Hybrid replication scheme with data and actions for wireless devices

• US 7,032,003 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Union Gold Holdings, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shi, Shepherd S. B., Droste, William M., Rinkevich, Debora B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAYARD, DJENANE M
• Application Number:
  US09/928,925
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 707/201, 707/1, 707/10, 707/202, 707/204, 707/232, 707/203, 709/211
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method is provided to synchronize a local data storage on a wireless computing device with a remote data storage located on a server based upon user defined business logic stored on the server and corresponding to a particular data object. The method employs a synchronization message that includes a data object to be updated, a corresponding action that has been performed on the data object and an old data object corresponding to the data object prior to when the action was performed. The user can define, by means of the business logic, validation, processing and conflict resolution functionality specific to a particular type of data object. The method includes provisions for both on-line and off-line synchronization.

Claims

1. A method of database synchronization between a first database on a server and

a second corresponding database on a wireless computing device, comprising the steps of:

generating on a wireless computing device a synchronization request message, wherein the synchronization request message includes a data object, and an action executed on the data object;

transmitting the synchronization request message from the wireless computing device to a server;

validating the data object and the action on the server based upon the synchronization request message and business logic, defined by a user of the wireless computing device, corresponding to a domain of the data object;

updating remote data the on the server based upon the business logic;

generating a synchronization response message on the server based on results corresponding to the validating and the updating steps, wherein the synchronization response message includes a value corresponding to the results;

transmitting the synchronization response message from the server to the wireless computing device; and

updating a data storage on the wireless computing device based upon the synchronization response message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless computing device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

prior to the transmitting step, determining whether or not the wireless computing device is in an on-line mode or an off-line mode; and

if the wireless computing device is in an on-line mode, proceeding to the transmitting of the synchronization request message step;

or

if the wireless computing device is in an off-line mode, placing the synchronization request message into a synchronization queue; and

proceeding to the transmitting of the synchronization request message step once the wireless computing device is in the on-line mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization request message includes an old data object corresponding to the data object prior to the execution of the action, and the validating step comprises the step of:

comparing the old data object to a second data object, in the remote data storage, corresponding to the data object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the synchronization response message includes the copy of the data object if the old data object does not match the copy of the data object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization request message includes a first timestamp corresponding to a time the action was executed on the data object, and the validating step comprises the step of:

comparing the first timestamp with a second timestamp on a second object, stored in the remote data storage, corresponding to the data object.

7. A method of verifying an action taken on a data object stored on a local data storage of a wireless computing device, comprising the steps of:

generating a synchronization request message on a wireless computing device, wherein the synchronization request message includes a copy of a data object on a local data storage, an action that has been taken on the data object, and an old data object corresponding to the data object prior to when the action was taken;

transmitting the synchronization request message from the wireless computing device to a server;

processing the copy of the data object on a remote data storage on the server based upon business logic corresponding to a domain of the data object and defined by a user of the wireless computing device;

generating on the server a synchronization response message based upon a result of the processing step, wherein the synchronization response message includes a value corresponding to the result; and

transmitting the synchronization response message to the wireless computing device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

resetting the data object to the value of the old data object if the synchronization response message indites that the processing step was not successful;

or

setting a status corresponding to the data object to a value of “

updated”

if the synchronization response message indicates the processing step was successful.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing step comprises the steps of:

validating the copy of the data object; and

if the validating is successful,

updating a second data object, in the data storage of the server, corresponding to the data object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the validating step comprises the step of:

comparing the old data object to the second data object.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the synchronization request message includes a first timestamp corresponding to the data object, and the validating step comprises the step of:

comparing the first timestamp with a second timestamp corresponding to the second data object.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless computing device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless computing device is a computer.

14. A distributed data storage system, comprising:

a wireless computing device, comprising;

a local data storage;

logic for generating a synchronization request message, comprising;

a copy of a data object corresponding to a data object stored in the local data storage;

an action corresponding to an operation performed on the data object; and

an old data object corresponding to the data object prior to when the operation was performed on the data object; and

a server, comprising;

a remote data storage;

business logic for processing the synchronization request message, generating on the server a synchronization response message based upon a result of the processing step, and transmitting the synchronization response message to the wireless computing device, wherein the business logic is defined by a user of the wireless computing device and corresponds to a domain of the data object and the synchronization response message includes a value corresponding to the result.

15. The distributed data storage system of claim 14, wherein the business logic comprises:

validating logic for determining whether or not the action can be executed on a second data object in the remote data storage and corresponding to the data object;

logic for executing the action on the second data object when the validation logic determines that the action can be executed on the second data object; and

conflict resolution logic that executes when the validation logic determines that the action cannot be executed on the second data object.

16. The distributed data storage system of claim 15, wherein the validation logic comprises:

logic for comparing the old data object to the second data object.

17. The distributed data storage system of claim 15, wherein the synchronization request message includes a first timestamp corresponding to the data object and the validation logic comprises:

logic for comparing the first timestamp with a second timestamp corresponding to the second data object.

18. The distributed data storage system of claim 14, wherein the wireless computing device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

19. The distributed data storage system of claim 14, wherein the wireless computing device is a computer.