Method for data synchronization and update conflict resolution between mobile clients and server in mobile system

• US 7,543,047 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Joong Bae, Park, Joong-Ki, Son, Duk Joo
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): AILES, BENJAMIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/422,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 707200-202
• US Class Current: 709/221
• 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 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for data synchronization and update conflict resolution between mobile clients and a server in a mobile system which maintains consistency of data between the clients and the server and enables the clients to continuously perform an effective update operation with respect to objects of the server even in a clients'"'"' disconnection state by the mobile clients performing an independent update operation with respect to disjoint fragments and associated objects for a specified object using the structure of the objects and the meaning of applications and then performing the data synchronization and the conflict resolution between the clients and the server during a reconnection operation. The method includes a copy management step of copying data of a server-side DB into a client-side built-in DB and the server managing contents of copying and a copying time, a data synchronization step of synchronizing changed data between the mobile clients and the DB server with respect to a data change produced during the mobile clients'"'"' disconnection state in accordance with a request of the mobile clients after a reconnection of the mobile clients, and a conflict detection and resolution step of detecting an error that damages consistency of the data in the data synchronization process and resolving the detected error.

Claims

1. A method for data synchronization and update conflict resolution between a plurality of mobile clients and a database (DB) server in a mobile system, the method comprising:

a copy management step of copying data of a server-side DB into a client-side built-in DB and the server managing contents of copying and a copying time;

a data synchronization step of synchronizing changed data between the mobile clients and the DB server with respect to a data change produced during a disconnection state of the mobile clients in accordance with a request from the mobile clients after a reconnection of the mobile clients; and

a conflict detection and resolution step of detecting an error that damages consistency of the data in the data synchronization process and resolving the detected error;

wherein in the copy management step,

the mobile client

(i) checks out from the server (a) main object disjoint fragments for a specified main object and (b) at least a subsidiary object different from and associated with the main object, and

(ii) copies the main object disjoint fragments into its own DB for use during the disconnection state, and

the server

(iii) allows a master copy of the checked-out subsidiary object maintained at said server to be available for downloading and updating by mobile clients other than the mobile client checking out the checked-out subsidiary object, wherein copies of the checked-out subsidiary object exist not only at the server and said mobile client, but also at other mobile clients, and

(iv) makes the checked-out main object fragments maintained at said server unavailable for loading or updating by the other mobile clients, wherein copies of the checked-out main object fragments exist only at the server and said mobile client, and not at any other mobile clients.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

wherein in the copy management step, the mobile client requests the main object disjoint fragments by submitting to the server information on a main object to be checked-out, a fragmentation selection criterion of the checked-out main object, and a list of subsidiary objects to be checked-out with the checked-out main object, and the server performs a fragmentation of the checked-out main object according to the fragmentation selection criterion, and transmits the checked-out main object disjoint fragments and copies of the checked-out subsidiary objects, which are in a write-subordinate relation with the disjoint fragments, to the mobile client.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data synchronization step is performed according to a specified reconciliation (RC) protocol, and comprises the steps of:

the mobile client reconnecting to the server and requesting a RC for the disconnection period;

the server checking an RC list and transmitting a time stamp value of firstly produced nodes among non-transmitted nodes by checkout subsidiary objects to the mobile client that requested the RC;

the mobile client searching whether a referential transaction produced after the time stamp exists;

the mobile client requesting the RC information to the server if the referential transaction exists;

the mobile client informing that the RC is unnecessary if the referential transaction does not exist;

the server transmitting node information on the non-transmitted nodes to the mobile client if RC information is requested;

the server transmitting a latest value of the checkout subsidiary object to the mobile client if the RC information is unnecessary;

the mobile client performing the RC by combining the node information transmitted from the server; and

