DATA MANAGEMENT

• US 20140095436A1
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ryder, Scott W.
• Granted Patent: US 12,045,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/624
• 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 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

The described embodiments include a computing device that enables the placement of data guards on data items (e.g., files, data in an application, etc.). The data guard is associated with a conflict priority that is used to determine users that are permitted to make changes to the data item. When the data guard has been placed, the data item is visually identified (e.g., when displayed on a display) as being guarded. In addition, the computing device includes various mechanisms for enabling synchronization of data items between computing devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in a computing device, performing operations for;

selecting a data item to be guarded using a data guard;

setting a conflict priority for the data guard for the data item; and

visually identifying the data item as guarded by displaying an indicator representing the data guard in association with the data item when the data item is displayed on a display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the data item to be guarded comprises:

receiving an input requesting that the data item be guarded; and

based on the input, selecting the data item as to be guarded.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the data item to be guarded comprises:

monitoring user behavior with respect to the data item; and

when the user behavior meets a pattern, selecting the data item as to be guarded.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data item is one of:

a file; and

at least some data in an application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein visually identifying the data item as guarded by displaying the indicator representing the data guard in association with the data item comprises:

displaying a graphic overlaying a portion of an icon representing the data item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein visually identifying the data item as guarded by displaying the indicator representing the data guard in association with the data item comprises:

changing a presentation of an icon representing the data item from a normal presentation to a guarded presentation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the conflict priority comprises:

configuring the data item so that one or more users are prevented from making changes to the data item

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

selecting a data item to be guarded using a data guard;

setting a conflict priority for the data guard for the data item; and

visually identifying the data item as guarded by displaying an indicator representing the data guard in association with the data item when the data item is displayed on a display.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein selecting the data item to be guarded comprises:

receiving an input requesting that the data item be guarded; and

based on the input, selecting the data item as to be guarded.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein selecting the data item to be guarded comprises:

monitoring user behavior with respect to the data item; and

when the user behavior meets a pattern, selecting the data item as to be guarded.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the data item is one of:

a file; and

at least some data in an application.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein visually identifying the data item as guarded by displaying the indicator representing the data guard in association with the data item comprises:

displaying a graphic overlaying a portion of an icon representing the data item.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein visually identifying the data item as guarded by displaying the indicator representing the data guard in association with the data item comprises:

changing a presentation of an icon representing the data item from a normal presentation to a guarded presentation.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein setting the conflict priority comprises:

configuring the data item so that one or more users are prevented from making changes to the data item.

15. A method, comprising:

in a computing device, performing operations for;

receiving a first change to a data item from a first node of a plurality of nodes, the first change comprising a first tuple with a first positive delta and a first negative delta;

using the first positive delta to propagate the first change to nodes in the plurality of nodes;

receiving a request to undo the first change to the data item from a node in the plurality of nodes; and

using the first negative delta to propagate a second change to nodes in the plurality of nodes, the second change undoing the first change to the data item.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein the first positive delta includes information that enables performing the first change to the data item, the first change comprising updating the data item from an initial state to an updated state;

and

wherein the first negative delta includes information that enables undoing the first change to the data item, the undoing of the first change comprising restoring the data item to the initial state from the updated state.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein the data item is a file and the first change is an edit to the file that updates the file from an initial state to an edited state;

wherein the first positive delta includes information for updating the file from the initial state to the edited state; and

wherein the first negative delta includes information for restoring the file to the initial state from the edited state.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

in the computing device, performing operations for;

receiving a third change to the data item from a node in the plurality of nodes, the third change comprising a second tuple with a second positive delta and a second negative delta, wherein the third change is received after the first change has been propagated, but before the request to undo the first change has been received;

using the second positive delta to propagate the third change to nodes in the plurality of nodes; and

upon receiving the request to undo the first change to the data item from a node in the plurality of nodes, using the first negative delta and the second negative delta to propagate, in order, the second change and a fourth change to nodes of the plurality of nodes, the second change undoing the first change to the data item and the fourth change undoing the third change to the data item.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the computing device is a coordinator node to which nodes in the plurality of nodes communicate changes to the data item to enable synchronization of the data item among the plurality of nodes.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

in the computing device, performing operations for;

receiving, from a node in the plurality of nodes, a request for changes made to the data item; and

based on the request, propagating the first positive delta to the node from which the request was received.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving a request to undo the first change to the data item from a node in the plurality of nodes comprises:

receiving the request from a node of the plurality of nodes other than the first node.

22. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first change to a data item from a first node of a plurality of nodes, the first change comprising a first tuple with a first positive delta and a first negative delta;

using the first positive delta to propagate the first change to nodes in the plurality of nodes;

receiving a request to undo the first change to the data item from a node in the plurality of nodes; and

using the first negative delta to propagate a second change to nodes in the plurality of nodes, the second change undoing the first change to the data item.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22,

wherein the first positive delta includes information that enables performing the first change to the data item, the first change comprising updating the data item from an initial state to an updated state;

and

wherein the first negative delta includes information that enables undoing the first change to the data item, the undoing of the first change comprising restoring the data item to the initial state from the updated state.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23,

wherein the data item is a file and the first change is an edit to the file that updates the file from an initial state to an edited state;

wherein the first positive delta includes information for updating the file from the initial state to the edited state; and

wherein the first negative delta includes information for restoring the file to the initial state from the edited state.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a third change to the data item from a node in the plurality of nodes, the third change comprising a second tuple with a second positive delta and a second negative delta, wherein the third change is received after the first change has been propagated, but before the request to undo the first change has been received;

using the second positive delta to propagate the third change to nodes in the plurality of nodes; and

upon receiving the request to undo the first change to the data item from a node in the plurality of nodes, using the first negative delta and the second negative delta to propagate, in order, the second change and a fourth change to nodes of the plurality of nodes, the second change undoing the first change to the data item and the fourth change undoing the third change to the data item.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the computing device is a coordinator node to which nodes in the plurality of nodes communicate changes to the data item to enable synchronization of the data item among the plurality of nodes.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving, from a node in the plurality of nodes, a request for changes made to the data item; and

based on the request, propagating the first positive delta to the node from which the request was received.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein receiving a request to undo the first change to the data item from a node in the plurality of nodes comprises:

receiving the request from a node of the plurality of nodes other than the first node.