properties which are saved on the client computer;

storing in a third tier of the client cache, a view data object, the view data object comprising a third set of properties, the third set of properties comprising un-persisted and unsaved edits made to at least one of the first set of properties and the second set of properties while the at least one of the first set of properties and the second set of properties is being viewed on the client computer, the client cache being automatically generated by an application program running on the client computer; and

synchronizing the server data object and the client data object with the server computer to determine edits made to the at least one data value stored on the server computer.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein synchronizing the server data object and the client data object with the server computer to determine edits made to the at least one data value stored on the server computer comprises:

receiving an updated set of properties from the server computer;

comparing the first set of properties with the second set of properties;

if one or more properties in the first set of properties is identical to one or more properties in the second set of properties, then adding the identical properties to a property update structure in the client data object;

updating the server data object with the updated set of properties received from the server computer; and

updating the client data object with a union of identical properties in the first and second sets of properties and the updated set of properties received from the server computer.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 further comprising generating an update notification for the server data object, the update notification including the updated set of properties received from the server computer.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 further comprising generating an update notification for the client data object, the update notification including the union of the identical properties in the first and second sets of properties and the updated properties received from the server computer.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 further comprising updating the third set of properties in the view data object with the updated set of properties received from the server computer for views of the server data object on the client computer.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 further comprising updating the third set of properties in the view data object with the union of the identical properties in the first and second sets of properties and the updated properties received from the server computer for views of the client data object on the client computer.