Distributing and synchronizing objects

• US 9,838,474 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gates, Patrick, Federighi, Craig, Noyau, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Deng, Anna
• Application Number:
  US14/987,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 717168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• 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 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4553 Object oriented directories, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA] name server
• 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: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

The described embodiments distribute and synchronize objects in a network. More specifically, the described embodiments distribute copies of objects locally (i.e., store copies of objects in local address spaces). By storing a copy of a given object in a local address space, the object'"'"'s methods may be executed locally, which can help to avoid excessive network traffic associated with remotely executing the object'"'"'s methods. However, executing an object'"'"'s methods locally can result in the state of the object (i.e., data associated with the object, etc.) becoming out of sync with other copies of the object in the network. To avoid issues associated with unsynchronized copies of the object in the network, the described embodiments use a policy that specifies conditions under which objects are to be synchronized.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing objects, comprising:

in a computer, performing operations for;

copying an object from a remote computer across a network to the computer, the object being a programming unit that includes executable operations and data operated on by the operations, the object being configured to execute operations upon receiving a corresponding type of message; and

synchronizing the operations and data of the object between the computer and the remote computer based on a policy for synchronizing the operations and data of the object between the computer and the remote computer, wherein the policy specifies one or more conditions when the object is to be synchronized, and wherein the policy is based on the object receiving the corresponding type of message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy is temporally based.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy is based on a type of message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy is based on a number of messages.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising a developer configuring said policy.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy provides for synchronizing at least one object when a request is transmitted from said first computer to said second computer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said policy is based on user input.

8. A system comprising

a first computer;

an object stored on said first computer, the object being a programming unit that includes executable operations and data operated on by the operations, the object being configured to execute operations upon receiving a corresponding type of message; and

code configured to synchronize the operations and data of the object between the first computer and a second computer based on a policy for synchronizing the operations and data of the object between the first computer and the second computer, wherein the policy specifies one or more conditions when the object is to be synchronized, and wherein the policy is based on the object receiving the corresponding type of message.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said policy is temporally based.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said policy is based on a type of message.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said policy is based on a number of messages.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said policy may be configured by a developer.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said policy provides for synchronizing at least one object when a request is transmitted from said first computer to said second computer.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said policy is based on user input.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable storage medium comprising;

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to synchronize objects, said computer program product comprising;

computer readable code configured to cause a second computer to obtain a copy of an object from a first computer across a network, the object being a programming unit that includes executable operations and data operated on by the operations, the object being configured to execute operations upon receiving a corresponding type of message; and

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to synchronize said data and behavior between said first computer and said second computer based on a policy for synchronizing the operations and data of the object between the computer and the remote computer, wherein the policy specifies one or more conditions when the object is to be synchronized, and wherein the policy is based on the object receiving the corresponding type of message.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said policy is temporally based.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said policy is based on a type of message.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said policy is based on a number of messages.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said policy may be configured by a developer.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein said policy provides for synchronizing at least one object when a request is transmitted from said first computer to said second computer.