File synchronisation

• US 7,395,281 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Edwards, Nicholas H
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly; Cheyne D
• Application Number:
  US10/469,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,288 Days
• Field of Search: 707/203, 707/204, 709/200
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

In order to allow files structures at different locations to be synchronized, a folder tree descriptive of each set of folders is created and stored at a plurality of locations. On subsequent interconnection of the two locations a new tree is created for each location and the earliest of the old trees is used to determine which files, folders or paths of the two locations have been amended. This enables deletion or re-synchronization of files between the two locations even though files may have been worked on at different locations and at different times.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing data held in a respective plurality of files in each of a plurality of data stores where file structures of at least first and second of said data stores have been used to previously create first and second hierarchical directory trees, wherein the first and second hierarchical directory trees are respectively represented by a file path listing comprising one or more files with their respective file modification dates;

said method comprising;

determining a file structure of said first data store to create a first new hierarchical directory tree, wherein the first new hierarchical directory tree is represented by a file path listing comprising one or more files with their respective modification dates;

determining a file structure of said second data store to create a second new hierarchical directory tree, wherein the second new hierarchical directory tree is represented by a file path listing comprising one or more files with their respective modification dates;

comparing the modification date of a previously created first hierarchical directory tree held in said first data store with the modification date a previously created second hierarchical directory tree held in said second data store to determine which was earliest created; and

comparing the modification date of the earliest created of said previously created hierarchical directory trees with the modification date each of said first new hierarchical directory tree and said second new hierarchical directory tree to determine which files are differentiated from a previous synchronization between the two data stores;

updating differentiated files in either the first or the second data store either by deleting files from one store or copying a later file version or new file from one of said stores to the other of said stores in dependence upon the comparison result and storing the first and second new hierarchical directory trees in their respective data stores for subsequent synchronizations.

2. A method of synchronizing data as in claim 1, further comprising:

storing the first new hierarchical directory tree together with differentiated files on a transportable medium,

transporting said medium to a second location and effecting comparison between the first new hierarchical directory tree and the previously created second hierarchical directory tree,

whereby data files held at said second location are synchronized at said first location.

3. A method of synchronizing data as in claim 2, further comprising:

storing the second new hierarchical directory tree on the transportable medium together with differentiated files from said second data store,

whereby the transportable medium can be used to effect re-synchronization of files, which have been modified at said second location, at said first location.