Methods and systems for caching and synchronizing project data

• US 8,005,710 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bhat, Sudin, Iyer, Raju, Vishnumurty, Rajendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett; Jonathan G
• Application Number:
  US10/952,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20060070019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,520 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for intelligently managing project data in a project management application. According to various aspects of the invention, project management data may be loaded and saved to a local cache of a client computer, such as a hard disk cache. The invention also provides a mechanism for reducing the size of data downloaded from and sent to a project server during load and save times.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing project data synchronization between a project management application of a client device and a project server, the computer-implemented method comprising:

on the client device, obtaining a copy of a complete project schedule stored on a project server, wherein the copy of the project schedule includes a plurality of project tasks, wherein the copy of the project schedule is stored in a cache memory of the client device, wherein the cache memory includes a table of project tasks, separate from the copy of the project schedule, wherein each of the project tasks include a version stamp that indicates a version for the project task;

on the client device, receiving a change to at least one project task of the plurality of project tasks of the copy of the project schedule;

wherein the change is maintained in the cache memory of the client device;

determining, by a cache manager of the client device, whether the change includes data updates of a size that meets a preset change threshold stored with the cache manager, wherein the change threshold is a percentage threshold of a permitted amount of data updates maintained in the cache memory in relation to the total data of the copy of the project schedule stored in the cache memory;

upon determining that the change threshold has been met, causing the cache manager of the client to;

identify properties of each change of the data updates that are maintained in the cache memory,

send the properties of each change to the project server without sending properties of unchanged portions of the project schedule in order to cause an update to the project schedule stored on the project server with the properties of the change,

receive an updated version stamp for each change from the project server, and

update the table located in the cache manager with the version stamp.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising causing the cache manager to generate a task update container, a new task container and a deleted task container.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying, by the cache manager, that the properties of the change are related to an update to one of the plurality of project tasks,

storing the change in the task update container;

sending the task update container to the project server;

receiving an updated version stamp for the change from the project server; and

storing the updated version stamp in the table of the cache manager in association with the related task of the change.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying, by the cache manager, that the properties of the change are related to a new task,

storing the change in the new task container;

sending the new task container to the project server;

receiving an updated version stamp for the change from the project server;

generating an indication of the new task in the table of the cache manager; and

storing the updated version stamp in the table of the cache manager in association with the indication generated for the new task.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying, by the cache manager, that the properties of the change are related to a deleted task,

storing the change in the deleted task container;

sending the deleted task container to the project server;

receiving an updated version stamp for the change from the project server;

removing an indication of the deleted task from the table of the cache manager;

generating a task shadow table in the cache manager;

generating an indication of the deleted task in the task shadow table of the cache manager; and

storing the updated version stamp in the task shadow table of the cache manager in association with the indication generated for the deleted task.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a project schedule that includes a plurality of project tasks includes obtaining a changed portion of the project schedule from the project server and updating a version of the project schedule stored in the cache memory to obtain a current version of the project schedule in the cache memory.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein obtaining the changed portion of the project schedule from the project server includes receiving the changed portion of the project schedule in two separate threads, wherein the first thread is a high priority thread that is received first by the cache manager, wherein the second thread is a low priority thread that is received second by the cache manager.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for managing project data synchronization between a project management application of a client device and a project server, the instructions comprising:

obtaining a copy of a project schedule stored on a project server, wherein the copy of the project schedule includes a plurality of project tasks, wherein the copy of the project schedule is stored in a memory of a client device, wherein the memory includes a table of project tasks, separate from the copy of the project schedule, that include an indication of the plurality of project tasks in association with a version stamp;

receiving a change to at least one project task of the plurality of project tasks of the copy of the project schedule;

wherein the change is stored within the memory of the client device along with other data updates including changes to other project tasks that have not been sent to the project server;

determining, by a memory manager, whether the change and the other changes previously made meet a preset change threshold of the memory manager;

wherein the preset change threshold is a number of tasks that have been modified in relation to a total number of the project tasks;

upon determining that the change threshold has been met, causing the cache manager of the client to;

identify properties of the change,

send the properties of the change to the project server without sending properties of unchanged portions of the project schedule in order to cause an update to the project schedule stored on the project server with the properties of the change,

