System using change log stored at a server to identify changes to user's application data for synchronizing data between systems

• US 7,415,486 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2003
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FusionOne Incorporated (Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Multer, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LUU, LE HIEN
• Application Number:
  US10/659,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20040054711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 707/203, 707/201, 707/101, 707/204, 707/200, 710/100, 714/15, 709/248, 713/400, 713/401
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system and method for synchronizing devices which can couple to the Internet, or any network. In one aspect a system for synchronizing data between a first system and a second system is provided. The system includes a first sync engine on the first system interfacing with data on the first system to provide difference information. A data store is coupled to the network and in communication with the first and second systems. A second sync engine is provided on the second system coupled to receive the difference information from the data store via the network, and interface with data on the second system to update said data on the second system with said difference information. Difference information is transmitted to the data store by the first sync engine and received from the data store from the second sync engine. A method for synchronizing at least a first file and a second file resident on the first and second systems, respectively, coupled to the Internet, respectively, is also provided. The method includes the steps of: determining difference data resulting from changes to the first file on the first system; transmitting the difference data to a server via the Internet; querying the server from a second system to determine whether difference data exists for files on the second system; retrieving the difference data to the second system; and updating the second file on the second system with the difference data.

Claims

1. An system for synchronizing data between a first system and a second system, comprising:

a first sync engine on the first system interfacing with application data and a previous state of application data associated with the first system to generate a first change log, each change log identifying one or more changes to application data for a particular user, and including binary difference data and structured application data;

a data store coupled to network and in communication with the first and second systems storing at least one change log from the first sync engine; and

a second sync engine on the second system coupled to receive the first change log from the data store, and interfacing with application data on the second system to update said data on the second system with difference information in said first change log.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a third device having a third sync engine interfacing with application data and a previous state of application data associated with the application data on the third device to generate a second change log.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein data store stores said first and said second change logs.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first and second change logs contain difference information for a particular user.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second sync engine is coupled to receive the first and second change logs from the data store and interfaces with application data on the second system to update data on the second system with difference information in said first and second change logs.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the change log is transmitted to the data store at a first point in time, and received from the data store at a second, subsequent point in time.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second sync engine interfaces with said data on the second system to provide a third change log.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first sync engine couples to the data store to retrieve the third change log and interfaces with the data on the first system to update said data on the first system with said third change log.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a management server coupled to the network and in communication with the first sync engine, the second sync engine and the data store.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said management server authorizes access of difference information on the data store by the first and second sync engines.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said data comprises changes to a previous state of the data, and said difference information comprises said changes in an encoded, universal format.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each said sync engine comprises:

an application data interface; and

a difference transaction generator.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first system includes a processing device and a data storage apparatus, and the previous state of data is provided on the data storage apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the previous state of data is provided on a storage device in communication with the first system.

15. An method for synchronizing data between a first system and a second system, comprising:

receiving at least one change log from a first sync engine on the first system reflecting changes to data on the first system between said data and a data store reflecting a previous state of data on the first system each change log in one or more changes to application data for a particular user, and including binary difference data and structured application data;

storing said at least one change log in a data storage server coupled to the network and in communication with the first system and the second system; and

providing said at least one change log to a second sync engine on the second system coupled to receive the change log from the data store, and interfacing with data on the second system to update said data on the second system with difference information in said change log.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of receiving occurs at a first point in time, and said step of providing occurs at a second, subsequent point in time.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of providing is performed in response to a call from the second system for at least one change log.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving at least a first and a second change log, the first and the second change log including changes for a respective first and second users.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said steps are performed on an Internet coupled processing device.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving at least a first and a second change logs from at least a respective first and second systems, each said change log including changes for a respective first and second users.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the receiving step includes receiving a plurality of change logs.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the providing step includes providing at least one of the plurality of change logs to the second system.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein each of said plurality of change logs includes changes for a user.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said plurality of change logs includes changes for at least two users, each change log containing changes for one of said at least two users.

25. A method for transmitting changes between a first system and a second system on a network, comprising:

providing, to a first system, code operable to extract a change log of differences between at least a first data file on the first system and a data store associated with the first system, each change log identifying one or more changes to application data for a particular user, and including binary difference data and structured application data;

storing ones of said change logs on a data storage device coupled to the network, said change logs being segregated by user; and

providing, to a second system, code operable to apply the change log from the first system, and code operable to extract a second change log of differences between a second data file on the second system and a data store associated with the second system.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the first change transactions are transmitted to the data store by the first system at a first point in time and received from the data store by the second device at a second, subsequent point in time.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the first differencing code receives second change transactions from the data store to and interfaces with at least the first data file on to update said data with said second change log.

28. The method of claim 25 further including the step of:

receiving a plurality of change logs from a the code on the first system and the second system, each change log reflecting changes to data for a user on one of the systems, the changes being between application data on the system and a data store reflecting a previous state of data on the system.

29. The method of claim 28 further including the step of:

providing one or more of said plurality of change logs for the user to a requesting one of said systems, said requesting one of said systems including code interfacing with data on the system to update said data on the system with difference information in said change log.

30. An method for synchronizing data, comprising:

receiving a plurality of change logs from a plurality of sync engines, each change log reflecting changes to data for a user on one of a plurality of systems between application data on the system and a data store reflecting a previous state of data on the system, each change log identifying one or more changes to application data for a particular user, and including binary difference data and structured application data;

storing said plurality of change log in a data storage server coupled to the network and in communication with at least one of the plurality of systems; and

providing one or more of said plurality of change logs for the user to a requesting one of said plurality of systems, said requesting one of said plurality of system including code interfacing with data on the second system to update said data on the second system with difference information in said change log.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving at least one change log with data for a first user and at least one change log with data for a second user.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of providing includes providing at least one change log for the first or the second user.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of providing includes providing all change logs for the respective first or second user.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein said step of receiving occurs at a first point in time, and said step of providing occurs at a second, subsequent point in time.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of providing is performed in response to a call from the second system for at least one change log.