Synchronization of databases with date range

• US 6,141,664 A
• Filed: 11/13/1996
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellisync Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Puma Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Boothby, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Loomis, John C.
• Application Number:
  US08/748,645
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/8, 707/104, 707/200, 707/201, 707/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2308 Concurrency control transaction processing G06F9/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method of synchronizing at least a first and a second database each containing dated records such as events, wherein the records of the first and second databases are synchronized across a narrow date range narrower than the date range of the records of at least one of the databases. A prior synchronization can be performed across a prior date range. The date range of the prior synchronization is stored, along with the history file containing information representative of the content of the databases following the prior synchronization. When a current synchronization is performed, it is performed across a date range that combines the prior date range with the current date range.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of synchronizing at least a first and a second database each containing dated records such as events, wherein the records of the first database extend across a narrow date range narrower than the date range of the records of the second database, the method comprising:

performing a prior synchronization across a prior date range set using the date of the prior synchronization and the narrow date range;

storing the prior date range and a history file containing information representative of the content of the databases following the prior synchronization;

performing a current synchronization across a date range that combines the prior date range with a current date range set using the date of the current synchronization and the narrow date range.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the date of each record being synchronized is compared to a start and stop date of a date range to determine whether the record is in range.

3. A computer implemented method of synchronizing at least a first and a second database, each one containing date bearing records, wherein the date comprises a user-specified date, the method comprising:

identifying date bearing records of the first and second database that are within a narrow date range narrower than a date range of the records of one of the first and the second databases; and

performing a current synchronization across the narrow date range by synchronizing the identified date bearing records.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of performing a current synchronization further comprises adding, modifying, or deleting records of the first database within the narrow date range.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of performing a current synchronization further includes deleting records of the first database that are outside of the narrow date range.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the narrow date range has a start date and a stop date and the date of a record being synchronized is compared to the start date and the stop date of the narrow date range to determine whether the record is within the narrow date range.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the date of a record being synchronized includes a record start date and a record stop date, the method further comprising:

performing a comparison of the record start date to the stop date of the narrow date range and of the record stop date to the start date of the narrow date range;

determining based on the comparison whether the record is within the narrow date range.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the first database contains a recurring record, the method further comprising fanning the recurring record within the narrow date range.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the first database contains a recurring record, further comprising:

fanning the recurring record within a useful portion of the narrow date range, the useful portion being determined by application of a preference based on a current date of the current synchronization.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the preference includes a preference for future dates compared to the current date over past dates compared to the current date.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the preference includes a preference for dates closer to the current date over dates further from the current date.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein a prior synchronization was performed across a prior narrow date range, such prior narrow date range being different from a current narrow date range of the current synchronization, wherein records representatives of the records of the first and second databases during the prior synchronization are stored in a history file, and wherein performing the current synchronization further comprises performing the synchronization using the history file and the prior narrow date range.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the narrow date range is a concatenation of the current narrow date range and the prior narrow date range stored in a history file during the prior synchronization.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of performing a current synchronization further comprises adding, modifying, or deleting records of the first database that are within the current narrow date range.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of performing a current synchronization further includes deleting records of the first database that were present during a previous synchronization and that, following the current synchronization, are outside of the current narrow date range.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of performing a current synchronization further includes updating or deleting records of the first and second databases that are outside of the current narrow date range and within the narrow date range, based on the current synchronization.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of performing a current synchronization further comprises, based on a selection by a user, performing one of:

(a) deleting the records of the first database that were present during a previous synchronization and that, following the current synchronization, are outside of the current narrow date range, and

(b) updating or deleting records of the first and second databases that are outside of the current narrow date range and within the narrow date range, based on the current synchronization.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein one of the narrow date range, the prior narrow date range, and the current narrow date range includes a start date and a stop date and the date of a record being synchronized is compared to the start date and the stop date to determine whether the record is within a corresponding one of the narrow date range, the prior narrow date range, and the current narrow date range.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein a record being synchronized includes a record start date and a record stop date, the method further comprising:

performing a comparison of the record start date to the stop date of one of the narrow date range, the prior narrow date range, and the current narrow date range, and of the record stop date to the start date of the corresponding one of the narrow date range, the prior narrow date range, and the current narrow date range; and

determining based on the comparison whether the record is within the corresponding one of the narrow date range, the prior narrow date range, and the current narrow date range.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the current narrow date range comprises a relative narrow date range, the relative narrow date range being determined relative to a date of the current synchronization.

