Application programming interfaces for data synchronization with online storage systems

• US 9,298,391 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2013
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Brian E., Bezek, Scott, Potter, Jacob D., Twyman, Andrew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, Hyung S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wood, William C
• Application Number:
  US13/764,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20140173230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that manages access to data associated with an online storage system. During operation, the system enables synchronization of the data between an electronic device and the online storage system through an application programming interface (API) with an application on the electronic device. Next, the system uses the API to provide a synchronization state of the data to the application, wherein the synchronization state comprises at least one of a download state, an upload state, an idle state, a transfer progress, a cached state, and an error state.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing access to data associated with an online storage system, comprising:

enabling synchronization of the data between an electronic device and the online storage system, wherein changes to the data are automatically synchronized between the electronic device and the online storage system, wherein an application programming interface (API) facilitates determining a synchronization state for the data, wherein the synchronization state comprises at least one of a download state, an upload state, an idle state, a transfer progress, a cached state, and an error state;

receiving a request to access the data;

using the API to determine the synchronization state for the data; and

determining from the synchronization state that the requested data is presently being synchronized between the electronic device and the online storage system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is received on the electronic device, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

determining from the synchronization state that the data is presently in the download state, wherein the download state indicates that a synchronization operation is presently downloading a new version of the data to the electronic device;

determining from the synchronization state that an existing version of the data is available on the electronic device;

accessing the existing version of the data during the synchronization operation; and

upon detecting the completion of the synchronization operation, replacing the existing version of the data with the new version of the data.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is received on the electronic device, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

determining from the synchronization state that the data is presently in the upload state, wherein the upload state indicates that a local version of the data on the electronic device is the most up-to-date version of the data and that the synchronization operation is presently synchronizing the local version of the data to the online storage system; and

accessing the local version of the data on the electronic device during and subsequent to the synchronization operation.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is received on the electronic device, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

determining from the synchronization state that the data is presently in the download state, wherein the download state indicates that a synchronization operation is presently downloading a new version of the data to the electronic device;

determining from the synchronization state that no existing version of the data is presently available on the electronic device;

using the API to access the data via the online storage system during the synchronization operation; and

using the API to access the data via the electronic device upon detecting the completion of the synchronization operation;

wherein the API facilitates transparently accessing the data via both the local storage of the electronic device and the online storage system during the synchronization operation.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is received on the electronic device, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

determining from the synchronization state that the data is presently in the download state, wherein the download state indicates that a synchronization operation is presently downloading a new version of the data to the electronic device;

determining from the synchronization state that no existing version of the data is presently available on the electronic device;

using the API to determine that the data is not presently available via the online storage system; and

indicating an error state for the request.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein if the method accesses the data during synchronization of the data between the electronic device and the online storage system, accessing the data comprises:

if the synchronization state comprises the cached state, accessing the data from a cache on the electronic device;

if the synchronization state does not comprise the cached state, accessing the data from the online storage system;

if a newer version of the data is available, accessing the newer version; and

if the data is not available, indicating the error state.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization state specifies a synchronization between the data on the online storage system and a copy of the data in a cache on the electronic device.

8. A system for managing access to data associated with an online storage system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

enable synchronization of the data between an electronic device and the online storage system, wherein changes to the data are automatically synchronized between the electronic device and the online storage system, wherein an application programming interface (API) facilitates determining a synchronization state for the data, wherein the synchronization state comprises at least one of a download state, an upload state, an idle state, a transfer progress, a cached state, and an error state;

receive a request to access the data;

use the API to determine the synchronization state for the data; and

determine from the synchronization state that the requested data is presently being synchronized between the electronic device and the online storage system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further stores instructions that cause the system to:

use the API to provide a filesystem synchronization state of a filesystem comprising the data, wherein the filesystem synchronization state comprises at least one of a metadata synchronization state, an online state, a running state, a ready state, and a change state.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the memory further stores instructions that cause the system to:

enable synchronization of metadata for the filesystem with the electronic device through the API.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the synchronization of the metadata for the filesystem with the electronic device is enabled using at least one of an open operation, a create operation, a delete operation, and a move operation.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the change state is associated with at least one of a path, a directory, and a file.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further stores instructions that cause the system to, if the data is accessed during synchronization of the data between the electronic device and the online storage system:

if the synchronization state comprises the cached state, access the data from a cache on the electronic device;

if the synchronization state does not comprise the cached state, access the data from the online storage system;

if a newer version of the data is available, access the newer version; and

if the data is not available, indicate the error state.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the synchronization state specifies a synchronization between the data on the online storage system and a copy of the data in a cache on the electronic device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for managing access to data associated with an online storage system, the method comprising:

enabling synchronization of the data between an electronic device and the online storage system, wherein changes to the data are automatically synchronized between the electronic device and the online storage system, wherein an application programming interface (API) facilitates determining a synchronization state for the data, wherein the synchronization state comprises at least one of a download state, an upload state, an idle state, a transfer progress, a cached state, and an error state;

receiving a request to access the data;

using the API to determine the synchronization state for the data; and

determining from the synchronization state that the requested data is presently being synchronized between the electronic device and the online storage system.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

using the API to provide a filesystem synchronization state of a filesystem comprising the data, wherein the filesystem synchronization state comprises at least one of a metadata synchronization state, an online state, a running state, a ready state, and a change state.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising:

enabling synchronization of metadata for the filesystem with the electronic device through the API.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the synchronization of the metadata for the filesystem with the electronic device is enabled using at least one of an open operation, a create operation, a delete operation, and a move operation.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the change state is associated with at least one of a path, a directory, and a file.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein if the method accesses the data during synchronization of the data between the electronic device and the online storage system, accessing the data comprises:

if the synchronization state comprises the cached state, accessing the data from a cache on the electronic device;

if the synchronization state does not comprise the cached state, accessing the data from the online storage system;

if a newer version of the data is available, accessing the newer version; and

if the data is not available, indicating the error state.