Method and system for using global equivalency sets to identify data during peer-to-peer synchronization

• US 8,868,491 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Freedman, Gordie, Nilo, Bruce D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEEMA, AZAM M
• Application Number:
  US12/978,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Systems and methods for synchronization including the use of a global equivalency identification datum or set of datum. A universally unique identification datum may be associated with each independently created associated data set. In some embodiments, a synchronization server software element may be responsible for maintaining synchronization for a plurality of clients, including software elements or devices. A record believed to be new by the software elements may verify that the record is actually new. In some embodiments, verification of the record'"'"'s newness involves assuming that the local ID is a global identification datum and comparing that datum to the all the sets of datum that the Sync-Server knows about. The synchronization server software element may use a table to hold information for all of the records known to that element. In some embodiments these records may have been deleted in the past.

Claims

1. A method for operating a synchronization server installed and running on a local processing system, the method comprising:

storing, on a local processing system, one or more local associated data sets each having associated therewith a local global equivalency identification datum (GID), wherein each local GID uniquely identifies a source of each corresponding data set;

store in memory one or more global equivalency sets each derived from one or more GIDs;

receiving from a client processing system a remote associated data set having associated therewith a remote GID, wherein the remote GID uniquely identifies a source of the remote associated data set;

identifying the remote associated data set as one of new or old by determining if the remote GID is equivalent to a local GID of one of the one or more local associated data sets, wherein identifying the remote associated data set as one of new or old comprises determining that the remote associated data set is old by identifying that one of the global equivalency sets stored in memory is derivative of the remote GID of the remote associated data set;

upon identifying the remote associated data set as new, identifying the remote data set as one of truly new or independently created by checking at least one identity key of the remote associated data set against at least one identity key of at least one local associated data set; and

upon identifying the remote associated data set as independently created, associating the remote and local associated data sets as corresponding to each other at the local processing system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the remote and local associated data sets as corresponding to each other further comprises deriving a global equivalency set from the remote GID and the local GID.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said local processing system or client processing system is selected from the group consisting of:

a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fax machine, a smart phone, a desktop computer, a digital camera, a laptop computer, and a digital media player.

4. A method of synchronizing a first system with a second system, each system having stored thereon one or more current associated data sets each having associated therewith a global equivalency identification datum (GID), the GID uniquely identifying a source of each of the corresponding current associated data sets, the method comprising:

storing in memory one or more global equivalency sets each derived from one or more GIDs;

receiving, at a first system, a first associated data set having associated therewith a first GID transmitted from a second system, the first GID uniquely identifying a source of the first associated data set;

identifying the received first associated data set as one of new or old by determining if the first GID of the received first associated data set is equivalent to a second GID of one of the current associated data sets, the current associated data sets on the first system, wherein identifying the received first associated data set as one of new or old comprises determining that the received first associated data set is old by identifying that one of the global equivalency sets stored in memory is derivative of the first GID of the received first associated data set;

upon identifying the received first associated data set as new, identifying each new associated data set as one of truly new or independently created by checking at least one identity key of the received first associated data set against at least one identity key of at least one current associated data set; and

upon identifying the received first associated data set as independently created, associating the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein associating the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other further comprises deriving a global equivalency set from the first GID and the second GID.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said first or second system is selected from the group consisting of:

a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fax machine, a smart phone, a desktop computer, a digital camera, a laptop computer, and a digital media player.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions stored thereon for a synchronization server function, the synchronization server function adapted to be executed on a local computer system to:

store, on the local computer system, one or more local associated data sets each having associated therewith a local global equivalency identification datum (GID);

store in memory one or more global equivalency sets each derived from one or more GIDs;

receive from a client computer system a remote associated data set having associated therewith a remote GID;

identify the remote associated data set as one of new or old by determining if the remote GID is equivalent to a local GID of one of the one or more local associated data sets, wherein identifying the remote associated data set as one of new or old comprises determining that the remote associated data set is old by identifying that one of the global equivalency sets stored in memory is derivative of the remote GID of the remote associated data set;

