Configurable offline data store

• US 8,825,717 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gaya, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, NICHOLAS E
• Application Number:
  US13/720,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/812
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a configurable offline data store are described. For example, a method includes receiving a request for a first set of one or more records from a client application, wherein the first set is stored in a client data store and the client application also has access to a server data store unit of a server. The method further includes determining whether a first set of records in the client data store unit is valid; and upon determining the first set is valid, deleting those records of the first set in the client data store unit that are outdated. The method further includes upon determining the first set is not valid, deleting the first set; determining whether the record is in the client data store unit; and upon determining the record is in the client data store, transmitting a version of the record to the client application.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving records in a configurable offline data store, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a record from a client application installed on a client, wherein the client application has access to a client data store unit and a server data store unit of a server;

determining whether a first set of records in the client data store unit is valid;

upon determining the first set is valid, deleting those records of the first set in the client data store unit that are outdated;

upon determining the first set is not valid, deleting the first set;

determining whether the record is in the client data store unit; and

upon determining the record is in the client data store, transmitting a version of the record to the client application, the transmitting comprising transmitting a dependent record associated with the record according to a dependency schema stored in the client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining the record is not in the client data store unit, determining whether the record is in the server data store unit;

upon determining the record is in the server data store unit, storing a copy of the record in the client data store unit and granting the application access to the record; and

upon determining the record is not in the server data store unit, notifying the application that the record was not found.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set is not valid because the first set has been modified by a server data store administration unit.

4. The method of claim 1, a record is valid if a same version of the record resides on both the client data store unit and the server data store unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein upon determining the first set is valid, the method further comprises:

determining records of the first set in the client data store unit that are outdated by comparing data stored change identifiers stored on the client with data stored change identifiers stored on the server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determination of outdated records is performed by a client data store administration unit that includes a vector of the data stored change identifiers stored on the client.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the client data store administration unit includes a parameter indicating a last time the vector was updated.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the client data store administration unit includes a parameter indicating how often records of the client data store unit are checked for being outdated.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the data stored change identifiers stored on the server are stored in configuration records on the server.

10. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a computer having a processor circuit and a network interface, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving, with the network interface, a request for a record from a client application installed on a client, wherein the client application has access to a client data store unit and a server data store unit of a server;

determining, with the processor circuit, whether a first set of records in the client data store unit is valid;

upon determining the first set is valid, deleting those records of the first set in the client data store unit that are outdated;

upon determining the first set is not valid, deleting the first set;

determining whether the record is in the client data store unit; and

upon determining the record is in the client data store, transmitting with the network interface a version of the record to the client application, the transmitting comprising transmitting a dependent record associated with the record according to a dependency schema stored in the client.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 10 further comprising:

upon determining the record is not in the client data store unit, determining whether the record is in the server data store unit;

upon determining the record is in the server data store unit, storing a copy of the record in the client data store unit and transmitting a copy of the record to the application; and

upon determining the record is not in the server data store unit, notifying the application that the record was not found.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first set is not valid because the first set has been modified by a server data store administration unit.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 10, a record is valid if a same version of the record resides on both the client data store unit and the server data store unit.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein upon determining the first set is valid, operations further comprise:

determining records of the first set in the client data store unit that are outdated by comparing data stored change identifiers stored on the client with data stored change identifiers stored on the server.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the determination of outdated records is performed by a client data store administration unit that includes a vector of the data stored change identifiers stored on the client.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the client data store administration unit includes a parameter indicating a last time the vector was updated.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the client data store administration unit includes a parameter indicating how often records of the client data store unit are checked for being outdated.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the data stored change identifiers stored on the server are stored in configuration records on the server.

19. An apparatus for use in a data store, the data store configurable through a network and offline, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of processor circuits configured to execute operations according to at least one application installed in the apparatus;

a memory circuit including a data store unit for storing records used by the at least one application, the data store unit comprising a client data store administration unit storing a dependency schema associating a first record to a second record, the second record dependent on the first record; and

a network interface configured to communicate with the network and retrieve updated records from a server data store upon a request by the at least one application.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the client data store administration unit further comprises:

a plurality of data store identifiers, wherein each data store identifier comprises a character string associated with the server data store; and

a plurality of data store change identifiers, wherein each data store change identifier comprises a character string configured to determine when an associated record has been modified.