21. The method of claim 3 wherein the narrow date range comprises a relative narrow date range, the relative narrow date range being determined relative to a date of the current synchronization.

22. The method of claim 3 wherein the first database contains a first plurality of non-recurring records representing a plurality of recurring date bearing instances, the method further comprising:

generating a synthetic recurring record using the first plurality of non-recurring records;

performing a synchronization of the synthetic recurring record with a record of the second database;

if one of the record, the synthetic record, and a non-recurring record in the first plurality of non-recurring records is outside the narrow date range, fanning the synthetic record, or the record of the second database if it is a recurring record, into a second plurality of non-recurring records within the narrow date range.

23. The method of claim 3 wherein the narrow date range comprises a concatenation of a first date range for the first database and a second date range for the second database.

24. The method of claim 3 wherein records representatives of the records of the first and second databases during the prior synchronization are stored in a history file, and wherein performing the current synchronization includes performing the synchronization using the history file.

25. The method of claim 3 wherein the user-specified date includes a date determined based on a user-specified criterion.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the date determined based on the user-specified criterion includes a date of an instance of a recurring record.

27. The method of claim 3 further comprising obtaining from a user information to determine the narrow date range.

28. A computer implemented method of synchronizing at least a first and a second database, each one containing date bearing records, wherein the date comprises a user-specified date, the method comprising:

identifying date bearing records of the first database that are within a narrow date range narrower than a date range of the records of the first database; and

synchronizing at least one of the identified date bearing records of the first database with one of the date bearing records of the second database.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of performing a current synchronization further includes deleting records of the first database that are outside of the narrow date range.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the first database contains a recurring record, the method further comprising fanning the recurring record within the narrow date range.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the first database contains a recurring record, further comprising:

fanning the recurring record within a useful portion of the narrow date range, the useful portion being determined by application of a preference based on a current date of the current synchronization.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein records representatives of the records of the first and second databases during a prior synchronization are stored in a history file, and wherein performing the current synchronization includes performing the synchronization using the history file.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the prior synchronization was performed across a prior narrow date range, such prior narrow date range being different from a current narrow date range of the current synchronization, and wherein performing the current synchronization further comprises performing the synchronization using the history file and the prior narrow date range.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the narrow date range is a concatenation of the current narrow date range and the prior narrow date range stored in a history file during the prior synchronization.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the step of performing a current synchronization further includes deleting records of the first database that were present during a previous synchronization and that, following the current synchronization, are outside of the current narrow date range.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the step of performing a current synchronization further includes updating or deleting records of the first and second databases that are outside of the current narrow date range and within the narrow date range, based on the current synchronization.

37. The method of claim 28 wherein the current narrow date range comprises a relative narrow date range, the relative narrow date range being determined relative to a date of the current synchronization.

38. The method of claim 28 further comprising obtaining from a user information to determine the narrow date range.

39. The method of claim 28 wherein the user-specified date includes a date determined based on a user-specified criterion.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the date determined based on the user-specified criterion includes a date of an instance of a recurring record.

41. A computer program, resident on a computer readable medium, for synchronizing at least a first and a second database each containing dated records such as events, wherein the records of the first database extend across a narrow date range narrower than the date range of the records of the second database, comprising instructions for:

performing a prior synchronization across a prior date range set using the date of the prior synchronization and the narrow date range;

storing the prior date range and a history file containing information representative of the content of the databases following the prior synchronization;

performing a current synchronization across a date range that combines the prior date range with a current date range set using the date of the current synchronization and the narrow date range.

