Preserving memory resources by limiting time-date information for a subset of properties

• US 7,007,045 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Starbuck, Bryan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean Bolte
• Application Number:
  US10/878,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 709/240, 709/236, 709/248
• US Class Current: 707/610
• 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 16/275 Synchronous replication
• 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: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Example embodiments provide for preserving memory resources by selecting property values to be assigned time-date information used in resolving conflicts between sync values. The property values may be selected based on the available resources of a remote device, e.g., when the time-date information is to be stored in a field of limited space. Further, the property values may be selected based on historical information, such as the most recently or frequently modified values. Other example embodiments also provide for storing an upper and/or lower boundary of time-date information for the remaining property values not selected. For example, the most recently modified property time-date value may be used for the upper boundary and the oldest modified time-date value may be used for the lower boundary.

Claims

1. In a distributed computing system capable of synchronizing data between devices, a method of preserving memory resources by selecting property values to be assigned time-date information used in resolving conflicts between sync values, the method comprising acts of:

receiving a plurality of property values from a remote device;

selecting a limited set of property values from among the plurality of property values based on the available resources of the remote device;

identifying a set of time-date information from a plurality of time-date information corresponding to the plurality of property values, each of the property values in the limited set corresponding to a different portion of the set of time-date information and indicating when each of the property values within the limited set where last modified by a user;

storing the different portions of time-date information in a remote database of the remote device, identifying a portion of time-date information from the plurality of time-date information for one or more remaining property values from the plurality of property values, the one or more remaining property values not being in the limited set of property values, and the portion of time-date information corresponding to when at least one of the one or more remaining property values where modified by a user; and

storing the identified portion of time-date information in one location in the remote database such that the identified portion of time-date information corresponds to all of the one or more remaining property values.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more remaining property values are represented by a combined representation value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the combined representation value is a hash of the remaining portion of property values.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the identified portion of time-date information for the one or more remaining property values most recently time-date value, oldest time-date value, or both.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the portion of time-date information for the one or more remaining property values is one or more of a Hexadecimal number of the time-date information, stored down to the seconds, stored down to the minutes or stored in a time zone independent format.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the property values in the limited set are stored as a representation of the corresponding property value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the representation of the corresponding property values are a hash of the corresponding property value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the property values in the limited set are stored as a representation of the corresponding property value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the representation of the corresponding property values are a hash of the corresponding property value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-date information is one or more of a Hexadecimal number of the time-date information, stored down to the seconds, stored down to the minutes or stored in a time zone independent format.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the available resources is a limited size of a field.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the limited set of property values is also based historical information associated with the modification of the plurality of property values.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the historical information is the frequency for which each of the plurality of property values are modified, and wherein the most frequently modified property values are selected.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the historical information is time-date information for the plurality of property values, and wherein the most recently modified property values are selected.

15. In a distributed computing system capable of synchronizing data between devices, a computer program product for implementing a method of preserving memory resources by selecting property values to be assigned time-date information used in resolving conflicts between sync values, computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, can cause the distributed computing system to perform the following:

receive a plurality of property values from a remote device;

select a limited set of property values from among the plurality of property values based on the available resources of the remote device;

identify a set of time-date information from a plurality of time-date information corresponding to the plurality of property values, each of the property values in the limited set corresponding to a different portion of the set of time-date information and indicating when each of the property values within the limited set where last modified by a user;

store the different portions of time-date information in a remote database of the remote device;

identify a portion of time-date information from the plurality of time-date information for one or more remaining property values from the plurality of property values, the one or more remaining property values not being in the limited set of property values, and the portion of time-date information corresponding to when at least one of the one or more remaining property values where modified by a user; and

store the identified portion of time-date information in one location in the remote database such that the identified portion of time-date information corresponds to all of the one or more remaining property values.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the one or more remaining property values are represented by a combined representation value.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the combined representation value is a hash of the remaining portion of property values.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the identified portion of time-date information for the one or more remaining property values most recently time-date value, oldest time-date value, or both.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the portion of time-date information for the one or more remaining property values is one or more of a Hexadecimal number of the time-date information, stored down to the seconds, stored down to the minutes or stored in a time zone independent format.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein each of the property values in the limited set are stored as a representation of the corresponding property value.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the representation of the corresponding property values are a hash of the corresponding property value.

22. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein each of the property values in the limited set are stored as a representation of the corresponding property value.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the representation of the corresponding property values are a hash of the corresponding property value.

24. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the time-date information is one or more of a Hexadecimal number of the time-date information, stored down to the seconds, stored down to the minutes or stored in a time zone independent format.

25. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the available resources is a limited size of a field.

26. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the selection of the limited set of property values is also based historical information associated with the modification of the plurality of property values.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the historical information is the frequency for which each of the plurality of property values are modified, and wherein the most frequently modified property values are selected.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the historical information is time-date information for the plurality of property values, and wherein the most recently modified property values are selected.

29. In a distributed computing system capable of synchronizing data between devices, a computer program product for implementing a method of preserving memory resources by selecting property values to be assigned time-date information used in resolving conflicts between sync values, computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, can cause the distributed computing system to perform the following:

receive a plurality of property values from a remote device;

select a limited set of property values from among the plurality of property values based on the available resources of the remote device;

identify a set of time-date information from a plurality of time-date information corresponding to the plurality of property values, each of the property values in the limited set corresponding to a different portion of the set of time-date information and indicating when each of the property values within the limited set where last modified by a user, wherein the time-date information is one or more of a Hexadecimal number of the time-date information, stored down to the seconds, stored down to the minutes or stored in a time zone independent format; and

store the different portions of time-date information in a remote database of the remote device.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the selection of the limited set of property values is also based historical information associated with the modification of the plurality of property values.