Method and apparatus for synchronizing databases connected by wireless interface

• US 7,613,739 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Linkert, Barry, Tysowski, Piotr K., Hardy, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Jessica N
• Application Number:
  US11/280,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/104.1, 707/200, 707/201, 707/203, 709/248, 713/400
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A method of synchronizing at least one database including at least one updated data record with at least one other database including a corresponding data record. The method includes comparing at least one field of data of the updated data record with a corresponding field of the data record prior to updating, generating change information including at least the location of a change and an indication representative of the change for the field of the updated data record, and transmitting the change information for assembly in the corresponding data record.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing at least one database of a first apparatus, said at least one database including at least one updated data record, with at least one other database of a second apparatus including a corresponding data record, the method implemented in the first apparatus, the method comprising:

comparing byte information of at least one updated field of data of the updated data record with last synchronized byte information of a corresponding field of said corresponding data record;

generating byte change information including;

at least a location of a data change in said updated field, represented by a byte index position;

an indication representative of data change for said updated field of the updated data record, said indication representative of data change comprising;

a length value of data; and

if said data change comprises an addition or replacement of data in said updated field, new data representative of said data change,

wherein when said byte change information includes information relating to a plurality of data changes in said updated field and two of said plurality of data changes are separated in byte position by fewer than a threshold number of bytes, said at least a location of a data change includes a single location of data change for said two data changes and said byte change information includes an indication representative of both said two data changes;

comparing a size of said byte change information to a total size of said updated field; and

if said byte change information is smaller than said total size, transmitting said byte change information, to said second apparatus, for assembly in said corresponding data record, otherwise transmitting said updated field, to said second apparatus, for assembly in said corresponding data record.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein if said data change comprises a deletion of data, then said indication representative of data change further comprises a negative length value representative of a number of bytes deleted in said data change.

3. An apparatus for synchronizing at least one database including at least one updated data record with at least one other database including a corresponding data record, the apparatus comprising:

a memory device for storing said at least one database including said at least one updated data record; and

a processor operably coupled to said memory device and to a transmitting and receiving device, for comparing byte information of at least one updated field of data of the updated data record with last synchronized byte information of a corresponding field of said corresponding data record,

generating byte change information including;

at least a location of a data change in said at least one updated field, represented by a byte index position;

an indication representative of data change for said updated field of the updated data record, said indication representative of data change comprising;

a length value of data; and

if said data change comprises an addition or replacement of data in said updated field, new data representative of said data change,

wherein when said byte change information includes information relating to a plurality of data changes in said at least one updated field and two of said plurality of data changes are separated in byte position by fewer than a threshold number of bytes, said at least a location of data change includes a single location of data change for said two data changes and said byte change information includes an indication representative of both said two data changes, comparing a size of said byte change information to a total size of said updated field, and if said byte change information is smaller than said total size, transmitting said byte change information for assembly in said corresponding data record, otherwise transmitting said updated field for assembly in said corresponding data record.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if said data change comprises a deletion of data, then said indication representative of data change further comprises a negative length value representative of a number of bytes deleted in said data change.

5. A computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for:

comparing byte information of at least one updated field of data of the updated data record with last synchronized byte information of a corresponding field of said corresponding data;

generating byte change information including;

at least a location of a data change in said at least one updated field, represented by a byte index position; and

an indication representative of data change for said updated field of the updated data record, said indication representative of data change comprising;

a length value of data; and

if said data change comprises an addition or replacement of data in said updated field, new data representative of said data change,

wherein when said byte change information includes information relating to a plurality of data changes in said at least one updated field and two of said plurality of data changes are separated in byte position by fewer than a threshold number of bytes, said at least a location of data changes includes a single location of data change for said two data changes and said byte change information includes an indication representative of both said two data changes;

comparing a size of said byte change information to a total size of said updated field; and

if said byte change information is smaller than said total size, transmitting said byte change information for assembly in said corresponding data record, otherwise transmitting said updated field for assembly in said corresponding data record.