42. The computer program of claim 41 wherein the date of each record being synchronized is compared to a start and stop date of a date range to determine whether the record is in range.

43. A computer program, resident on a computer readable medium, for synchronizing at least a first and a second database, each one containing date bearing records, wherein the date comprises a user-specified date, comprising instructions for:

identifying date bearing records of the first and second database that are within a narrow date range narrower than a date range of the records of one of the first and the second databases; and

performing a current synchronization across the narrow date range by synchronizing the identified date bearing records.

44. The computer program of claim 43 wherein the instruction for performing a current synchronization further comprises instructions for adding, modifying, or deleting records of the first database within the narrow date range.

45. The computer program of claim 43 wherein the instruction for performing a current synchronization further includes instructions for deleting records of the first database that are outside of the narrow date range.

46. The computer program of claim 43 wherein the narrow date range has a start date and a stop date and the date of a record being synchronized is compared to the start date and the stop date of the narrow date range to determine whether the record is within the narrow date range.

47. The computer program of claim 46 wherein the date of a record being synchronized includes a record start date and a record stop date, the computer program further comprises instructions for:

performing a comparison of the record start date to the stop date of the narrow date range and of the record stop date to the start date of the narrow date range;

determining based on the comparison whether the record is within the narrow date range.

48. The computer program of claim 43 wherein the first database contains a recurring record, the computer program further comprising instructions for fanning the recurring record within the narrow date range.

49. The computer program of claim 43 wherein the first database contains a recurring record, further comprising instructions for:

fanning the recurring record within a useful portion of the narrow date range, the useful portion being determined by application of a preference based on a current date of the current synchronization.

50. The computer program of claim 49 wherein the preference includes a preference for future dates compared to the current date over past dates compared to the current date.

51. The computer program of claim 49 wherein the preference includes a preference for dates closer to the current date over dates further from the current date.

52. The computer program of claim 43 wherein a prior synchronization was performed across a prior narrow date range, such prior narrow date range being different from a current narrow date range of the current synchronization, wherein records representatives of the records of the first and second databases during the prior synchronization are stored in a history file, and wherein performing the current synchronization further comprises instructions for performing the synchronization using the history file and the prior narrow date range.

53. The computer program of claim 52 wherein the narrow date range is a concatenation of the current narrow date range and the prior narrow date range stored in a history file during the prior synchronization.

54. The computer program of claim 52 wherein the instruction for performing a current synchronization further comprises instructions for adding, modifying, or deleting records of the first database that are within the current narrow date range.

55. The computer program of claim 52 wherein the instruction for performing a current synchronization further includes instructions for deleting records of the first database that were present during a previous synchronization and that, following the current synchronization, are outside of the current narrow date range.

56. The computer program of claim 52 wherein the instruction for performing a current synchronization further includes instructions for updating or deleting records of the first and second databases that are outside of the current narrow date range and within the narrow date range, based on the current synchronization.

57. The computer program of claim 52 wherein the instruction for performing a current synchronization further comprises instructions for, based on a selection by a user, performing one of:

(a) deleting the records of the first database that were present during a previous synchronization and that, following the current synchronization, are outside of the current narrow date range, and

(b) updating or deleting records of the first and second databases that are outside of the current narrow date range and within the narrow date range, based on the current synchronization.

58. The computer program of claim 52 wherein one of the narrow date range, the prior narrow date range, and the current narrow date range includes a start date and a stop date and the date of a record being synchronized is compared to the start date and the stop date to determine whether the record is within a corresponding one of the narrow date range, the prior narrow date range, and the current narrow date range.

59. The computer program of claim 58 wherein a record being synchronized includes a record start date and a record stop date, the computer program further comprising instructions for:

performing a comparison of the record start date to the stop date of one of the narrow date range, the prior narrow date range, and the current narrow date range, and of the record stop date to the start date of the corresponding one of the narrow date range, the prior narrow date range, and the current narrow date range;

determining based on the comparison whether the record is within the corresponding one of the narrow date range, the prior narrow date range, and the current narrow date range.

