Persistent storage file change tracking

• US 7,657,574 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Anoop, Stelzel, William E., Hall, Gary William, Tran, Anh Phuong
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali; Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ruiz; Angelica
• Application Number:
  US11/144,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707200-206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Systems and methodologies that facilitate synchronization of a mobile device with a source, via employing a file change tracking database table created in non-volatile memory to designate files for synchronization. The subject invention includes a file modification logger that detects and track changes to files across multiple file systems. The file change tracking database table has a plurality of columns such as: a unique identification column that identifies a file, a file name, previous time the file was changed, and previous time the file was synchronized with a particular machine. A list of files that have changed between a current time and an earlier time can be designated for synchronization, by evaluating when was the file last changed and/or synchronized with a source device (e.g., a desktop, or a lap top.)

Claims

1. A system that facilitates synchronization between a mobile device and a source, the system comprising:

a file change tracking database table as part of a non-volatile storage medium, which select files for synchronization with a first source and provides for registration of an operating system (OS) of the device, such registration provides notification for when a file is changed;

a file modification logger that interacts with the OS, to supply information about modified files to the file change tracking data base, the file modification logger comprises a memory that stores data related to event tracking for a file, and upon reaching a predetermined level, pointers associated with the memory are reset, data is overwritten on contents of the memory, and data is transported to other components; and

a timer that selectively associates a time stamp with modification events of files as the files are modified, such a time stamp includes at least one of a bit count, a time of day indicator, a real time count, an absolute time count, or a relative time count, so that once information about the files has been modified, the information is gathered and reflected in an associated column in the file change tracking database table;

wherein the file change tracking database table also synchronizes the mobile device with a second source, and wherein after synchronization with the second source, synchronization back with the first source occurs and changes occurring by synchronization with the second source are propagated up to the first source;

wherein if a conflict occurs, such that both the first and second sources report changes to same file since last synchronization, the conflict is presented to the user and resolved via employing conflict resolution algorithms; and

wherein artificial intelligence schemes are employed for learning when the file change tracking database table should be modified or a file rollback to an earlier state should be implemented.

2. The system of claim 1, the file change tracking data base table includes a column that contains unique identification for a file to be synchronized.

3. The system of claim 2, the file change tracking database table includes a column that contains a time the file was last modified.

4. The system of claim 3, the file change tracking database table includes a column that contains a previous time the file was synchronized with the first source.

5. The system of claim 4, the file change tracking database table includes a column that contains a previous time the file was synchronized with the second source.

6. The system of claim 4, the file change tracking database table indicates a value of “

1”

for a previous time the file was changed and a value of “

0”

for the previous time the file was synchronized with the first source.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the file change tracking database table synchronizes the mobile device with multiple sources to enable files to cross-pollinate between the sources via version tracking among the sources.

7. A method of synchronizing a mobile device with a source, the method comprising:

creating a file change tracking database table as part of a non-volatile storage medium;

providing for registration of an operating system (OS) of the device, such registration provides notification for when a file is changed;

employing attributes of a filing system to select files from the file change tracking database table for synchronization;

selectively associating a time stamp with modification events of files as the files are modified, such a time stamp includes at least one of a bit count, a time of day indicator, a real time count, an absolute time count, or a relative time count;

gathering the modified information from the files and reflecting the modified information in an associated column in the file change tracking database table;

synchronizing the mobile device with a second source, such that a first source is ignored and a user designates a group of files that require synchronization with the second source;

synchronizing back with the first source, such that changes occurring by synchronization with the second source are propagated up to the first source;

presenting a conflict to the user and resolving the conflict via employing conflict resolution algorithms; and

synchronizing the mobile device with multiple sources to enable files to cross-pollinate between the sources via version tracking among the sources, wherein artificial schemes are employed for learning when the file change tracking database table should be modified or a file rollback to an earlier state should be implemented.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising indicating a last time a file was modified in the file change tracking database table.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising indicating a last time the file was synchronized with the first source.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising comparing a last time the file was synchronized with the last time the file was modified.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising synchronizing the file with the first source based on the comparing act.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising updating the file change tracking database table upon completion of synchronization.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising rolling back to an earlier state of the file.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising identifying a file as a new file to the table, if an associated path does not appear in the file change tracking database table.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising assigning a new ID to the new file for an addition to the file change tracking database table.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising designating a file as deleted when a file system scan fails to show the file that appears in the file change tracking database table.

19. The method of claim 7, further comprising modeling user behavior to determine when a roll back to an earlier state of the files can be implemented, or to obtain a state of the files at a particular synchronization stage.

20. The method of claim 7, further comprising employing artificial intelligence schemes for learning when the file change tracking database table should be modified.

17. A system that facilitates synchronization between a mobile device and a source, the system comprising:

means for selecting files for synchronization and creating a file change tracking database table as part of a non-volatile storage medium;

means for supplying information about modified files to the means for selecting files;

means for selectively associating a time stamp with modification events of files as the files are modified, such a time stamp includes at least one of a bit count, a time of day indicator, a real time count, an absolute time count, or a relative time count;

means for gathering the modified information from the files and reflecting the modified information in an associated column in the file change tracking database table;

means for synchronizing the mobile device with a second source;

means for synchronizing back with the first source, such that changes occurring by synchronization with the second source are propagated up to the first source;

means for presenting a conflict to the user and resolving the conflict per each item via employing conflict resolution algorithms; and

means for modeling user behavior to determine when a roll back to an earlier state of the files can be implemented, or to obtain a state of the files at a particular synchronization stage, wherein artificial schemes are employed for learning when the file change tracking database table should be modified or a file rollback to an earlier state should be implemented.