Bypassing an intermediate synchronization server of a three tiered synchronization system

• US 7,634,519 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Hrischuk, Curtis E., Wimer, William C. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Khanh B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yen; Syling
• Application Number:
  US11/015,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 707/201, 707/100, 707/204, 707/8, 707/9, 707/10, 707/200, 707/203, 709/218, 709/228
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A bypasser configured to operate within a three tiered synchronization system. The bypasser can include an interceptor and an inference engine. The interceptor can intercept synchronization requests before a synchronization event involving a synchronization server is initiated. The inference engine can determine if the data store and the another data store are to be synchronized and can selectively initiate the synchronization event based on the determination of the inference engine. For example, when the inference engine determines that synchronization is not to occur, the bypasser can convey a notification that no update is needed to the source of an intercepted synchronization request without requiring the synchronization server to process the synchronization request. When the inference engine determines that synchronization is to occur, the bypasser can convey an intercepted synchronization request to the intermediate synchronization server for processing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for preventing empty update events within a three tiered synchronization system having a client, a synchronization server, and a data server, said method comprising the steps of:

periodically polling the client, the synchronization server, and the data server until an update in at least one among a data store of the client and a data store of the data server is detected;

wherein the client, the synchronization server, and the data server each resides on an independent entity separately;

establishing an indicator, wherein a default state is set when no update is detected and an update flag is set upon detecting the update;

intercepting a synchronization request by an interceptor from one of the client and the data server for synchronizing with the other one of the client and the data server;

determining whether or not a data update is necessary based upon the established indicator before the synchronization request is conveyed from the interceptor to the synchronization server;

conveying the synchronization request to the synchronization server if it is determined that a data update is necessary; and

conveying a notification that no data update is needed to the client or the data server from which the synchronization request was intercepted, without conveying the synchronization request to the synchronization server, if it is determined that a data update is not necessary;

wherein synchronization operations are bidirectional operations such that synchronization occurs between the client'"'"'s data store and the server'"'"'s data store as well as between the server'"'"'s data store and the client'"'"'s data store;

wherein the notification is sent to either the client or the data server depending on the database in which an update has been detected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step indicates that a data update is not necessary when the flags indicate that an empty update event would result from the synchronization request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization server initiates a synchronization action between the client and the data server upon receiving the synchronization request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a synchronization request for synchronizing the data store of the client with a data store of a second data server;

before the synchronization request associated with the second data server is conveyed to a synchronization server associated with the second data server, determining based upon a previously established indicator whether a data update is necessary; and

selectively initiating a synchronization event based upon results of the determining step such that the synchronization request associated with the second data server is conveyed to the synchronization server associated with the second data server only when the indicator indicates that a non-empty update event would result.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the client resides within a handheld device and wherein the data server is a personal information management (PIM) data server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the client resides within a handheld device and wherein the data server is a form server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the client resides within a handheld device and wherein the data server is a relational database server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization of data between the client and the data server utilizes the SynchML protocol.

9. A machine-readable storage for handling empty update events within a three tiered synchronization system having a client, synchronization server, and data server, the machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

periodically polling the client, the synchronization server, and the data server until an update in at least one among a data store of the client and a data store of the data server is detected;

wherein the client, the synchronization server, and the data server each resides on an independent entity separately;

establishing an indicator, wherein a default state is set when no update is detected and an update flag is set upon detecting the update;

intercepting a synchronization request by an interceptor from one of the client and the data server for synchronizing with the other one of the client and the data server;

determining whether or not a data update is necessary based upon the established indicator before the synchronization request is conveyed from the interceptor to the synchronization server;

conveying the synchronization request to the synchronization server if it is determined that a data update is necessary; and

conveying a notification that no data update is needed to the client or the data server from which the synchronization request was intercepted, without conveying the synchronization request to the synchronization server, if it is determined that a data update is not necessary;

wherein synchronization operations are bidirectional operations such that synchronization occurs between the client'"'"'s data store and the server'"'"'s data store as well as between the server'"'"'s data store and the client'"'"'s data store;

wherein the notification is sent to either the client or the data server depending on in which database an update has been detected.

10. A computer-implemented system for preventing empty update events within a three tiered synchronization system having a client, a synchronization server, and a data server, said method comprising the steps of:

at least one processor;

at least one memory;

means for periodically polling the client, the synchronization server, and the data server until an update in at least one among a data store of the client and a data store of the data server is detected;

wherein the client, the synchronization server, and the data server each resides on an independent entity separately;

means for establishing an indicator, wherein a default state is set when no update is detected and an update flag is set upon detecting the update;

an interceptor for intercepting a synchronization request by an interceptor from one of the client and the data server for synchronizing with the other one of the client and the data server;

means for determining whether or not a data update is necessary based upon the established indicator before the synchronization request is conveyed from the interceptor to the synchronization server;

means for conveying the synchronization request to the synchronization server if it is determined that a data update is necessary; and

means for conveying a notification that no data update is needed to the client or the data server from which the synchronization request was intercepted, without conveying the synchronization request to the synchronization server, if it is determined that a data update is not necessary;

wherein synchronization operations are bidirectional operations such that synchronization occurs between the client'"'"'s data store and the server'"'"'s data store as well as between the server'"'"'s data store and the client'"'"'s data store;

wherein the notification is sent to either the client or the data server depending on in which database an update has been detected.