Offline synchronization capability for client application

• US 7,966,426 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Eric, Stillion, Cameron, Ash, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates; Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTINEZ, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US11/599,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/213, 709/227, 709/224, 709/237, 715/755, 707/8, 707/200, 707/201, 707/204, 707/2, 710/63, 1/1
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and UI modifications for existing applications are used to implement efficient methods for taking content offline with full synchronization, incremental synchronization, in the case of document libraries per-folder synchronization, and the like. The APIs provide support for synchronizing changes to attachments, the ability to download a document library'"'"'s complete contents or only a list of the available documents, and read-only folder hierarchy replication in the case of document libraries. These abilities coupled with corresponding user interface features enable easier browsing and searching of large document library structures, making edits to those documents offline, being able to see an up-to-date version of those documents in a preview mode, and receiving reminders when offline edits remain on the local computer and need to be updated to a server.

Claims

1. A method to be executed at least in part in a computing device for sharing data with offline editing capability, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first client, data and a first change token from a share server;

translating the received data;

storing the translated data at a data store associated with a client application;

making the stored data available to the client application;

receiving user-provided offline edits, wherein the offline edits comprise a plurality of changes to the stored data;

sending a request for a change log to the share server, the request specifying the first change token, and wherein the change log comprises changes made to the data by one or more other clients since the first change token was received;

receiving a second change token and the change log from the share server;

identifying at least one conflict between the offline edits and the list of changes in the change log;

resolving the at least one conflict at the client, wherein resolving comprises determining a conflict winner of the at least one conflict;

synchronizing the data associated with the conflict winner by initiating a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) call; and

creating a client-side list of the synchronized data associated with the conflict winner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization is one or more of:

full synchronization, incremental synchronization, and per-folder synchronization.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to one of the plurality of changes comprising a change on an attached document uploading the attached document to the share server for synchronization.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises one or more of:

contents of a document library associated with the share server, a read-only folder hierarchy replication, and a list of available documents from the share server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an up-to-date version of the data to a user in a preview mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a reminder to a user to initiate synchronization until the offline edits are uploaded to the share server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the client application reflects a document'"'"'s state instead of checking out the document from the share server and provides a cache for a user to open and preview the document.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises contents of a document library and the synchronizing-comprises:

synchronizing one of;

a complete hierarchy and a selected portion of the hierarchy of the document library at folder level.

9. A system for sharing data with offline editing capability, comprising:

one or more processors for executing computer readable instructions; and

one or more computer storage media that store computer readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors provide;

a data store for storing received data from a share server;

a client application for consuming the stored data;

a sharing Application Programming Interface (API) configured to;

receive, at a first client, the data and a first change token from the share server;

translate the data;

make the stored data available to the client application;

receive user-provided offline edits, wherein the offline edits comprise a plurality of changes to the stored data;

send a request for a change log to the share server, the request specifying the first change token, and wherein the change log comprises a list of changes made to the data by one or more other clients since the first change token was received;

receive a second change token and the change log from the share server;

identify at least one conflict between the offline edits and the list of changes in the change log;

resolve the at least one conflict at the client, wherein resolve comprises a determination by the client of a conflict winner for the at least one conflict;

synchronize the data associated with the conflict winner with the share server; and

create a client-side list of the synchronized data associated with the conflict winners.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sharing API is further configured to exchange the data with a plurality of share servers using alternative Uniform Resource Locators (URLs).

11. The system of claim 9, wherein client application is an electronic mail application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sharing API is further configured to synchronize at least one from a set of:

a calendar, a contact list, a task list, a discussion thread, and a document library with corresponding data at the share server.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the sharing API is further configured to synchronize off-line edits to recurring appointments with exceptions.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the sharing API is further configured to provide an attachment for consumption by a desktop application associated with the electronic mail application.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the electronic mail application is further configured to provide a sharing attribute associated with a shared document through a user interface.

16. A computer storage medium where the medium does not include a signal encoding instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for sharing data with offline editing capability, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first client, data and a first change token from a share server;

translating the received data;

storing the translated data at a data store associated with a client application;

making the stored data available to the client application;

receiving user-provided offline edits, wherein the offline edits comprise a plurality of changes to the stored data;

sending a request for a change log to the share server, the request specifying the first change token, and wherein the change log comprises a list of changes made to the data by one or more other clients since the first change token was received;

receiving a second change token and the change log from the share server;

identifying at least one conflict between the offline edits and the list of changes in the change log;

resolving the at least one conflict at the client, wherein resolving comprises determining a conflict winner for the at least one conflict;

synchronizing the data associated with the conflict winner with the share server, wherein the client application reflects a document'"'"'s state instead of checking out the document from the share server; and

creating a client-side list of the synchronized data associated with the conflict winner.

17. The computer storage medium where the medium does not include a signal of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise:

synchronizing the data with a plurality of alternative share servers.

18. The computer storage medium where the medium does not include a signal of claim 17, wherein at least one of the alternative share servers is associated with an extranet.