System and method for synchronizing between a user device and a server in a communication network

• US 20070016632A1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Breuer, Matthias, Srinivasan, Venkatachary, Schulz, Torsten, Boerries, Marco, Meyer, Markus
• Application Number:
  US11/182,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016632A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication

Abstract

System and method for synchronizing a server and one or more user devices in a communication network are disclosed. The system includes a server for communicating with the user device, where the server includes a connected-data-set and the one or more user devices share portions of the connected-data-set, logic for creating a backup of the connected-data-set at the server in accordance with a predetermined backup interval, logic for generating a checkpoint marker for tracking the time intervals when the backup of the connected-data-set is created, and logic for sending the checkpoint marker to the one or more user devices for maintaining a first record of changes to the connected-data-set.

Claims

1. A system for synchronizing a server and one or more user devices in a communication network, comprising:

a server for communicating with the user device, wherein the server includes a connected-data-set, and wherein the one or more user devices share portions of the connected-data-set;

logic for creating a backup of the connected-data-set at the server in accordance with a predetermined backup interval;

logic for generating a checkpoint marker for tracking the time intervals when the backup of the connected-data-set is created; and

logic for sending the checkpoint marker to the one or more user devices for maintaining a first record of changes to the connected-data-set.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprises:

logic for restoring the backup data of the connected-data-set at the server upon determining the server and the one or more user devices are out of synchronization;

logic for requesting the first record of changes of the connected-data-set from the one or more user devices using the checkpoint marker;

logic for determining first portions of the connected-data-set that have changes after the checkpoint marker according to the first record of changes of the connected-data-set from the one or more user devices; and

logic for updating the first portions of the connected-data-set that have changes at the server.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein logic for determining the server and the one or more user devices are out of synchronization comprises:

logic for detecting a replacement of the server; and

logic for detecting a crash of the server.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein logic for determining the server and the one or more user devices are out of synchronization further comprises:

logic for executing a session-based syncML protocol; and

logic for executing a sync anchor protocol.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein logic for determining the first portions of the connected-data-set that have changes comprises:

logic for comparing portions of the connected-data-set that have newer timestamps after the checkpoint marker between the one or more user devices and the server.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein logic for updating comprises:

logic for executing transactions of the first record of changes at the server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more user devices comprise:

at least one or more cellular phones, wireless personal digital assistants, navigation devices, personal computers, game consoles, Internet terminals, and Kiosks.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the connected-data-set comprises:

at least one or more emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, pictures, music, documents, videos, bookmarks, and links.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the connected-data-set further comprises settings and configurations of the one or more user devices.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

logic for sending the checkpoint marker to a backend database for maintaining a second record of changes to the connected-data-set, wherein the backend database maintains a copy of the connected-data-set for the user.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

logic for restoring the backup data of the connected-data-set at the server upon determining the server and the backend database are out of synchronization;

logic for requesting the second record of changes of the connected-data-set from the backend database using the checkpoint marker;

logic for determining second portions of the connected-data-set that have changes after the checkpoint marker according to the second record of changes of the connected-data-set from the backend database; and

logic for updating the second portions of the connected-data-set that have changes at the server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein logic for determining the second portions of the connected-data-set that have changes comprises:

logic for comparing portions of the connected-data-set that have newer timestamps after the checkpoint marker between the backend database and the server.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein updating comprises:

logic for executing transactions of the second record of changes at the server.

14. A method for synchronizing a server and one or more user devices in a communication network, comprising:

providing a server for communicating with the user device, wherein the server includes a connected-data-set, and wherein the one or more user devices share portions of the connected-data-set;

creating a backup of the connected-data-set at the server in accordance with a predetermined backup interval;

generating a checkpoint marker for tracking the time intervals when the backup of the connected-data-set is created; and

sending the checkpoint marker to the one or more user devices for maintaining a first record of changes to the connected-data-set.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprises:

restoring the backup data of the connected-data-set at the server upon determining the server and the one or more user devices are out of synchronization;

requesting the first record of changes of the connected-data-set from the one or more user devices using the checkpoint marker;

determining first portions of the connected-data-set that have changes after the checkpoint marker according to the first record of changes of the connected-data-set from the one or more user devices; and

updating the first portions of the connected-data-set that have changes at the server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the server and the one or more user devices are out of synchronization comprises:

