Document synchronization solution

• US 8,650,154 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nirmal, Dinesh, Nair, Nisha K, Turaga, Sandhya C, Wisneski, David J
• Primary Examiner(s): Uddin, Mohammed R
• Application Number:
  US12/033,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20090210459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,184 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/629, 707/635, 707/999.101
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71

Abstract

A method for synchronizing a database with displayed data, includes providing a data feed to receive data from the database to provide displayed document data, detecting a database change to the data within the database by a database synchronizer to provide a change event, polling the database synchronizer using an HTTP message to detect the change event, and pushing the database change to the displayed document data to update the displayed document data in accordance with the database change and the polling. The polling includes long polling and short polling. A polling servlet within the database synchronizer performs the polling by the database synchronizer. The database synchronizer updates the displayed document data by way of a data structure. The data structure is a queue.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing an external database having an external application with data for a plurality of collaboration users coupled to a document collaboration synchronizer, comprising:

providing a RSS feed to receive data from said external database and to provide a collaboration document for collaboration changes by said plurality of collaboration users, wherein said collaboration document is a synchronized collaboration document that is synchronized based on any updates provided by said plurality of collaboration users and said external database, and wherein said external database, said synchronized collaboration document, and said external application are separate;

in response to detecting a database change made by said external application to a table having a table name in said external database,

translating said table name to a feedname associated with the provided RSS feed of said synchronized collaboration document to identify said synchronized collaboration document; and

pushing said database change to said identified synchronized collaboration document to update said identified synchronized collaboration document; and

in response to detecting a collaboration change made by a collaboration user from said plurality of collaboration users to said synchronized collaboration document,

translating said feedname of said synchronized collaboration document to said table name of said table within said external database; and

pushing said collaboration change to said table within said external database.

2. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 1, further comprising:

updating said synchronized collaboration document by way of a data structure.

3. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 2, wherein said data structure comprises a queue.

4. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 1, further comprising;

synchronizing said synchronized collaboration document by a spreadsheet application program.

5. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 1, further comprising;

pushing data of said synchronized collaboration document to said external database.

6. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 1, further comprising;

polling a database synchronizer by a polling servlet of said database synchronizer.

7. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 1, further comprising;

displaying said synchronized collaboration document in a browser.

8. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an HTTP save message by a collaboration user; and

pushing said data of said synchronized collaboration document in response to said HTTP save message.

9. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 1, wherein said external database includes a database log for storing a record of said database change further comprising:

reading said database log to detect said database change; and

creating a change event in accordance with said reading of said database log.

10. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 9, further comprising creating said change event in accordance with a feedname of said synchronized collaboration document.

11. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 1, further comprising:

polling to detect said database change, wherein said polling comprises one of long polling and short polling, wherein said HTTP message remains open until one of a relevant change to said data in said external database is identified and said HTTP message times out in long polling, and wherein said HTTP message is generated by said collaboration user and does not remain open in short polling.

12. A method for synchronizing an external database with a collaboration document wherein a plurality of collaboration users make a plurality of collaboration changes to said collaboration document, comprising:

providing a RSS feed to receive data from said external database and to provide said collaboration document for collaboration changes by said plurality of collaboration users, wherein said collaboration document is a synchronized collaboration document that is synchronized based on any updates provided by said plurality of collaboration users and said external database, and wherein said external database, said synchronized collaboration document, and said external application are separate;

in response to detecting a database change made by said external application to a table having a table name in said external database,

translating said table name to a feedname associated with the provided RSS feed of said synchronized collaboration document to identify said synchronized collaboration document; and

pushing said database change to said identified synchronized collaboration document to update said identified synchronized collaboration document; and

in response to detecting a collaboration change of said plurality of collaboration changes made by a collaboration user from said plurality of collaboration users to said synchronized collaboration document,

translating said feedname of said synchronized collaboration document to said table name of said table within said external database; and

pushing said collaboration change to said table within said external database.

13. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 12, further comprising;

pushing said determined collaboration change event by way of a data structure.

14. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 13, wherein said data structure comprises a queue.

15. The method for synchronizing an external database of claim 12, further comprising:

polling to detect said database change, wherein said polling comprises one of long polling and short polling, wherein said HTTP message remains open until one of a relevant change to said data in said external database is identified and said HTTP message times out in long polling, and wherein said HTTP message is generated by said collaboration user and does not remain open in short polling.