TOP DOWN DELETE OR UNSYNCHRONIZATION ON DELETE OF AND DEPICTION OF ITEM SYNCHRONIZATION WITH A SYNCHRONIZATION CLIENT TO A CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM

• US 20140337291A1
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Dorman, Griffin, Jourda, Florian, Parmar, Kunal, Sawyer, Dave, Smith, Benjamin Campbell, Vandenberg, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 10,725,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/634
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1844 Management specifically adapted to replicated file systems

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods to facilitate top down delete or un-synchronization on delete of a synchronization client to a cloud-based platform. The disclosed technology innovates the mechanism the synchronization client processes local deletes so that instead of synchronizing the delete of each individual item across to the cloud-based platform, it can accumulate the individual item deletes into a top-level folder delete and that top-level folder delete can be what is communicated across to the cloud-based platform. Embodiments of the present disclosure also include systems and methods for depicting item synchronization between a local and cloud based platform/service (e.g. the Box service). In some embodiments the system can identify items that cannot be synchronized between the local and cloud based platform/service (e.g., cloud based collaboration or storage platform/service). The system can further indicate reasons for the inability to synchronize and can offer corrective action.

Claims

1. A method performed by a client device which communicates with a cloud-based computing platform for synchronizing folders and files, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to delete a first item on the client device;

detecting a top-level item on the client device for the first item;

deleting the top-level item from the client device;

identifying a second item on the cloud-based computing platform corresponding to the top-level item;

unsynchronizing the second item with the top-level item,

wherein items on the client device and on the cloud-based computing platform are arranged in a hierarchical structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a top-level item includes determining whether the parent of the first item is requested for deletion.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking the first item as an item that is requested to be deleted but is not a top-level item when the detected top-level item is not the first item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising

processing a second request from a user to move an item on the client device, add an item to the client device, or delete an item from the client device before deleting the top-level item,

wherein the second request is to be processed before the request to delete the first item according a predetermined policy.

5. The method of claim 1, where deleting a top-level item includes moving the top-level item to a trash can on the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a second item includes determining whether a copy of the top-level item exists on the cloud-based computing platform.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after unsynchronizing the second item with the top-level item:

identifying a third item that exists on the cloud-computing platform under the second item but does not have a corresponding item on the client device;

adding an item corresponding to the third item to the client device;

tracking the added item as an item that is requested to be deleted but is not a top-level item.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after unsynchronizing the second item with the top-level item:

identifying a third item that exists on the client device under the top-level item but does not have a corresponding item on the cloud-computing platform;

deleting the third item from the client device.

9. A client device which communicates with a cloud-based computing platform for synchronizing folders and files, comprising

a receiving unit configured to receive a request from a user to delete a first item on the client device;

a detecting unit configured to detect a top-level item on the client device for the first item;

a deleting unit configured to delete the top-level item from the client device;

an identifying unit configured to identify a second item on the cloud-based computing platform corresponding to the top-level item;

an unsynchronizing unit configured to unsynchronized the second item with the top-level item,

wherein items on the client device and on the cloud-based computing platform are arranged in a hierarchical structure.

10. A method performed by a client device for depicting problems associated synchronization with a cloud-based computing platform, the method comprising:

displaying a list of one or more entries respectively for one or more items on the client device or the cloud-based computing platform,

wherein each entry includes a status of syncability, and a reason code when the item is unsyncable,

wherein an item on the client device is syncable when it has a corresponding item on the cloud-based computing platform, and an item on the cloud-based computing platform is syncable when it has a corresponding item on the client device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reason code indicates an unsupported file type, an unsupported item name, a web-only item, an item being too large, a quota being exceeded, a permission error, a network error, or an authentication error.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising allowing access to an item on the client device or on the cloud-based computing platform for which no entry is included in the list through an application programming interface (API).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the item for which no entry is included in the list is a temporary item, a hidden item, a system item, a link, or an alias item.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising adding an entry to the list for an item with a status of being unsyncable in response to a failure to create or maintain a corresponding item.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, after adding the entry for the item, sending a request for handling unsyncability of the item.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending a notification when an entry is updated, added to the list, or removed from the list.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein each entry further includes a link to an article.

18. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which when executed perform a method, comprising:

displaying a list of one or more entries respectively for one or more items on the client device or the cloud-based computing platform,

wherein each entry includes a status of syncability, and a reason code when the item is unsyncable,

wherein an item on the client device is syncable when it has a corresponding item on the cloud-based computing platform, and an item on the cloud-based computing platform is syncable when it has a corresponding item on the client device.