Synchronizing data in a distributed data processing system

• US 7,930,269 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Richard Thomas, Hindle, Guy Patrick, Porter, Lawrence Leon, Wallis, Graham Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US10/537,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,933 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/612, 707/616, 707/617, 707/620
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication

Abstract

A method of synchronization for use in a distributed data processing system comprising a legacy computer having means for storing a master version of data, an application server, and a thin client computer which stores a copy of the master version of data. Firstly, the thin client executes operations locally on the copy. The operations are sent in a list to the application server. The application server executes the operations on the master data, on behalf of the thin client. If the operations can be executed successfully on the master version, synchronization occurs in that the successful operations are applied to the master version.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing data in a distributed data processing system comprising:

storing a master data in at least one legacy computer system;

enabling a first non-legacy computer to support synchronization;

storing a copy of the master data in a second non-legacy computer;

executing, by said second non-legacy computer, at least one operation on said copy of the master data;

sending, by said second non-legacy computer, said at least one operation to said first non-legacy computer;

replaying, by said first non-legacy computer, said at least one operation;

determining whether the at least one operation is successful; and

in response to a determination that the at least one operation is successful, synchronizing said master data by applying said at least one operation to form a modified copy of the master data.

2. The method in claim 1, further comprising sending, by the second non-legacy computer, a synchronization protocol to the first non-legacy computer.

3. The method in claim 1, wherein said at least one operation further comprises at least two operations which are replayed by said first non-legacy computer sequentially.

4. The method in claim 1, wherein the replaying, by said first non-legacy computer further comprises:

sending by said first non-legacy computer the results from said at least one operation, to said second non-legacy computer; and

sending by said first non-legacy computer the modified copy of the master data, to said second non-legacy computer.

5. The method in claim 1, further comprises:

responsive to a determination that the at least one operation is not successful, not synchronizing the master data.

6. An apparatus in a middle-tier computer, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive, via a first software connector, at least one operation from a thin client computer, wherein the thin client computer stores a copy of master data from a legacy computer and executes the at least one operation on the copy of the master data;

sequentially replay the at least one operation on the master data at the legacy computer via a second software connector;

determine whether the at least one operation is successful; and

in response to a determination that the at least one operation is successful, synchronize the master data by applying the at least one operation via the second software connector to form new master data at the legacy computer, such that in response to a determination that the at least one operation is not successful, the middle-tier computer does not synchronize the master data.

7. The apparatus in claim 6, wherein instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a synchronization protocol from the thin client computer via the first software connector.

8. The apparatus in claim 6, wherein the at least one operation further comprises at least two operations that are replayed by the middle-tier computer sequentially.

9. The apparatus in claim 6, wherein replaying the at least one operation on the master data at the legacy computer further comprises:

sending the results from the at least one operation to the thin client computer via the first software connector; and

sending the new master data to the thin client computer via the first software connector.

10. A computer program product comprising a computer recordable medium having a computer readable program recorded thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a middle tier computer, causes the middle tier computer to:

receive, via a first software connector, at least one operation from a thin client computer, wherein the thin client computer stores a copy of master data from a legacy computer and executes the at least one operation on the copy of the master data;

sequentially replay the at least one operation on the master data at the legacy computer via a second software connector;

determine whether the at least one operation is successful; and

in response to a determination that the at least one operation is successful, synchronize the master data by applying the at least one operation via the second software connector to form new master data at the legacy computer, such that in response to a determination that the at least one operation is not successful, the middle-tier computer does not synchronize the master data.

11. The computer program product in claim 10, wherein the computer readable program further causes the middle tier computer to:

receive a synchronization protocol from the thin client computer via the first software connector.

12. The computer program product in claim 10, wherein the at least one operation further comprises at least two operations that are replayed by the middle-tier computer sequentially.

13. The computer program product in claim 10, wherein replaying the at least one operation on the master data at the legacy computer further comprises:

sending the results from the at least one operation to the thin client computer via the first software connector; and

sending the new master data to the thin client computer via the first software connector.