Adaptable Management In Sync Engines

• US 20120179841A1
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cristian M. Matesan
• Inventors: Matesan, Cristian M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,621,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Synchronization of two or more items can be optimized through the use of parallel execution of synchronization tasks and adaptable processing that monitors and adjusts for system loading. Two or more synchronization tasks required to be performed for an item can, if not inherently serial in nature, be performed in parallel, optimizing synchronization of the item. Even if multiple synchronization tasks required for one item must be serially executed, e.g., download the item prior to translating the item, these synchronization tasks can be executed in parallel for different items, optimizing a download request involving two or more items. Moreover, multiple threads for one or more synchronization tasks can be concurrently executed when supportable by the current operating system resources. Rules can be established to ensure synchronization activity is not degraded by the overextension of system resources.

Claims

1. An adaptable synchronization system for syncing at least one sync item between a first computing device and a second computing device, the adaptable synchronization system comprising:

an engine manager comprising the capability to review each sync item to attempt to identify pre-sync task requirements for each sync item, wherein a pre-sync task requirement comprises a pre-sync task that is to be performed for a sync item prior to the sync item being synchronized between a first computing device and a second computing device;

at least one pre-sync task runner wherein each pre-sync task runner comprises the capability to execute a pre-sync task for a sync item prior to the sync item being synchronized between a first computing device and a second computing device; and

a sync task runner comprising the capability to execute a sync task to synchronize a sync item between a first computing device and a second computing device.

2. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 1, wherein the engine manager comprises the capability to review each sync item to attempt to identify pre-sync task requirements for the sync item prior to any synchronization of the sync item between a first computing device and a second computing device.

3. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 1, wherein at least one pre-sync task runner comprises the capability to execute at least two processing threads concurrently, wherein each processing thread comprises the pre-sync task runner'"'"'s efforts to perform a pre-sync task for one sync item and wherein the number of concurrently executing processing threads at a time t for a pre-sync task runner is determined by the number of sync items at time t that are identified as requiring the execution of the pre-sync task runner.

4. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 3, wherein the number of concurrently executing processing threads at a time t for a pre-sync task runner is further determined by a pre-established rule that defines an upper limit of pre-sync task runner concurrently executing processing threads comprising a maximum number of processing threads that can be concurrently executed by the pre-sync task runner.

5. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 1, wherein each pre-sync task runner comprises the capability to execute at least two processing threads concurrently, wherein each processing thread comprises a pre-sync task runner'"'"'s efforts to perform a pre-sync task for one sync item and wherein the number of concurrently executing processing threads at a time t for a pre-sync task runner is determined by the number of sync items at time t that are identified as requiring the execution of the pre-sync task runner.

6. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 5, wherein the number of concurrently executing processing threads at a time t for each pre-sync task runner is further determined by a pre-established rule that defines an upper limit of pre-sync task runner concurrently executing processing threads comprising a maximum number of processing threads that can be concurrently executed by the pre-sync task runner.

7. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 1, wherein the sync task runner comprises the capability to execute at least two processing threads concurrently, wherein each processing thread comprises the sync task runner'"'"'s efforts to synchronize one sync item between a first computing device and a second computing device and wherein the number of concurrently executing processing threads at a time t for the sync task runner is determined by the number of sync items that are identified at time t as requiring the execution of the sync task runner to synchronize the sync item between a first computing device and a second computing device.

8. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 7, wherein the number of concurrently executing processing threads at a time t for the sync task runner is further determined by a pre-established rule that defines an upper limit of sync task runner concurrently executing processing threads comprising a maximum number of processing threads that can be concurrently executed by the sync task runner.

9. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 1, wherein a first pre-sync task runner comprises the capability to download files to a first computing device, and wherein a second pre-sync task runner comprises the capability to transcode files.

10. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 9, wherein a third pre-sync task runner comprises the capability to attempt to obtain a license for a file.

11. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 1, wherein the adaptable synchronization system further comprises:

the capability to store a designation of a first pre-sync task required to be executed for a first sync item;

the capability to store a designation of the first pre-sync task required to be executed for a second sync item;

the capability to store a designation of a requirement for synchronization of the first sync item between a first computing device and a second computing device; and

and the capability to store a designation of a requirement for synchronization of the second sync item between the first computing device and the second computing device.

12. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 1, further comprising:

each pre-sync task runner comprises a task runner queue;

the sync task runner comprises a task runner queue;

the capability to generate an entry in a task runner queue of a pre-sync task runner that identifies a sync item requiring the execution of the pre-sync task runner; and

the capability to generate an entry in the task runner queue of the sync task runner for each sync item wherein each entry in the task runner queue of the sync task runner identifies a sync item to be synchronized by the sync task runner between a first computing device and a second computing device.

13. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 1, wherein the engine manager further comprises a master queue, the engine manager comprises the capability to establish an entry in the master queue for each sync item to be synchronized between a first computing device and a second computing device wherein each entry in the master queue comprises a sync item entry, and wherein the engine manager further comprises the capability to set a flag in each sync item entry in the master queue for each pre-sync task the engine manager identifies as required to be executed for the sync item associated with the sync item entry.

14. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 13, wherein the engine manager further comprises the capability to set a flag in each sync item entry in the master queue for the sync task required to be executed for the sync item associated with the sync item entry.

15. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 1, further comprising:

the capability to establish a first sync status equation for a first sync item wherein the first sync status equation is used to calculate the sync status of the first sync item at any time t comprising the first sync status, and wherein the first sync status equation comprises a first percent wherein the first percent comprises an estimated percentage of processing time for processing a first pre-sync task for the first sync item to finalize synchronization of the first sync item between a first computing device and a second computing device;

the capability to establish a second sync status equation for a second sync item wherein the second sync status equation is used to calculate the sync status of the second sync item at any time t comprising the second sync status, and wherein the second sync status equation comprises a second percent wherein the second percent comprises an estimated percentage of processing time for processing a first pre-sync task for the second sync item to finalize synchronization of the second sync item between a first computing device and a second computing device;

the capability to generate a graphical user interface display of the first sync status at a time t utilizing the first sync status calculated by the first sync status equation at time t; and

the capability to generate a graphical user interface display of the second sync status at the time t utilizing the second sync status calculated by the second sync status equation at time t.

16. The adaptable synchronization system of claim 15, further comprising:

the capability to establish a sync set status equation for all the sync items currently being processed by the adaptable synchronization system at a time t comprising the sync set status wherein the sync set status equation is used to calculate the sync set status of all sync items being processed at time t and wherein the sync set status equation comprises a sum of the first sync status and the second sync status; and

the capability to generate a graphical user interface display of the sync set status at time t utilizing the sync set status calculated by the sync set status equation at time t.

17. A system for adaptably processing at least two items concurrently for synchronization between a first computing device and at least a second computing device, the system comprising:

an engine manager comprising the capability to review each item to attempt to identify pre-sync task requirements for each item, wherein a pre-sync task requirement comprises a pre-sync task that is to be performed for an item prior to the item being synchronized between a first computing device and at least a second computing device, and wherein the engine manager further comprises the capability to establish a sync status equation for a first item wherein the sync status equation is used to calculate the sync status of the first item at any time t;

at least one pre-sync task runner wherein each pre-sync task runner comprises the capability to execute a pre-sync task for an item prior to the item being synchronized between a first computing device and at least a second computing device, and wherein at least one pre-sync task runner comprises the capability to execute at least two processing threads concurrently wherein each processing thread executed by the pre-sync task runner comprises the pre-sync task runner'"'"'s efforts to perform a pre-sync task for one item and wherein the number of concurrently executing processing threads at a time t for the pre-sync task runner is determined by the number of items at time t that are identified as requiring execution of the pre-sync task runner; and

a sync task runner comprising the capability to execute a sync task to synchronize an item between a first computing device and at least a second computing device, wherein the sync task runner comprises the capability to execute at least two processing threads concurrently wherein each processing thread executed by the sync task runner comprises the sync task runner'"'"'s efforts to synchronize one item between a first computing device and at least a second computing device and wherein the number of concurrently executing processing threads at a time t for the sync task runner is determined by the number of items at time t that are identified as requiring execution of the sync task runner.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the engine manager further comprises the capability to establish a sync status equation for a second item being processed concurrently with the first item by the system for synchronization between a first computing device and at least a second computing device wherein the sync status equation for the second item is used to calculate the sync status of the second item at any time t and wherein the sync status equation for the second item comprises a first percent wherein the first percent of the sync status equation for the second item comprises an estimated percentage of processing time for processing a first pre-sync task for the second item to finalize synchronization of the second item between a first computing device and at least a second computing device, and wherein the engine manager further comprises the capability to generate a graphical user interface display of the sync status for the first item at a time t utilizing the sync status calculated by the sync status equation for the first item at time t and comprises the capability to generate a graphical user interface display of the sync status for the second item at the time t utilizing the sync status calculated by the sync status equation for the second item at time t.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor of a computing device implement a method for adaptable synchronization of at least two sync items concurrently, the computer-readable medium comprising:

computer-executable instructions for identifying that a first pre-sync task is required to be performed for a first sync item;

computer-executable instructions for identifying that the first pre-sync task is required to be performed for a second sync item being processed for adaptable synchronization concurrently with the first sync item;

computer-executable instructions for launching a first task thread for performing the first pre-sync task for the first sync item;

computer-executable instructions for launching a second task thread to perform the first pre-sync task for the second sync item at least partially concurrently with the execution of the first task thread;

computer-executable instructions for launching a third task thread for performing a sync task comprising the capability to synchronize a sync item between a first computing device and at least a second computing device for the first sync item subsequent to a successful conclusion to the first task thread performing the first pre-sync task for the first item; and

computer-executable instructions for launching a fourth task thread for performing the sync task for the second sync item subsequent to a successful conclusion to the second task thread performing the first pre-sync task for the second item and wherein the fourth task thread executes at least partially concurrently with the execution of the third task thread.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

computer-executable instructions for establishing a first sync status equation for the first sync item wherein the first sync status equation is used to calculate the sync status of the first sync item at any time t comprising the first sync status and wherein the first sync status equation comprises a first percent wherein the first percent comprises an estimated percentage of processing time for processing the first pre-sync task for the first sync item to finalize synchronization of the first sync item between a first computing device and at least a second computing device;

computer-executable instructions for establishing a second sync status equation for the second sync item wherein the second sync status equation is used to calculate the sync status of the second sync item at any time t comprising the second sync status and wherein the second sync status equation comprises a second percent wherein the second percent comprises an estimated percentage of processing time for processing the first pre-sync task for the second sync item to finalize synchronization of the second sync item between a first computing device and at least a second computing device;

computer-executable instructions for establishing a sync set status equation for all the sync items currently being processed at a time t comprising the sync set status wherein the sync set status equation is used to calculate the sync set status of all sync items being processed at time t and wherein the sync set status equation comprises a sum of the first sync status and the second sync status;

computer-executable instructions for generating a graphical user interface display of the first sync status at a time t utilizing the first sync status calculated by the first sync status equation at time t;

computer-executable instructions for generating a graphical user interface display of the second sync status at the time t utilizing the second sync status calculated by the second sync status equation at time t; and

computer-executable instructions for generating a graphical user interface display of the sync set status at the time t utilizing the sync set status calculated by the sync set status equation at time t.