Method and system for transferring information during server synchronization with a computing device

• US 7,257,649 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Scott, Brian, George, David J., Susser, Martin, Rabbers, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, ASHOKKUMAR B
• Application Number:
  US09/976,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,133 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/247, 709/248, 709/250, 707/10, 707/103.R, 707/201, 707/101, 707/203, 707/204
• US Class Current: 709/248
• 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: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transferring information in synchronizing a server and a handheld device are disclosed. The information is binary information that is then compressed using a suitable compression algorithm. The compressed binary data is then text encoded using a suitable text encoding algorithm. The text encoded information is then encoded according to a protocol associated with the connection between the server and the handheld device. For example, the server can perform the compression and encoding operations on database data to be downloaded to the handheld device to reduce the time needed to transfer the information between the server and the handheld device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a server sending an identification to a synchronization client executing on a handheld device, wherein the identification relates to a database version;

the synchronization client comparing the identification received from the server with a locally stored identification;

the synchronization client sending a first message to the server if the identification does not compare equally with the locally stored identification;

in response to receiving the first message, the server sending a size of binary information to the synchronization client;

the synchronization client comparing the size of the binary information with an amount of storage available in the handheld device;

the synchronization client sending a second message to the server if the synchronization client determines that the amount of storage available in the handheld is greater than the size of the binary information

in response to the server receiving the message, the server compressing the binary information prior to transfer;

the server encoding the compressed binary information using a text encoder prior to transfer; and

the server encoding the text encoded information prior to transfer according to a protocol associated with a connection between the server and the synchronization client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the binary information is compressed using a Zip compression utility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the text encoder comprises a Base-64 encoder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the protocol is the hypertext transfer protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the binary information comprises database data stored on the server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the binary information comprises metadata stored on the server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the binary information comprises transaction information stored on the handheld device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising parsing the binary information into smaller units.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

means for comparing an identification with a locally stored identification, wherein the identification relates to a database version;

means for sending a first message if the identification does not compare equally with the locally stored identification;

means for sending a size of binary information to a handheld device in response to receiving the first message;

means for comparing the size of binary information and an amount of storage available in the handheld device;

means for sending a message to a server if the size of binary information is less than the amount of storage available in the handheld device;

means for compressing the binary information prior to transfer to the handheld device;

means for text encoding the compressed binary information prior to transfer to the handheld device; and

means for encoding the text encoded information prior to transfer to the hand held device according to a protocol associated with a connection between the server and the handheld device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for compressing binary information comprises a Zip compression utility.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for text encoding comprises a Base-64 encoder.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the protocol is the hypertext transfer protocol.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the binary information comprises database data stored on the server.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the binary information comprises metadata stored on the server.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the binary information comprises transaction information stored on the handheld device.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprises further comprising means for parsing the binary information into smaller units.

17. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that when executed by a server cause the server to perform operations comprising:

sending an identification to a handheld device, wherein the identification relates to a database version

comparing a size of binary information and an amount of storage available in a hand held device in response to the server receiving information from the hand held device that identifies the amount of storage available in the handheld device and in response to the server receiving a first message from the handheld device indicating the identification does not compare equally to a locally stored identification;

in response to determining that the amount of storage in the handheld device exceeds the size of the binary information, compressing the binary information prior to transfer to the handheld device;

encoding the compressed binary information using a text encoder; and

encoding the text encoded information prior to transfer to the handheld device according to a protocol associated with a connection between the server and the handheld device.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the binary information is compressed using a Zip compression utility.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the text encoder comprises a Base-64 encoder.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the protocol is the hypertext transfer protocol.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the binary information comprises database data stored on the server.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the binary information comprises metadata stored on the server.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises parsing the binary information into smaller units.