System and method for translating synchronization information between two networks based on different synchronization protocols

• US 6,928,458 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cedola, Kent D., Flanagin, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford
• Assistant Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US09/892,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 707203-204, 707100-1041, 707 3- 6, 707/10, 707/31, 707/201, 707/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A system and method is described for translating events originally identified as “change” events in one replication protocol to “add” events in another replication protocol where appropriate. More particularly, a WebDAV-based system interacts with a non-WebDAV based system. On a first replication transaction between the two systems, a sync state table is created on an intermediate server or a server that facilitates communication between the two systems. The sync state table is linked to the non-WebDAV system for future replication transactions. The sync state table maintains a list of objects that have been sent to the non-WebDAV system in past replication transactions. Thereafter, for each replication transaction, a manifest of changes since the last replication transaction is transmitted from the WebDAV system to the intermediate server. The manifest includes information in accordance with the WebDAV protocol, i.e. without notice of “add” events. For each “change” event in the manifest, the object reported as changed is compared to the list of objects in the sync state table from the previous transaction. If the object does not exist in the table then the intermediate server changes the object'"'"'s type from a “change” event to an “add” event and the object is added to the sync state table. When the manifest has been fully processed, the sync state table is persisted for future use.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for replicating information, comprising:

receiving a first manifest of modifications to a data store, wherein the first manifest is compatible with a synchronization protocol that does not support add events;

comparing the first manifest of modifications to a list of objects within a mobile data store;

altering the first manifest to reflect that a particular modification is associated with an add event for an object not on the list of objects within the mobile data store when the particular modification identified in the first manifest is interpreted as being associated with a change event for the object not on the list of objects; and

creating a second manifest of modifications from the altered first manifest, wherein the second manifest is compatible with a synchronization protocol that supports add event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising passing the second manifest to a mobile device on which resides the mobile data store.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second manifest includes modifications that describe add events, change events, and delete events.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the add events, change events, and delete events describe actions to be performed on objects that reside in the mobile data store.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first manifest does not contain a modification that describes an add event, and wherein the second manifest contains at least one modification that describes an add event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first manifest is created in accordance with a Document Authoring and Versioning (DAV) protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second manifest is not consistent with a DAV protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first manifest is created in response to a request to synchronize the data store and the mobile data store.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request to synchronize comprises a search request for objects on the data store that have changed since a prior synchronization transaction between the data store and the mobile data store.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the request to synchronize comprises a search request for objects on the data store that have been deleted since a prior synchronization transaction between the data store and the mobile data store.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for synchronizing data between a first data store and a second data store, comprising:

issuing a sync request to the first data store, the first data store containing a collection of data objects;

receiving from the first data store a first manifest that includes records describing objects that have changed state on the first data store since a prior synchronization transaction between the first data store and the second data store, wherein each record identifies an action associated with the corresponding object, wherein the first manifest is compatible with a synchronization protocol that does not support add events, and wherein the action is either a change event or a delete event;

comparing the first manifest to a sync state table identifying objects that exist on the second data store;

altering the action associated with an object to an add event when the object is not in the sync state table arid when a record associated with the object in the first manifest is interpreted as being associated with a change event; and

creating a second manifest that includes the altered record, wherein the second manifest is compatible with a synchronization protocol that supports add events.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising including in the sync state table the object that was not in the sync state table.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising passing the second manifest to the second data store.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising passing the object that was not in the sync state table to the second data store.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first data store and the second data store each contain copies of the collection of data objects.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the data objects comprise e-mail messages.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the data objects comprise contact information objects.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for synchronizing data between a first data store and a second data store, comprising:

receiving from the second data store a request to synchronize data objects on the second data store with data objects on the first data store;

determining whether a sync state table exists that is associated with the second data store, wherein the sync state table identifies the data objects on the second data store

if the sync state table does not exist, creating the sync state table to identify the data objects on the second data store;

issuing a search request to the first data store;

in response to the search request, receiving a first manifest of data objects on the first data store, wherein the first manifest is compatible with a synchronization protocol that does not support add events;

including in the sync state table any objects identified in the first manifest that are associated with a change event but are not included in the data objects of the first data store; and

creating a second manifest of data objects by altering the first manifest, wherein the second manifest is compatible with a synchronization protocol that supports add events, and wherein the second manifest associates an add event with each object identified in the first manifest but not identified in the sync state table.

19. The computer-readable medium claim 18, further comprising passing the second manifest to the second data store.