Data synchronization via three or more paths

• US 20070179989A1
• Filed: 01/10/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maes, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A server is used to send data records to clients. A client #1 may synchronize with the server using a first path and a first protocol. The client #2 may synchronize with the server using a second path and a second protocol. In addition to synchronizing with the server, client #1 and client #2 may synchronize data records with each other using a third path and a third protocol. When synchronizing through different paths and/or protocols, data record identifiers may be generated differently. Thus, devices may not be able to synchronize data records if the data records are identified differently by client #1, client #2, and/or the server. A universal identity is used to allow for synchronization through three paths and protocols. Thus, client #1 and client #2 may synchronize data records through the third path and third protocol using the universal identity for data records.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing through three or more paths, the method comprising:

synchronizing, from a first device, a first data record to a second device through a first path using a first protocol, wherein first data record is assigned a first universal identity;

synchronizing, from the first device, a second data record to a third device through a second path using a second protocol, wherein the second data record is assigned a second universal identity; and

synchronizing the second device and the third device through a third path using a third protocol, wherein synchronizing comprises using the first universal identity associated with the first data record and the second universal identity associated with the second data record to determine if the data records are the same data record.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the first universal identity;

storing the first universal identity with the first data record;

generating the second universal identity; and

storing the second universal identity with the second data record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first universal identity is the same as a first data record identifier and the second universal identity is the same as a second data record identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein protocol #1 and protocol #2 are configured to generate the first universal identity and the second universal identity as being the same for the first and second data records when synchronizing with the second device and the third device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the universal identity is included as part of a first data record identifier for the first data record and as a part of a second data record identifier for the second data record.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first universal identity replaces a first data record identifier and the second universal identity replaces a second data record identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first universal identity is based on a mapping between a first data record identifier and a second data record identifier, the data record identifier being different from the second data record identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mapping is a rule that is used to generate the first universal identity from the first data record identifier and the second universal identity from the second data record identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing a third data record between the second device and the third device through the third path using the third protocol, wherein the third data record is assigned a third universal identity;

synchronizing the third data record between the third device and the first device using the third universal identity and the second universal identity, wherein the second device does not have to re-synchronize the third data record with the first device after the third device and the first device synchronize.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first device keeps a record of the synchronization, the method further comprising:

checking that the third data record is synchronized between the third device and the first device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein any combination of the first protocol, second protocol, and/or the third protocol are the same or different protocols.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first universal identity is the same as the second universal identity.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data record comprises an action or change to perform.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a server, the second device comprises a client, and the third device comprises a client.

15. A system for synchronizing through three or more paths, the system comprising:

a first device;

a second device configured to synchronize with the first device through a first path and first protocol, the second device configured to store data records received from the first device; and

a third device configured to synchronize with the first device through a second path and second protocol, the second device configured to store data records received from the first device,

wherein the second device and the third device are configured to synchronize stored data records through a third path and a third protocol, wherein a first universal identity is used for a first data record and a second universal identity is used for a second data record such that it can be determined during the synchronization between the second device and the third device if the first data record is the same data record as the second data record.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second device uses a first data record identifier for the first data record and the third device uses a second data record identifier for the second data record, wherein the first universal identity is different from the first data record identifier and the second universal identity is different from the second data record identifier.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first universal identity and/or the second universal identity is based on a mapping between the first data record and the second data record.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the second device synchronizes a third data record between the second device and the third device through the third path using the third protocol, wherein the third data record is synchronized between the third device and the first device, wherein the second device does not have to re-synchronize the third data record with the first device after the third device and the first device synchronize.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first device keeps a record of the synchronization, wherein the first device checks that the third data record is synchronized between the second device and the server.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein any combination of the first protocol, second protocol, and/or the third protocol are the same or different protocols.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the first device comprises a server and the second device and the third device comprise clients.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the first universal identity is the same as the second universal identity.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the universal identity is included as part of a first data record identifier for the first data record and as a part of a second data record identifier for the second data record.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the first universal identity replaces a first data record identifier and the second universal identity replaces a second data record identifier.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the data record comprises an action or change to perform.