detecting a replacement of the server; and

detecting a crash of the server.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the server and the one or more user devices are out of synchronization further comprises:

executing a session-based syncML protocol; and

executing a sync anchor protocol.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the first portions of the connected-data-set that have changes comprises:

comparing portions of the connected-data-set that have newer timestamps after the checkpoint marker between the one or more user devices and the server.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein updating comprises:

executing transactions of the first record of changes at the server.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more user devices comprise:

at least one or more cellular phones, wireless personal digital assistants, navigation devices, personal computers, game consoles, Internet terminals, and Kiosks.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the connected-data-set comprises:

at least one or more emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, pictures, music, documents, videos, bookmarks, and links.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the connected-data-set further comprises settings and configurations of the one or more user devices.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending the checkpoint marker to a backend database for maintaining a second record of changes to the connected-data-set, wherein the backend database maintains a copy of the connected-data-set for the user.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

restoring the backup data of the connected-data-set at the server upon determining the server and the backend database are out of synchronization;

requesting the second record of changes of the connected-data-set from the backend database using the checkpoint marker;

determining second portions of the connected-data-set that have changes after the checkpoint marker according to the second record of changes of the connected-data-set from the backend database; and

updating the second portions of the connected-data-set that have changes at the server.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein determining the second portions of the connected-data-set that have changes comprises:

comparing portions of the connected-data-set that have newer timestamps after the checkpoint marker between the backend database and the server.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein updating comprises:

executing transactions of the second record of changes at the server.

27. A computer program product for synchronizing a server and one or more user devices in a communication network, comprising a medium storing computer programs for execution by one or more computer systems having at least a processing unit, a user interface and a memory, the computer program product comprising:

code for communicating between a server and the one or more user devices, wherein the one or more user devices share portions of the connected-data-set;

code for creating a backup of the connected-data-set at the server in accordance with a predetermined backup interval;

code for generating a checkpoint marker for tracking the time intervals when the backup of the connected-data-set is created; and

code for sending the checkpoint marker to the one or more user devices for maintaining a first record of changes to the connected-data-set.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 further comprises:

code for restoring the backup data of the connected-data-set at the server upon determining the server and the one or more user devices are out of synchronization;

code for requesting the first record of changes of the connected-data-set from the one or more user devices using the checkpoint marker;

code for determining first portions of the connected-data-set that have changes after the checkpoint marker according to the first record of changes of the connected-data-set from the one or more user devices; and

code for updating the first portions of the connected-data-set that have changes at the server.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein code for determining the server and the one or more user devices are out of synchronization comprises:

code for detecting a replacement of the server; and

code for detecting a crash of the server.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein code for determining the server and the one or more user devices are out of synchronization further comprises:

code for executing a session-based syncML protocol; and

code for executing a sync anchor protocol.

31. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein code for determining the first portions of the connected-data-set that have changes comprises:

code for comparing portions of the connected-data-set that have newer timestamps after the checkpoint marker between the one or more user devices and the server.

32. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein code for updating comprises:

code for executing transactions of the first record of changes at the server.

33. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein one or more user devices comprise:

at least one or more cellular phones, wireless personal digital assistants, navigation devices, personal computers, game consoles, Internet terminals, and Kiosks.

34. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the connected-data-set comprises:

at least one or more emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, pictures, music, documents, videos, bookmarks, and links.

35. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the connected-data-set further comprises settings and configurations of the one or more user devices.

36. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:

code for sending the checkpoint marker to a backend database for maintaining a second record of changes to the connected-data-set, wherein the backend database maintains a copy of the connected-data-set for the user.

37. The computer program product of claim 36 further comprising:

code for restoring the backup data of the connected-data-set at the server upon determining the server and the backend database are out of synchronization;

code for requesting the second record of changes of the connected-data-set from the backend database using the checkpoint marker;

code for determining second portions of the connected-data-set that have changes after the checkpoint marker according to the second record of changes of the connected-data-set from the backend database; and

code for updating the second portions of the connected-data-set that have changes at the server.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein code for determining the second portions of the connected-data-set that have changes comprises:

code for comparing portions of the connected-data-set that have newer timestamps after the checkpoint marker between the backend database and the server.

39. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein updating comprises:

code for executing transactions of the second record of changes at the server.