60. The computer program of claim 52 wherein the current narrow date range comprises a relative narrow date range, the relative narrow date range being determined relative to a date of the current synchronization.

61. The computer program of claim 43 wherein the narrow date range comprises a relative narrow date range, the relative narrow date range being determined relative to a date of the current synchronization.

62. The computer program of claim 43 wherein the first database contains a first plurality of non-recurring records representing a plurality of recurring date bearing instances, the computer program further comprising instructions for:

generating a synthetic recurring record using the first plurality of non-recurring records;

performing a synchronization of the synthetic recurring record with a record of the second database;

if one of the record, the synthetic record, and a non-recurring record in the first plurality of non-recurring records is outside the narrow date range, fanning the synthetic record, or the record of the second database if it is a recurring record, into a second plurality of non-recurring records within the narrow date range.

63. The computer program of claim 43 wherein the narrow date range comprises a concatenation of a first date range for the first database and a second date range for the second database.

64. The computer program of claim 43 wherein records representatives of the records of the first and second databases during the prior synchronization are stored in a history file, and wherein the performing the current synchronization includes instructions for performing the synchronization using the history file.

65. The computer program of claim 43 wherein the user-specified date includes a date determined based on a user-specified criterion.

66. The computer program of claim 65 wherein the date determined based on the user-specified criterion includes a date of an instance of a recurring record.

67. The computer program of claim 43 further comprising instructions for obtaining from a user information to determine the narrow date range.

68. A computer program, resident on a computer readable medium, for synchronizing at least a first and a second database, each one containing date bearing records, wherein the date comprises a user-specified date, comprising instructions for:

identifying date bearing records of the first database that are within a narrow date range narrower than a date range of the records of the first database; and

synchronizing at least one of the identified date bearing records of the first database with one of the date bearing records of the second database.

69. The computer program of claim 68 wherein the instruction for performing a current synchronization further includes instructions for deleting records of the first database that are outside of the narrow date range.

70. The computer program of claim 68 wherein the first database contains a recurring record, the computer program further comprising instructions for fanning the recurring record within the narrow date range.

71. The computer program of claim 68 wherein the first database contains a recurring record, further comprising instructions for:

fanning the recurring record within a useful portion of the narrow date range, the useful portion being determined by application of a preference based on a current date of the current synchronization.

72. The computer program of claim 68 wherein records representatives of the records of the first and second databases during the prior synchronization are stored in a history file, and wherein the performing the current synchronization includes instructions for performing the synchronization using the history file.

73. The computer program of claim 72 wherein the prior synchronization was performed across a prior narrow date range, such prior narrow date range being different from a current narrow date range of the current synchronization, and wherein performing the current synchronization further comprises instructions for performing the synchronization using the history file and the prior narrow date range.

74. The computer program of claim 73 wherein the narrow date range is a concatenation of the current narrow date range and the prior narrow date range stored in a history file during the prior synchronization.

75. The computer program of claim 73 wherein the instruction for performing a current synchronization further includes instructions for deleting records of the first database that were present during a previous synchronization and that, following the current synchronization, are outside of the current narrow date range.

76. The computer program of claim 73 wherein the instruction for performing a current synchronization further includes instructions for updating or deleting records of the first and second databases that are outside of the current narrow date range and within the narrow date range, based on the current synchronization.

77. The computer program of claim 68 wherein the narrow date range comprises a relative narrow date range, the relative narrow date range being determined relative to a date of the current synchronization.

78. The computer program of claim 68 further comprising instructions for obtaining from a user information to determine the narrow date range.

79. The computer program of claim 68 wherein the user-specified date includes a date determined based on a user-specified criterion.

80. The computer program of claim 77 wherein the date determined based on the user-specified criterion includes a date of an instance of a recurring record.