upon identifying the remote associated data set as new, identify the remote data set as one of truly new or independently created by checking at least one identity key of the remote associated data set against at least one identity key of at least one local associated data set; and

upon identifying the remote associated data set as independently created, associate the remote and local associated data sets as corresponding to each other at the local computer system.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the synchronization server function associates the remote and local associated data sets as corresponding to each other by deriving a global equivalency set from the remote GID and the local GID.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the value of the remote GID or the local GID uniquely corresponds to a device on which it is generated.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the remote GID or the local GID is a Universally Unique Identifier.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the synchronization server function is further adapted to be executed on a local computer system to, upon identifying the remote associated data set as truly new, store the remote associated data set on the local computer system.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored therein to synchronize a first system with a second system, each system having stored thereon one or more current associated data sets each having associated therewith a global equivalency identification datum (GID), wherein the computer readable instructions adapted to be executed on a first system to:

store in memory one or more global equivalency sets each derived from one or more GIDs;

receive a first associated data set having associated therewith a first GID transmitted from a second system;

identify the received first associated data set as one of new or old by determining if the first GID of the received first associated data set is equivalent to a second GID of one of the current associated data sets, the current associated data sets on the first system, wherein identifying the received first associated data set as one of new or old comprises determining that the received first associated data set is old by identifying that one of the global equivalency sets stored in memory is derivative of the first GID of the received first associated data set;

upon identifying the received first associated data set as new, identify each new associated data set as one of truly new or independently created by checking at least one identity key of the received first associated data set against at least one identity key of at least one current associated data set; and

upon identifying the received first associated data set as independently created, associate the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein associating the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other further comprises deriving a global equivalency set from the first GID and the second GID.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the value of the first or second GID uniquely corresponds to the system on which it is generated.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the first or second GID is a Universally Unique Identifier.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the computer readable instructions are further adapted to, upon identifying the received first associated data set as truly new, store the received first associated data set on the first system.

17. A device comprising:

a memory for storing one or more current associated data sets each having associated therewith a global equivalency identification datum (GID); and

one or more processors;

wherein the one or more processors are programmed to;

receive a first associated data set having associated therewith a first GID transmitted from a second device;

store in memory one or more global equivalency sets each derived from one or more GIDs;

identify the received first associated data set as one of new or old by determining if the first GID of the received first associated data set is equivalent to a second GID of one of the current associated data sets, the current associated data sets on the first device, wherein identifying the received first associated data set as one of new or old comprises determining that the received first associated data set is old by identifying that one of the global equivalency sets stored in memory is derivative of the first GID of the received first associated data set;

upon identifying the received first associated data set as new, identify each new associated data set as one of truly new or independently created by checking at least one identity key of the received first associated data set against at least one identity key of at least one current associated data set; and

upon identifying the received first associated data set as independently created, associate the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to associate the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other by deriving a global equivalency set from the first GID and the second GID.

19. A device comprising:

a memory for storing one or more current associated data sets each having associated therewith a global equivalency identification datum (GID); and

one or more processors to synchronize items on the device with items on a second device;

wherein the one or more processors are programmed to;

store, on the device one or more local associated data sets each having associated therewith a local global equivalency identification datum (GID);

store, on the device, one or more global equivalency sets each derived from one or more GIDs;

receiving from a client device a remote associated data set having associated therewith a remote GID;

identifying the remote associated data set as one of new or old by determining if the remote GID is equivalent to a local GID of one of the one or more local associated data sets, wherein identifying the received remote associated data set as one of new or old comprises determining that the received remote associated data set is old by identifying that one of the global equivalency sets stored in memory is derivative of the remote GID of the received remote associated data set;

upon identifying the remote associated data set as new, identifying the remote data set as one of truly new or independently created by checking at least one identity key of the remote associated data set against at least one identity key of at least one local associated data set; and

upon identifying the remote associated data set as independently created, associating the remote and local associated data sets as corresponding to each other at the device.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to associate the remote and local associated data sets as corresponding to each other by deriving a global equivalency set from the local GID and the remote GID.