Synchronizing over a number of synchronization mechanisms using flexible rules
First Claim
1. In a network that includes a first computer system having a first data store and second computer system having a second data store, a method for synchronizing the first and second data stores in a flexible manner considering the circumstances that exist at the time of synchronization, the method comprising the following:
- an act of the first computer system determining that a data item is to be synchronized;
an act of the first computer system identifying which of a plurality of synchronization mechanisms, including one or more hardwired or wireless communication connections, are available to use for synchronization;
an act of the first computer system consulting a set of one or more flexible selection rules to select a synchronization mechanism, the set of one or more flexible roles taking into consideration value, from having access to synchronized data, relative to at least one of (i) an economic cost for synchronization using each available synchronization mechanism, (ii) network security for each available synchronization mechanism, or (iii) security of the second computer system, or (iv) value of data being synchronized and thereby selecting an available synchronization mechanism appropriate for the data item given the one or more flexible selection rules; and
an act of the first computer system using the selected synchronization mechanism to synchronize the data item with the second computer.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Two computer systems in a network each have a local store that contains a copy of a data item that is to be synchronized. One of the computer systems may be, for example, a mobile device while the other may be a synchronization server. In order to determine whether to synchronize a data item, and what synchronization mechanism to use, one of the computer systems references a flexible set of rules that may be influenced by instructions from a network administrator or a mobile device user. The flexible set of rules takes into consideration the value of the data, the cost associated with synchronization, the security of the synchronization mechanisms, the security of the mobile device, as well as the location of the mobile user in dictating whether and how to synchronize.
122 Citations
58 Claims
-
1. In a network that includes a first computer system having a first data store and second computer system having a second data store, a method for synchronizing the first and second data stores in a flexible manner considering the circumstances that exist at the time of synchronization, the method comprising the following:
-
an act of the first computer system determining that a data item is to be synchronized; an act of the first computer system identifying which of a plurality of synchronization mechanisms, including one or more hardwired or wireless communication connections, are available to use for synchronization; an act of the first computer system consulting a set of one or more flexible selection rules to select a synchronization mechanism, the set of one or more flexible roles taking into consideration value, from having access to synchronized data, relative to at least one of (i) an economic cost for synchronization using each available synchronization mechanism, (ii) network security for each available synchronization mechanism, or (iii) security of the second computer system, or (iv) value of data being synchronized and thereby selecting an available synchronization mechanism appropriate for the data item given the one or more flexible selection rules; and an act of the first computer system using the selected synchronization mechanism to synchronize the data item with the second computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. A computer program product for use in a network that includes a first computer system having a first data store and second computer system having a second data store, the computer program product for implementing a method for synchronizing the first and second data stores in a flexible manner considering the circumstances that exist at the time of synchronization, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon the following:
-
computer-executable instructions for determining that a data item is to be synchronized; computer-executable instructions for identifying which of a plurality of synchronization mechanisms, including one or more hardwired or wireless communication connections, are available to use for synchronization; computer-executable instructions for consulting a set of one or more flexible selection rules to select a synchronization mechanism, the set of one or more flexible rules taking into consideration value, from having access to synchronized data, relative to at least one of (i) an economic cost for synchronization using each available synchronization mechanism, (ii) network security for each available synchronization mechanism, or (iii) security of the second computer system, or (iv) value of data being synchronized, and thereby selecting an available synchronization mechanism appropriate for the data item given the one or more flexible selection rules; and computer-executable instructions for using the selected synchronization mechanism to synchronize the data item with the second computer. - View Dependent Claims (43)
-
-
44. In a network that includes a first computer system having a first data store and second computer system having a second data store, a method for synchronizing the first and second data stores in a flexible manner considering the circumstances that exist at the time of synchronization, the method comprising the following:
-
an act of the first computer system determining whether to synchronize a data item by consulting a set of one or more flexible selection rules, the set of one or more flexible rules taking into consideration value, from having access to synchronized data, relative to at least one of (i) an economic cost for synchronization using each available synchronization mechanism, (ii) network security for each available synchronization mechanism, or (iii) security of the second computer system,or (iv) value of data being synchronized, and thereby also determining an available synchronization mechanism appropriate for the data item given the one or more flexible selection rules; and an act of the first computer system synchronizing the data item with the second computer if the first computer system determines that the data item is to be synchronized based on the one or more flexible selection rules and each available synchronization mechanism, including one or more hardwired or wireless communication connections. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
-
-
55. A computer program product for use in a network that includes a first computer system having a first data store and second computer system having a second data store, the computer program product for implementing a method for synchronizing the first and second data stores in a flexible manner considering the circumstances that exist at the time of synchronization, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon the following:
-
computer-executable instructions for determining whether to synchronize a data item by consulting a set of one or more flexible selection rules, the set of one or more flexible rules taking into consideration value, from having access to synchronized data, relative to at least one of (i) an economic cost for synchronization using each available synchronization mechanism, (ii) network security for each available synchronization mechanism, (iii) security of the second computer system, or (iv) value of data being synchronized, and thereby also determining an available synchronization mechanism appropriate for the data item given the one or more flexible selection rules; and computer-executable instructions for synchronizing the data item with the second computer if the first computer system determines that the data item is to be synchronized based on the one or more flexible selection rules and each available synchronization mechanism, including one or more hardwired or wireless communication connections. - View Dependent Claims (56)
-
-
57. A network system comprising the following:
-
a synchronization server comprising a data store, a networking module, and a processing module configured to access the data store as well as communicate over a network using the networking module; a mobile device having a data store, a networking module, and a processing module configured to access the data store of the mobile device as well as communicate with the synchronization server over the network using the networking module of the mobile device, the processing device of the mobile device configured to perform the following; determine that a data item is to be synchronized; identify which of a plurality or synchronization mechanisms, including one or more hardwired or wireless communication connections, are available to use for synchronization; consult a set of one or more flexible selection rules to select a synchronization mechanism, the set of one or more flexible rules taking into consideration value, from having access to synchronized data, relative to at least one or (i) an economic cost for synchronization using each available synchronization mechanism, (ii) network security for each available synchronization mechanism, (iii) security of the second computer system, or (iv) value of data being synchronized and thereby select an available synchronization mechanism appropriate for the data item given the one or more flexible selection rules; and use the selected synchronization mechanism to synchronize the data item.
-
-
58. A network system comprising the following:
-
a synchronization server comprising a data store, a networking module, and a processing module configured to access the data store as well as communicate over a network using the networking module; a mobile device having a data store, a networking module, and a processing module configured to access the data store of the mobile device as well as communicate with the synchronization server over the network using the networking module of the mobile device, the processing device of the synchronization server configured to perform the following; determine that a data item is to be synchronized; identify which of a plurality of synchronization mechanisms, including one or more hardwired or wireless communication connections, are available to use for synchronization; consult a set of one or more flexible selection files to select a synchronization mechanism, the set of one or more flexible rules taking into consideration value, from having access to synchronized data, relative to at least one of (i) an economic cost for synchronization using each available synchronization mechanism, (ii) network security for each available synchronization mechanism, (iii) security of the second computer system, or (iv) value of data being synchronized and thereby select an available synchronization mechanism appropriate for the data item given the one or more flexible selection rules; and use the selected synchronization mechanism to synchronize the data item.
-
Specification