Subscription-Notification Mechanisms For Synchronization Of Distributed States

• US 20140222899A1
• Filed: 01/08/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Supramaniam, Senthilvasan, Hardison, Osborne B., Logue, Jay D., Luxemberg, Jared A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,356,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for synchronizing distributed states amongst a plurality of entities and authenticating devices to access information and/or services provided by a remote server. Synchronization techniques include client devices and remote servers storing buckets of information. The client device sends a subscription request to the remote serve identifying a bucket of information and, when that bucket changes, the remote server sends the change to the client device. Authentication techniques include client devices including unique default credentials that, when presented to a remote server, provide limited access to the server. The client device may obtain assigned credentials that, when presented to the remote server, provide less limited access to the server.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing data between a client device and a remote server, the client device storing a plurality of buckets of information each including a plurality of field-value pairs, the remote server storing a plurality of buckets of information each including a plurality of field-value pairs, the method comprising:

receiving, at the remote server from the client device, a subscription request identifying a bucket of information stored on the remote server, the identified bucket of information corresponding to one of the plurality of buckets of information stored at the client device;

determining, by the remote server, whether there is a difference in state between the identified bucket of information stored at the remote server and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device; and

notifying, if it is determined that there is a difference in state between the identified bucket of information stored at the remote server and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device, the client device with information representative of at least one difference between the identified bucket of information stored at the remote server and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when it is determined that there is not a difference in state between the identified bucket of information stored at the remote server and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device, preventing a response from being communicated from the remote server to the client device until a condition has been satisfied.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the condition includes:

determining that there is a difference in state between the identified bucket of information stored at the remote server and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device;

determining that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since receiving the subscription request; and

determining that the subscription request excludes at least one of a timestamp and a version of the bucket of information identified by the subscription request.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising disconnecting the client device when it is determined that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed since receiving the subscription request.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising communicating, to the client device, the values for the field-value pairs included in the identified bucket of information stored on the remote server when it is determined that the subscription request excludes at least one of a timestamp or a version of the bucket of the information identified by the subscription request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the remote server, whether any other client devices have pending subscription requests for the identified bucket of information stored on the remote server; and

notifying, if it is determined that there is at least one other client device that has a pending subscription request for the identified bucket of information stored on the remote server, the at least one other client device with information representative of the at least one difference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information representative of at least one difference includes a timestamp and a version of the bucket of information stored at the remote server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information representative of at least one difference includes the values of the field-value pairs of the bucket of information stored at the remote server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a desired updated to the identified bucket; and

reconciling the desired update with the bucket of information stored on the remote server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein reconciling the desired update with the bucket of information stored on the remote server includes merging or refusing to merge the desired update with the bucket of information stored on the remote server.

11. A computer system, comprising:

a storage element for storing a plurality of buckets of information each including a plurality of field-value pairs; and

a synchronization server coupled to the storage element and operable to;

receive, from a client device storing a plurality of buckets of information each including a plurality of field-value pairs, a subscription request identifying a bucket of information stored on the storage element, the identified bucket of information corresponding to one of the plurality of buckets of information stored at the client device;

determine whether there is a difference in state between the identified bucket of information stored at the storage element and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device; and

notify, if it is determined that there is a difference in state between the identified bucket of information stored at the storage element and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device, the client device with information representative of at least one difference between the identified bucket of information stored at the storage element and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the synchronization server is further operable to prevent a response from being communicated from the remote server to the client device until a condition has been satisfied when it is determined that there is not a difference in state between the identified bucket of information stored at the storage element and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the synchronization server is further operable to:

determine whether any other client devices have pending subscription requests for the identified bucket of information stored on the storage element; and

when it is determined that there is at least one other client device that has a pending subscription request for the identified bucket of information stored on the storage element, notify the at least one other client device with information representative of the at least one difference.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the information representative of at least one difference includes a timestamp and a version of the bucket of information stored at the storage element.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the synchronization server is further operable to:

receive a desired updated to the identified bucket; and

reconcile the desired update with the bucket of information stored on the remote server.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to perform operations including:

receiving, at a remote server that is remote from a client device, a subscription request identifying a bucket of information stored on the remote server, the identified bucket of information corresponding to one of a plurality of buckets of information stored at the client device;

determining whether there is a difference in state between the identified bucket of information stored at the remote server and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device; and

notifying, if it is determined that there is a difference in state between the identified bucket of information stored at the remote server and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device, the client device with information representative of at least one difference between the identified bucket of information stored at the remote server and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

when it is determined that there is not a difference in state between the identified bucket of information stored at the remote server and the corresponding bucket of information stored at the client device, preventing a response from being communicated from the remote server to the client device until a condition has been satisfied.

18. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, by the remote server, whether any other client devices have pending subscription requests for the identified bucket of information stored on the remote server; and

notifying, if it is determined that there is at least one other client device that has a pending subscription request for the identified bucket of information stored on the remote server, the at least one other client device with information representative of the at least one difference.

19. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the information representative of at least one difference includes a timestamp and a version of the bucket of information stored at the remote server.

20. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a desired updated to the identified bucket; and

reconciling the desired update with the bucket of information stored on the remote server.