receive an updated version stamp for the change from the project server, and

update the table located in the cache manager with the version stamp.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the change threshold is a percentage threshold of a permitted amount of changed data in relation to the total data of the copy of the project schedule stored in the memory.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising causing the memory manager to generate a task update container, a new task container and a deleted task container.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying, by the memory manager, that the properties of the change are related to an update to one of the plurality of project tasks,

storing the change in the task update container;

sending the task update container to the project server;

receiving an updated version stamp for the change from the project server; and

storing the updated version stamp in the table of the memory manager in association with the related task of the change.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying, by the memory manager, that the properties of the change are related to a new task,

storing the change in the new task container;

sending the new task container to the project server;

receiving an updated version stamp for the change from the project server;

generating an indication of the new task in the table of the memory manager; and

storing the updated version stamp in the table of the memory manager in association with the indication generated for the new task.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying, by the memory manager, that the properties of the change are related to a deleted task,

storing the change in the deleted task container;

sending the deleted task container to the project server;

receiving an updated version stamp for the change from the project server;

removing an indication of the deleted task from the table of the memory manager;

generating a task shadow table in the memory manager;

generating an indication of the deleted task in the task shadow table of the cache manager; and

storing the updated version stamp in the task shadow table of the memory manager in association with the indication generated for the deleted task.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein obtaining a project schedule that includes a plurality of project tasks includes obtaining a changed portion of the project schedule from the project server and updating a version of the project schedule stored in the memory to obtain a current version of the project schedule in the memory.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein obtaining the changed portion of the project schedule from the project server includes receiving the changed portion of the project schedule in two separate threads, wherein the first thread is a high priority thread that is received first by the memory manager, wherein the second thread is a low priority thread that is received second by the memory manager.

16. A system for managing project data synchronization between a project management application of a client device and a project server, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions execute for;

obtaining a copy of a project schedule stored on a project server, wherein the copy of the project schedule includes project tasks, wherein the copy of the project schedule is stored in a memory of a client device, wherein the memory includes a table of project tasks, separate from the copy of the project schedule, that include an indication of the plurality of project tasks in association with a version stamp;

receiving a change to at least one project task of the plurality of project tasks of the copy of the project schedule;

wherein the change is maintained in the memory of the client device along with data updates;

determining, by a memory manager, whether the data updates that include the change meets a preset change threshold of the memory manager;

upon determining that the change threshold has been met, causing the cache manager of the client to;

identify properties of the change,

send the properties of the change to the project server without sending properties of unchanged portions of the project schedule in order to cause an update to the project schedule stored on the project server with the properties of the change,

receive an updated version stamp for the change from the project server, and

update the table located in the cache manager with the version stamp.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the change threshold is a percentage threshold of a permitted amount of changed data in relation to the total data of the copy of the project schedule stored in the memory.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the change threshold is a percentage of project task changes in relation to the plurality of project tasks of the project schedule.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising causing the memory manager to generate a task update container, a new task container and a deleted task container.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

identifying, by the memory manager, that the properties of the change are related to an update to one of the plurality of project tasks,

storing the change in the task update container;

sending the task update container to the project server;

receiving an updated version stamp for the change from the project server; and

storing the updated version stamp in the table of the memory manager in association with the related task of the change.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

identifying, by the memory manager, that the properties of the change are related to a new task,

storing the change in the new task container;

sending the new task container to the project server;

receiving an updated version stamp for the change from the project server;

generating an indication of the new task in the table of the memory manager; and

storing the updated version stamp in the table of the memory manager in association with the indication generated for the new task.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

identifying, by the memory manager, that the properties of the change are related to a deleted task,

storing the change in the deleted task container;

sending the deleted task container to the project server;

receiving an updated version stamp for the change from the project server;

removing an indication of the deleted task from the table of the memory manager;

generating a task shadow table in the memory manager;

generating an indication of the deleted task in the task shadow table of the cache manager; and

storing the updated version stamp in the task shadow table of the memory manager in association with the indication generated for the deleted task.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein obtaining a project schedule that includes a plurality of project tasks includes obtaining a changed portion of the project schedule from the project server and updating a version of the project schedule stored in the memory to obtain a current version of the project schedule in the memory.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein obtaining the changed portion of the project schedule from the project server includes receiving the changed portion of the project schedule in two separate threads, wherein the first thread is a high priority thread that is received first by the memory manager, wherein the second thread is a low priority thread that is received second by the memory manager.