Synchronizing local and remote data

• US 9,633,068 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Didcock, Clifford Neil, Luk, Jonathan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Uddin, Mohammed R
• Application Number:
  US14/817,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20150339342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 707610, 707635, 707620, 707999204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• 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 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to synchronizing data. In aspects, properties are synchronized from an organization property store to a cloud property store and/or vice versa. The list of properties to synchronize may change based on the cloud services to which the organization subscribes, changes to the cloud services, or for other reasons. Furthermore, the list of properties to synchronize may be limited to certain objects of the organization which may also change over time.

Claims

1. A computer system, the computer system comprising:

a processor;

system memory coupled to the one or more hardware processors, the system memory storing instructions that are executable by the one or more hardware processors;

the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to synchronize data from an organization to the cloud, including the following;

access a schema for a plurality of services offered by the cloud, the schema defining a set of properties relevant to the plurality of services, the schema combining one or more properties relevant to each service in the plurality of services into the defined set of properties;

determine that synchronization of the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud is appropriate due the organization changing subscriptions to the plurality of services, synchronization of the defined set of properties increasing the effectiveness of providing the plurality of services to the organization;

compare the schema to a previously utilized schema to identify a difference of at least one relevant property between the plurality of services and a different plurality of services previously subscribed to by the organization, the previously utilized schema defining a prior set of properties relevant to the different plurality of services, the previously utilized schema combining one or more properties relevant to each service in the different plurality of services into the defined prior set of properties; and

synchronize the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud by performing a set of actions to address the identified difference of at least one relevant property between the defined set of properties and the defined prior set of properties.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer system hosts the plurality of services.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is external to both the organization and the cloud.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to synchronize the defined set of properties comprises the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to convert between a first storage format at the organization and a second different storage format at the cloud.

5. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to select a limited set of objects for synchronization, the limited set of objects selected from among a plurality of objects of the organization, the limited set of objects selected in accordance with a rule.

6. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to:

track licensed subscribers to the plurality of services; and

limit the properties to synchronize based on the licensed subscribers to the plurality of services.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to identify a difference of at least one relevant property between the plurality of services and a different plurality of services comprises the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to perform one or more of:

identify at least one property included in the previously utilized schema that is not included in the schema; and

identify at least one property included in the schema that is not included in the previously accessed utilized schema.

8. A method for use at a computer system, a method for synchronizing data from an organization to a cloud, the method implemented at least in part by the computer system, the method comprising:

accessing a schema for a plurality of services offered by the cloud, the schema defining a set of properties relevant to the plurality of services, the schema combining one or more properties relevant to each service in the plurality of services into the defined set of properties;

determining that synchronization of the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud is appropriate due the organization changing subscriptions to the plurality of services, synchronization of the defined set of properties increasing the effectiveness of providing the plurality of services to the organization;

comparing the schema to a previously utilized schema to identify a difference of at least one relevant property between the plurality of services and a different plurality of services previously subscribed to by the organization, the previously utilized schema defining a prior set of properties relevant to the different plurality of services, the previously utilized schema combining one or more properties relevant to each service in the different plurality of services into the defined prior set of properties; and

synchronizing the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud by performing a set of actions to address the identified difference of at least one relevant property between the defined set of properties and the defined prior set of properties.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein accessing a schema comprises accessing a schema that indicates the defined set of properties are to be synchronized for a limited set of eligible objects, the limited set of eligible objects being a subset of objects of the organization.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the limited set of eligible objects comprises licensed subscribers to a service, the service selected from among the plurality of services.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that synchronization is appropriate comprises obtaining a rule that defines the limited set of eligible objects;

and

wherein comparing the schema to a previously utilized schema comprises applying the rule on a plurality of objects of the organization to determine which of the plurality of objects satisfy the rule.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein synchronizing the defined set of properties comprises for each object included in the limited set of eligible objects:

obtaining data corresponding to the defined set of properties from organization resources; and

sending the data to the cloud.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein synchronizing the defined set of properties comprises:

obtaining data for the defined set of properties for an additional object to be synchronized from the organization to the cloud; and

sending the data to the cloud.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying a difference of at least one relevant property comprises determining at least one property included in the schema is not included in the previously utilized schema;

and

further comprising adding the at least one property to the defined set of properties to check periodically for changes to synchronize from the organization to the cloud.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying a difference of at least one relevant property comprises determining at least one property included in the previously utilized schema is not included in the schema;

and

further comprising removing the at least one property from the defined set of properties to periodically check for changes to synchronize the organization with the cloud.

16. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for synchronizing data from an organization to a cloud, the computer program product comprising one or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the computer system to perform the method including the following:

access a schema for a plurality of services offered by the cloud, the schema defining a set of properties relevant to the plurality of services, the schema combining one or more properties relevant to each service in the plurality of services into the defined set of properties;

determine that synchronization of the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud is appropriate due the organization changing subscriptions to the plurality of services, synchronization of the defined set of properties increasing the effectiveness of providing the plurality of services to the organization;

compare the schema to a previously utilized schema to identify a difference of at least one relevant property between the plurality of services and a different plurality of services previously subscribed to by the organization, the previously utilized schema defining a prior set of properties relevant to the different plurality of services, the previously utilized schema combining one or more properties relevant to each service in the different plurality of services into the defined prior set of properties; and

synchronize the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud by performing a set of actions to address the identified difference of at least one relevant property between the defined set of properties and the defined prior set of properties.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to synchronize the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud comprises computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to synchronize data to assist with appropriate operation of one or more of the plurality of services.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to identify a difference of at least one relevant property between the plurality of services and a different plurality of services comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to perform one or more of:

identify at least one property included in the previously utilized schema that is not included in the schema; and

identify at least one property included in the schema that is not included in the previously utilized schema.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to determine that synchronization is appropriate comprises computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive an indication from a third party vendor that a service version has changed.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to identify a difference of at least one relevant property between the plurality of services and a different plurality of services comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to identify a difference in an inclusion list.