System, method and computer program product for synchronizing data using data identifying messages

• US 8,812,438 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Long, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US13/653,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/615, 707/626, 707/638, 707/639, 707/795, 707/769, 707/624, 707/625, 707/803, 707/609, 707/737, 707/618, 707/E17.045, 707/E17.005, 707/E17.01, 707/E17.014, 707/613, 707/E17.032, 718/101, 718/1, 715/738, 715/769, 709/203, 709/204, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 707/613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for synchronizing data using data identifying messages. These mechanisms and methods for synchronizing data using data identifying messages can enable embodiments to provide notification of a need to synchronize one instance of data with changes made to another instance of data, without necessarily communicating the changes to be made to the other instance of the data. The ability of embodiments to provide synchronization based on such a notification can allow more efficient data synchronization while ensuring that synchronizations are based on up-to-date information.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to cause a computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

identifying an update made to a first instance of data stored in a first data set;

generating a message having an identifier that uniquely identifies the first instance of the data to which the update was made as well as a second instance of the data stored in a second data set;

storing the message in a message queue;

retrieving the message from the message queue;

locating the first instance of the data within the first data set, using the identifier included in the message retrieved from the message queue;

identifying a state of the located first instance of the data stored in the first data set;

locating the second instance of the data within the second data set, using the identifier included in the message retrieved from the message queue;

identifying a state of the located second instance of the data stored in the second data set;

comparing the state of the first instance of the data stored in the first data set to the state of the second instance of the data stored in the second data set; and

synchronizing the second instance of the data stored in the second data set and the first instance of the data stored in the first data set, based on the comparison.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first data set is source data accessible to a user, such that the first instance of the data is a portion of the source data that is accessible to the user.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the update is made to the first instance of the data by the user accessing the first instance of the data.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the second data set is target data that replicates the first data set by synchronizing the second data set with the first data set.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the second data set stores a processed version of the first data set.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the processing includes one or more of changing a granularity of the first data set and normalizing a plurality of different types of data included in the first data set into a common format.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the second data set is utilized for generating reports.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the message includes only the identifier of the first instance of the data to which the update was made and is generated in response to the update made to the first instance of the data.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the state of the first instance of the data includes data values included in the first instance of the data.

10. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the identifier included in the message is utilized such that the state of the first instance of the data that is identified is a current state of the first instance of the data.

11. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the second instance of the data stored in the second data set is synchronized with the first instance of the data stored in the first data set in response to a result of the comparison indicating that the first instance of the data is different than the second instance of the data.

12. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the second instance of the data stored in the second data set is prevented from being synchronized with the first instance of the data stored in the first data set in response to a result of the comparison indicating that the first instance of the data is the same as the second instance of the data.

13. A method, comprising:

identifying an update made to a first instance of data stored in a first data set;

generating a message having an identifier that uniquely identifies the first instance of the data to which the update was made as well as a second instance of the data stored in a second data set, utilizing a processor;

storing the message in a message queue;

retrieving the message from the message queue;

locating the first instance of the data within the first data set, using the identifier included in the message retrieved from the message queue;

identifying a state of the located first instance of the data stored in the first data set;

locating the second instance of the data within the second data set, using the identifier included in the message retrieved from the message queue;

identifying a state of the located second instance of the data stored in the second data set;

comparing the state of the first instance of the data stored in the first data set to the state of the second instance of the data stored in the second data set; and

synchronizing the second instance of the data stored in the second data set and the first instance of the data stored in the first data set, based on the comparison.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor for;

identifying an update made to a first instance of data stored in a first data set;

generating a message having an identifier that uniquely identifies the first instance of the data to which the update was made as well as a second instance of the data stored in a second data set;

storing the message in a message queue;

retrieving the message from the message queue;

locating the first instance of the data within the first data set, using the identifier included in the message retrieved from the message queue;

identifying a state of the located first instance of the data stored in the first data set;

locating the second instance of the data within the second data set, using the identifier included in the message retrieved from the message queue;

identifying a state of the located second instance of the data stored in the second data set;

comparing the state of the first instance of the data stored in the first data set to the state of the second instance of the data stored in the second data set; and

synchronizing the second instance of the data stored in the second data set and the first instance of the data stored in the first data set, based on the comparison.

15. A method for transmitting code, comprising:

utilizing a processor, transmitting code for identifying an update made to a first instance of data stored in a first data set;

transmitting code for generating a message having an identifier that uniquely identifies the first instance of the data to which the update was made as well as a second instance of the data stored in a second data set;

transmitting code for storing the message in a message queue;

transmitting code for retrieving the message from the message queue;

transmitting code for locating the first instance of the data within the first data set, using the identifier included in the message retrieved from the message queue;

transmitting code for identifying a state of the located first instance of the data stored in the first data set;

transmitting code for locating the second instance of the data within the second data set, using the identifier included in the message retrieved from the message queue;

transmitting code for identifying a state of the located second instance of the data stored in the second data set;

transmitting code for comparing the state of the first instance of the data stored in the first data set to the state of the second instance of the data stored in the second data set; and

transmitting code for synchronizing the second instance of the data stored in the second data set and the first instance of the data stored in the first data set, based on the comparison.