Managing and implementing web application data snapshots

• US 9,614,932 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Schwartz, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANIWANG, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US13/890,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709206, 709220-222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to locally storing a snapshot of a personal information management web application, efficiently booting a personal information management web application and to managing personal information management web application snapshots. In one scenario, a client computer system determines that various portions of stored content for a personal information management web application have been changed. The client computer system creates a snapshot of certain, specified portions of data that are used for booting the personal information management web application and stores the created snapshot in local storage on the client computer system. As such, the snapshot is available for the next personal information management web application boot-up.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising the following:

one or more processors;

system memory;

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing system to perform the following;

create a snapshot of one or more specified portions of data that are used for booting a personal information management web application, the snapshot including both user data and web application code for the personal information management web application and such that the snapshot is configured for enabling loading of the personal information management web application in an offline mode;

store the created snapshot in local storage on the computer system to be available for a next personal information management web application boot-up in an offline mode;

determine an event has occurred comprising at least that a server connected to the computer system is running a different version of the personal information management web application; and

in response to determining the event has occurred, receive information from the server operable to update a version of the personal information management web application on the computer system to a different version of the personal information management web application on the server, and further in response to determining the event has occurred to create and store a new snapshot for the personal information management web application in the local storage which is used for the next personal information management web application boot-up, the new snapshot including both new snapshot user data and new snapshot web application code for the personal information management web application and such that new snapshot is configured for enabling loading of the personal information management web application in an offline mode.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the specified portions of data comprise at least one of received emails, email folders, email content for at least one email message, and configuration data.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the specified portions of data comprise both personal information management web application code and one or more portions of user data.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the specified portions of data that are used for booting the personal information management web application are specified by at least one of a personal information management web application user and the personal information management web application.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the snapshot stored in local storage is accessed synchronously by the client computer system.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein determining the event has occurred includes determining, at the server connected to the computer system, that the threshold amount of time has passed, the threshold amount of time comprising a threshold amount of time since a snapshot was created for the personal information management web application.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed is carried out using a timer at the server.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein determining the event has occurred includes determining the threshold number of changes have been made to the personal information management web application.

9. A computer system comprising the following:

one or more processors;

system memory;

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing system to;

determine that a snapshot was previously created for a personal information management web application, the snapshot being stored in a local data store and including both user data and web application code for the personal information management web application, such that the snapshot is configured for enabling loading of the personal information management web application in an offline mode by the computer system;

receive an indication that the personal information management web application is to be booted;

determine an event has occurred comprising at least that a server connected to the computer system is running a different version of the personal information management web application;

in response to determining the event has occurred, create a new snapshot for the personal information management web application, the new snapshot being stored in the local data store and including both new snapshot user data and new snapshot web application code for the personal information management web application and such that the new snapshot is configured for enabling loading of the personal information management web application in a offline mode; and

boot the personal information management web application using the new snapshot.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein receiving the indication that the personal information management web application is to be booted comprises receiving an input from a mobile device user indicating that the personal information management web application is to be brought into foreground mode.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the personal information management web application is booted from the snapshot in offline mode.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein personal information management web application data is updated upon the personal information management web application returning to online mode.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the snapshot is device-specific, such that users have different snapshots for each device associated with the user.

14. A computer system comprising the following:

one or more processors;

system memory;

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing system to;

determine whether an event has occurred, wherein the event comprises a threshold amount of time has passed or a threshold number of changes have been made to a personal information management web application running on a server;

render at least one existing personal information management web application snapshot invalid on the computer system in response to a determination that the event has occurred;

determine that the invalid snapshot is not to be used by the computer system during a next booting of the personal information management web application when it is determined that the event has occurred;

receive an indication that the personal information management web application is to be initiated;

access one or more portions of web storage data from a server to perform a next boot of the personal information management web application in lieu of using the snapshot in the computer system to perform the next boot of the personal information management web application in response to a determination that the event has occurred; and

use the snapshot to perform the next boot of the personal information management web application in response to a determination that the event has not occurred without accessing the server for the one or more portions of the web storage data to perform the next boot of the personal information management web application, and such that the computing system is caused to deterministically perform the next boot of the personal information management web application, based on the determination of whether the event has occurred, by accessing the server for web storage data to perform the boot when the determination is made that the event has occurred or, alternatively, by refraining from accessing the server for the one or more portions of the web storage data when the determination is made that the event has occurred.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein accessing one or more portions of the web storage data to boot the personal information management web application includes:

an act of updating the personal information management web application to the version running on the server;

an act of creating a new snapshot including one or more specified portions of data that are used for booting the personal information management web application, the new snapshot including both user data and web application code for the personal information management web application, such that the snapshot is configured for enabling loading of the personal information management web application in an offline mode by the computer system; and

an act of booting from the newly created snapshot.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the event further includes determining that a threshold number of changes have occurred on the personal information management web application running on the server;

and

wherein accessing one or more portions of the web storage data to boot the personal information management web application includes;

an act of creating a new snapshot including one or more specified portions of data that are used for booting the personal information management web application; and

an act of booting from the newly created snapshot.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the event further includes determining that a threshold amount of time has elapsed;

and

wherein accessing one or more portions of the web storage data to boot the personal information management web application includes;

an act of creating a new snapshot including one or more specified portions of data that are used for booting the personal information management web application; and

an act of booting from the newly created snapshot.

18. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the event further includes determining that the personal information management web application has gone into a background state;

and

wherein accessing one or more portions of the web storage data to boot the personal information management web application includes;

an act of creating a new snapshot including one or more specified portions of data that are used for booting the personal information management web application; and

an act of booting from the newly created snapshot.

19. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further executable to cause the computer system to remove the invalid snapshot from memory.