File tree change reconciler

• US 7,085,779 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Pandey, Vivek, Holtz, Brian, Dubey, Nidheesh, Sharma, Aseem, Balasubramanian, Vijay
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): OHBA, MELLISSA M
• Application Number:
  US10/021,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 395/601, 395/617, 395/619, 707 1- 10, 707/103, 707200-204, 707/102, 707/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for reconciling any changes that have occurred in two file trees since they were last synchronized. A reconciler takes as input two logs of the changes made in the respective file trees. The first log resides on a client computing device, and the second log resides on a server computing device. The reconciler outputs two sets of changes that need to be applied to the respective file trees in order to synchronize them. The reconciler detects and outputs a list of changes that conflict with each other.

Claims

1. A method of reconciling changes made to a first file tree and a second file tree comprising:

receiving a first change log corresponding to said first file tree and a second change log corresponding to said second file tree;

determining a first set of changes to make to said first file tree using said second change log;

determining a second set of changes to make to said second file tree using said first change log;

reconciling said first and said second file trees using said first and said second set of said change logs;

detecting one or more changes in said first set that conflict with said second set; and

determining whether reconciling said first and said second file trees creates an unresolvable loop in at least one of said first and said second file trees.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting one or more changes that conflict comprises:

generating said conflict list.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first file tree resides on a client.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said second file tree resides on a server.

5. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for reconciling changes made to a first file tree and second file tree, said computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to receive a first change log corresponding to said first file tree and a second change log corresponding to said second file tree;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to determine a first set of changes to make to said first file tree using said second change log;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to determine a second set of changes to make to said second file tree using said first change log;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to reconcile said first file tree and said second file tree using said first and said second set of change logs;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to detect one or more changes in said first set that conflict with said second set; and

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to determine whether reconciling said first and said second file trees creates an unresolvable loop in at least one of said first and said second file trees.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 5 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to generate a conflict list.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 5 wherein said first file tree resides on a client.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 5 wherein said second file tree resides on a server.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to reconcile changes made to a first and a second file tree, said computer program product comprising;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to receive a first change log corresponding to a first file tree and a second change log corresponding to a second file tree;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to determine a first set of changes to make to said first file tree using said second change log;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to determine a second set of changes to make to said second file tree using said first change log;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to reconcile said first and said second file trees using said first and said second set of change logs;

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to detect one or more changes in said first set that conflict with said second set; and

computer readable code configured to cause a computer to determine whether reconciling said first and said second file trees creates an unresolvable loop in at least one of said first and said second file trees.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

computer readable code configured to generate a conflict list.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said first file tree resides on a client.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said second file tree resides on a server.

13. A system for reconciling changes made to a first and a second file tree comprising:

a memory having a program that receives a first change log corresponding to a first file tree and a second change log corresponding to a second file tree, determines a first set of changes to make to said first file tree using said second change log,

determines a second set of changes to make to said second file tree using said first change log,

reconciles said first and said second file trees using said first and said second set of change logs,

detects one or more changes in said first set that conflict with said second set,

determines whether reconciling said first and said second file trees creates an unresolvable loop in at least one of said first and said second file trees; and

a processor for running the program.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein detecting one or more changes that conflict comprises:

generating said conflict list.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said first file tree resides on a client.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said second file tree resides on a server.