the server removing, from the RC list, the node information transmitted to the mobile client if the RC is completed.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein in the conflict detection and resolution step, the mobile client detects the conflict in a referential transaction that uses the checkout subsidiary object by combining the node information from the server with its own log, and if the conflict is detected between the referential transaction and the log information of the node, undoing the referential transaction and resolving the conflict according to a specified rule of a compensation transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data synchronization step is performed according to a specified reconciliation (RC) protocol, and comprises the steps of:

the mobile client reconnecting to the server and requesting an RC for work performed during the disconnection state;

the server checking an RC list and transmitting a time stamp value of a firstly produced mode among non-transmitted modes by checkout subsidiary objects to the mobile client that requested the RC;

the mobile client searching whether a referential transaction produced after the time stamp exists;

the mobile client requesting RC information from the server if the referential transaction exists;

the mobile client informing the server that the RC is unnecessary if the referential transaction does not exist;

the server transmitting mode information on the non-transmitted modes to the client if RC information is requested by the mobile client;

the server transmitting a latest value of the checkout subsidiary object if the mobile client informs the server that RC information is unnecessary;

the mobile client performing the RC work by combining the mode information transmitted from the server; and

if the RC work of the mobile client is completed, the server removing the mode information transmitted to the mobile client from the RC list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein in the conflict detection and resolution step, the mobile client detects the conflict in a referential transaction that uses the checkout subsidiary object by combining the mode information from the server with its own log, and if the conflict is detected between the referential transaction and the log information of the mode, undoing the referential transaction and resolving the conflict according to a specified rule of a compensation transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the checked-out main object fragments maintained at said server are invisible to the other mobile clients until said mobile client has checked-in the fragments back into the server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the copy management step,

the master copy of the checked-out subsidiary object is maintained at said server, and

a master copy of the checked-out main object fragments is maintained at said mobile client until said mobile client has checked-in the checked-out main object fragments back into the server at which time the server again becomes the master of the main object fragments and makes said main object fragments available for downloading by any one of the mobile clients.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein

the main object is independently operable at the mobile clients in the disconnection state;

and

the subsidiary object is referred to when the main object is independently operated at any of the mobile clients in the disconnection state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the checked-out main object and subsidiary object are cached together in said mobile client.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein, when the checked-out main object is operated at said mobile client in the disconnection state,

no direct conflict in the checked-out main object with other mobile clients is produced, and

only indirect conflicts in the checked-out subsidiary object with other mobile clients are subject to conflict detection and resolution in the conflict detection and resolution step.

12. A method for data synchronization and update conflict resolution between a plurality of mobile clients and a database (DB) server in a mobile system, the method comprising:

a copy management step of copying data from the server to a first mobile client among the plurality of mobile clients;

a data synchronization step of synchronizing changed data between the first mobile client and the server, with respect to a data change occurred during a disconnection state of the first mobile client, in accordance with a request from the first mobile client after a reconnection of the first mobile client; and

a conflict detection and resolution step of detecting an error that damages consistency of the data in the data synchronization step and resolving the detected error;

wherein in the copy management step,

the first mobile client requests to check out from the server (a) main object disjoint fragments of a specified main object and (b) at least a subsidiary object different from and associated with the main object;

the server transmits the checked-out main object disjoint fragments and a copy of the checked-out subsidiary object to the first mobile client;

the first mobile client copies the checked-out main object disjoint fragments transmitted from the server into a DB of said first mobile client for use during the disconnection state;

the server maintains a master copy of the checked-out subsidiary object and makes said master copy available for downloading and updating by mobile clients other than the first mobile client; and

the server makes the checked-out main object fragments unavailable for checking-out or updating by the other mobile clients until the first mobile client has checked-in the main object fragments back into the server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

when the first mobile client checks-in the main object fragments back into the server, values of the checked-out main object fragments stored in the server are replaced by values of the checked-out main object fragments transmitted from the first mobile client.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein

the main object to be checked-out is an object that is independently operable in the respective client and is re-combinable with the consistency in meaning.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the subsidiary object is updateable only in the server.