Apparatus, system, and method for data synchronization in a multi-path environment

• US 8,812,699 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Perrin, Steven Richard, Thrasher, James Joseph, Vanover, Michael Terrell, Zawacki, Jennifer Greenwood, Dubs, Justin Tyler
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US12/328,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/226, 709/248, 709/249
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for synchronizing inbound and outbound data in an environment that offers multiple data pathways. When an attempt to send data by a host computer fails, the host computer notifies a secondary device with a separate network connection of the failure. The secondary device attempts to send the data over its separate network connection. If the secondary device fails to send the data, the host computer generates new attempts to send the data over its network connection. The secondary device does the same if the host computer continues to fail in its attempts to send the data. When either the host computer or the secondary device sends the outbound data, it notifies the other of the successful send. The devices then stop further attempts to transmit the data. For inbound data, the host computer and secondary device obtain unique identifiers for inbound data items, compare them, and request from the other those inbound data items that it has not received.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program for data synchronization, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

generate an email send event on a host computer that sends an email to a recipient over a first network connection connecting the host computer to a first network;

copy the outbound data of the email send event from the host computer to a secondary device that is separate from the host computer in response to generating the email send event;

monitor the email send event;

notify the secondary device of a successful send event on the host computer in response to the host computer sending the email to the recipient over the first network connection;

notify the secondary device of a failed send event on the host computer in response to the host computer failing to send the email to the recipient over the first network connection, wherein the secondary device generates a secondary send event from the outbound data that attempts to send the email to the recipient over a second network connection in response to receiving the notification of the failed send event;

communicate a confirmation notification to the host computer in response to the secondary device successfully sending the email over the second network connection; and

notify the secondary device to delete the outbound data copied to the secondary device in response to the host computer sending the email to the recipient over the first network connection.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising generating a new email send event in response to one of the secondary device failing to successfully send the email, a change in the state of the host computer, and a change in the state of the network connection of the host computer.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 2, further comprising causing the host computer to verify that the secondary device failed to successfully send the email prior to generating the new send event.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising causing the host computer to designate the email as sent in response to one of the host computer sending the email over the first network connection and the secondary device sending the email over the second network connection.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the secondary device is communicatively connected to the host computer through a card that is separate from and directly connected to the host computer, and wherein the card is communicatively connected to the secondary device by a Bluetooth connection.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the card sends data to the secondary device and receives data from the secondary device in response to the host computer being in a powered-down state.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising causing the host computer to:

determine whether the secondary device has received inbound data items that the host computer has not received over the first network connection; and

receive from the secondary device the inbound data items that the host computer has not received.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein determining whether the secondary device has received inbound data items that the host computer has not received further comprises:

obtaining a set of unique identifier for inbound data items sent to the host computer over the first network connection;

obtaining a set of unique identifier for inbound data items sent to the secondary device over the second network connection; and

receiving from the secondary device the inbound data items having a unique identifier that is not in the set of unique identifiers for inbound data items of the host computer.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the secondary device is communicatively connected to the host by a Bluetooth connection.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program is executed on one of the host computer and a card.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the computer further:

resending the email on the secondary device in response to the secondary send event failing and the secondary device lacking the success notification from the host computer; and

resending the email on the host computer transparently to the user in response to lacking the notification from the secondary device.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a computer-readable storage media storing computer readable programs;

a processor executing the computer readable programs, the computer readable programs comprising;

an outbound module that generates an email send event on a host computer that sends an email to a recipient over a first network connection connecting the host computer to a first network, copies the outbound data of the email send event from the host computer to a secondary device that is separate from the host computer in response to generating the email send event, monitors the email send event, and notifies the secondary device of a successful send event on the host computer in response to the host computer sending the email to the recipient over the first network connection;

the outbound module that further notifies the secondary device of a failed send event on the host computer in response to the host computer failing to send the email to the recipient over the first network connection, wherein the secondary device generates a secondary send event from the outbound data that attempts to send the email to the recipient over a second network connection in response to receiving the notification of the failed send event;

a confirmation module that communicates a confirmation notification to the host computer in response to the secondary device successfully sending the email over the second network connection; and

a confirmation module that notifies the secondary device to delete the outbound data copied to the secondary device in response to the host computer sending the email to the recipient over the first network connection.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the synch module further configured to designate the email as sent on the host computer in response to the confirmation module receiving a confirmation notification from the secondary device in response to the secondary device successfully executing the secondary send event such that the email is sent to the recipient over the second network.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, the apparatus further comprising an inbound module configured to:

obtain a set of unique identifiers for one or more inbound emails sent to the host computer;

compare one or more unique identifiers for one or more inbound emails sent to the secondary device with the set of unique identifiers for the one or more inbound emails sent to the host computer; and

receive from the secondary device inbound emails received by the secondary device that have a unique identifier that is not in the set of unique identifiers for inbound emails of the host computer.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the retry module generates the new send event further in response to one or more of:

the host computer detecting a connection to a network;

the host computer entering a powered on state; and

the completion of a predetermined wait time.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, the apparatus further comprising:

a secondary retry module resending the email on the secondary device in response to the secondary send event failing and the secondary device lacking the success notification from the host computer; and

a retry module resending the email on the host computer transparently to the user in response to lacking the notification from the secondary device.

17. A system comprising:

a host computer comprising;

a first network connection communicatively connecting the host computer to a first network;

a first synchronization apparatus comprising;

an outbound module that generates an email send event on the host computer that sends an email to a recipient over the first network, copies the outbound data of the email send event to a secondary device in response to generating the email send event, and monitors the email send event;

the outbound module that further notifies the secondary device of a failed send event on the host computer in response to the host computer failing to send the email to the recipient over the first network;

a confirmation module that notifies the secondary device to delete the outbound data copied to the secondary device in response to the host computer sending the email to the recipient over the first network connection and receives a confirmation notification from the secondary device in response to the secondary device successfully sending the email over a second network;

a retry module that resends the email on the host computer transparently to the user in response to the confirmation module lacking the confirmation notification for the email; and

a synch module that provides the secondary device with a success notification in response to a successful send of the email by the host computer;

the secondary device comprising;

a second network connection communicatively connecting the secondary device to the second network;

a support apparatus comprising;

a send module that generates a secondary send event for the email over the second network in response to receiving notification of a failed send event on the host computer from the outbound module;

a verification module that sends the confirmation notification to the host computer in response to the secondary device successfully sending the email over the second network;

a secondary retry module configured to resend the email on the secondary device in response to the secondary send event failing and further in response to the secondary device lacking the success notification.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the retry module is further configured to continue resending the email until one of a successful send event of the email by the host computer and the confirmation module receiving the confirmation notification.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a card configured to communicatively connect to the host computer through a direct connection and to communicatively connect to the secondary device.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the card sends data to the secondary device and receives data from the secondary device in response to the host computer being in a powered-down state.