System and method for synchronizing objects between two devices

• US 20050076120A1
• Filed: 12/01/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 6,988,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A synchronization system synchronizes objects between a portable computer and a desktop computer. The portable computer is capable of communicating with a storage volume that can become inaccessible to the portable computer. The system identifies storage volumes currently available to the portable computer and identifies storage volumes previously accessible to the portable computer, but not currently accessible to the portable computer. Objects contained in storage volumes that are currently accessible to the portable computer are then synchronized between the base computer and the portable computer. During the synchronization process, the system ignores objects stored on volumes that are not currently accessible to the portable computer. However, the system continues to monitor and record changes to objects stored on volumes that are not currently accessible to the portable computer. When a storage volume that was previously inaccessible becomes accessible, the system synchronizes objects stored on the previously inaccessible storage volume. The objects may be databases or other data structures. The storage volume that can become inaccessible to the portable computer is typically a removable memory card that can be inserted into the portable computer.

Claims

1. An application synchronization manager, comprising:

a volume identifier to identify storage volumes currently accessible to a first computing device;

a deletion identifier to determine objects subject to deletion from a second computing device during a synchronization process to occur between the first computing device and the second computing device;

a blocker to prevent deletion of the objects subject to deletion during the synchronization process; and

a synchronizer to synchronize an object contained in one of the storage volumes currently accessible to the first computing device, wherein the object possesses a first data structure to be used by a first application and the corresponding object in the second computing device possesses a second data structure to be used by a second application.

2. The application synchronization manager as recited in claim 1, further comprising an updater to continue monitoring and recording changes to an object in the second computing device when the storage volume containing the corresponding objects in the first computing device are inaccessible to the first computing device.

3. The application synchronization manager as recited in claim 2, further comprising a synchronicity maintainer for immediately synchronizing, without user intervention, an object contained in one of the storage volumes not accessible to the first computing device when the storage volume becomes accessible to the first computing device.

4. The application synchronization manager as recited in claim 3, wherein the object comprises a plurality of data items, and wherein the synchronicity maintainer synchronizes data items in the object.

5. The application synchronization manager as recited in claim 4, wherein the object comprises a database.

6. The application synchronization manager as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage volume that can become inaccessible to the first computing device comprises a removable memory card.

7. The application synchronization manager as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage volume that can become inaccessible to the first computing device comprises a removable disk drive.

8. The application synchronization manager as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage volume that can become inaccessible to the first computing device comprises a removable flash drive.