Synchronizing differing data formats

• US 20030050910A1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extended Systems Inc. (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Extended Systems Inc. (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Jeide, Scott A., Ramanujam, Srinivasan
• Granted Patent: US 7,213,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A system and method for synchronizing records stored in differing formats in a shared data environment. One aspect of the invention involves distinguishing a record without regard to its format. Once a record is introduced into the environment, it is detected. A record tag, unique to the environment, is generated and associated with the record. When synchronizing, only those records with equivalent record tags are compared and updated.

Claims

1. A method for distinguishing a record in a shared data environment, comprising:

discovering a record new to the environment;

generating a record tag, and

associating the record tag with the record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of generating comprises:

identifying all other record tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new record tag until the generated record tag is different from each of the other identified record tags.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the new record is associated with a local identifier and is contained in a data store and the act of generating comprises:

acquiring the local identifier for the discovered record;

acquiring a data store tag associated with the data store; and

generating a record tag for the discovered record by combining the acquired local identifier with the acquired data store tag.

4. A computer program product for distinguishing a record in a shared data environment, the product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable instructions thereon for:

discovering a record new to the environment;

generating a record tag, and

associating the record tag with the record.

5. The product of claim 4, wherein the instructions for generating comprise instructions for:

identifying all other record tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new record tag until the generated record tag is different from each of the other identified record tags.

6. The product of claim 4, wherein the new record is associated with a local identifier and is contained in a data store and the instructions for generating comprise instructions for:

acquiring the local identifier for the discovered record;

acquiring a data store tag associated with the data store; and

generating a record tag for the discovered record by combining the acquired local identifier with the acquired data store tag.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the act of generating comprises:

identifying all other data store tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new data store tag until the generated data store tag is different from each of the other identified data store tags.

7. A method for distinguishing a data store in a shared data environment, comprising:

discovering a data store new to the shared data environment;

generating a data store tag; and

associating the data store tag with the discovered data store.

10. The product of claim 7, wherein the instructions for generating comprise instructions for:

identifying all other data store tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new data store tag until the generated data store tag is different from each of the other identified data store tags.

9. A computer program product for distinguishing a data store in a shared data environment, the product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable instructions thereon for:

discovering a data store new to the shared data environment;

generating a data store tag; and

associating the data store tag with the discovered data store.

11. A method for determining equivalence of a first record and a second record in a shared data environment, comprising:

acquiring a first record tag associated with the first record;

acquiring a second record tag associated with the second record; and

comparing the first and second record tags.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second record tags are scalar and the act of comparing comprises performing a scalar comparison of the first and second record tags.

13. A computer program product for determining equivalence of a first record and a second record in a shared data environment, the product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable instructions thereon for:

acquiring a first record tag associated with the first record;

acquiring a second record tag associated with the second record; and

comparing the first and second record tags.

14. The product of claim 13, wherein the record tags are scalar and the instructions for comparing comprise instructions for performing a scalar comparison of the first and second record tags.

15. A method for synchronizing records in a shared data environment, comprising:

acquiring a first record tag and a first record status each associated with a first record;

acquiring a second record tag and a second record status each associated with a second record;

comparing the first and second record tags;

synchronizing the first second records according to the first and second record statuses only if the first and second record tags are equivalent.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of synchronizing comprises:

modifying the first record to match the second record if the record status for the first record indicates that the first record is new or unchanged and the record status for the second record indicates that the second record has been modified;

deleting the first record if the record status for the first record indicates that the first record is new or unchanged and the record status for the second record indicates that the second record has been deleted;

modifying the second record to match the first record if the record status for the second record indicates that the second record is new or unchanged and the record status for the first record indicates that the first record has been modified; and

deleting the second record if the record status for the second record indicates that the second record is new or unchanged and the record status for the first record indicates that the first record has been deleted.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the record tags are scalar and the act of comparing comprises performing a scalar comparison of the first and second record tags.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

discovering records new to the environment; and

For each discovered record, generating a record tag and associating that record tag with the record.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the act of generating comprises:

identifying all other record tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new record tag until the generated record tag is different from each of the other identified record tags.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the shared data environment includes two or more data stores and each record in the shared data environment is contained within one of the data stores and is associated with a local identifier and wherein the act of generating comprises:

identifying the data store containing the discovered record;

for the discovered record, acquiring its local identifier;

acquiring a data store tag associated with the data store; and

generating a record tag for the discovered record by combining the acquired local identifier with the acquired data store tag.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

discovering data stores new to the shared data environment;

for each discovered data store, generating a data store tag and associating the generated tag with the data store.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the act of generating a data store tag comprises:

identifying all other data store tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new data store tag until the generated tag is different from each of the other identified data store tags.

32. The system of claim 15 wherein the record tags are scalar and the comparator is further operable to perform a scalar comparison of the first and second record tags.

23. A computer program product for synchronizing records in a shared data environment, the product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable instructions thereon for:

acquiring a first record tag and a first record status each associated with a first record;

acquiring a second record tag and a second record status each associated with a second record;

comparing the first and second record tags;

synchronizing the first second records according to the first and second record statuses only if the first and second record tags are equivalent.

24. The product of claim 23, wherein the instructions for synchronizing comprise instructions for:

modifying the first record to match the second record if the record status for the first record indicates that the first record is new or unchanged and the record status for the second record indicates that the second record has been modified;

deleting the first record if the record status for the first record indicates that the first record is new or unchanged and the record status for the second record indicates that the second record has been deleted;

modifying the second record to match the first record if the record status for the second record indicates that the second record is new or unchanged and the record status for the first record indicates that the first record has been modified; and

deleting the second record if the record status for the second record indicates that the second record is new or unchanged and the record status for the first record indicates that the first record has been deleted.

25. The product of claim 23 wherein the record tags are scalar and wherein the instructions for comparing comprise instructions for performing a scalar comparison of the first and second record tags.

26. The product of claim 23, further comprising instructions for:

discovering records new to the shared data environment; and

For each discovered record, generating a record tag and associating that record tag with the discovered record.

27. The product of claim 26, wherein the instructions for generating comprise instructions for:

identifying all other record tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new record tag until the generated record tag is different from each of the other identified record tags.

28. The product of claim 26, wherein the shared data environment includes two or more data stores and each record in the shared data environment is contained within one of the data stores and is associated with a local identifier and wherein the instructions for generating comprise instructions for:

identifying the data store containing the discovered record;

for the discovered record, acquiring its local identifier;

acquiring a data store tag associated with the data store; and

generating a record tag for the discovered record by combining the acquired local identifier with the acquired data store tag.

29. The product of claim 28 further comprising instructions for:

discovering data stores new to the shared data environment; and

for each discovered data store, generating a data store tag and associating the generated tag with the data store.

30. The product of claim 29, wherein the instructions for generating a data store tag comprise instructions for:

identifying all other data store tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating new data store tag until the generated tag is different from each of the other identified data store tags.

31. A system for determining equivalence of a first record and a second record in a shared data environment comprising:

a first record tag associated with a first record;

a second record tag associated with a second record;

a comparator operable to acquire the first and second record tags and to compare the first and second record tags.

33. A system for synchronizing records in a shared data environment, comprising:

a first record status and a first record tag each associated with a first record;

a second record status and a second record tag each associated with a second record;

a synch engine operable to compare the first and second record tags and, if the first and second record tags are equivalent, to synchronize the first and second records according to the first and second record statuses.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the synch engine is operable to:

modify the first record to match the second record if the record status for the first record indicates that the first record is new or unchanged and the record status for the second record indicates that the second record has been modified;

delete the first record if the record status for the first record indicates that the first record is new or unchanged and the record status for the second record indicates that the second record has been deleted;

modify the second record to match the first record if the record status for the second record indicates that the second record is new or unchanged and the record status for the first record indicates that the first record has been modified; and

delete the second record if the record status for the second record indicates that the second record is new or unchanged and the record status for the first record indicates that the first record has been deleted.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the record tags are scalar and the comparator is operable to perform a scalar comparison on the first and second record tags.

36. The system of claim 36 further comprising:

a record detector operable to detect records new to the shared data environment; and

a tag generator in communication with the record detector, the tag generator operable to generate a record tag for the detected record, and associate the generated record tag with the detected record.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the tag generator is operable to identify all other record tags in the shared data environment and to repeatedly generate a new record tag until that generated record tag is different from each of the other identified record tags.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein each record in the shared data environment is contained in a data store, the system further comprising:

a data store detector operable to detect data stores new to the shared data environment; and

wherein the tag generator is further operable, for each detected data store, to generate a data store tag and to associate the generated tag with the detected data store.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the tag generator is operable to identify all other data store tags in the shared data environment and to repeatedly generate a new data store tag until that generated tag is different from each of the other identified data store tags.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein each record in a given data store is associated with a local identifier and wherein the tag generator is operable, for each detected record, to acquire the local identifier, acquire the data store tag for the data store containing the detected record and to combine the acquired local identifier and the acquired environment data store tag to generate the record tag.