METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING GLOBAL EQUIVALENCY SETS TO IDENTIFY DATA DURING PEER-TO-PEER SYNCHRONIZATION

• US 20080034009A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: NILO, BRUCE D., FREEDMAN, GORDIE
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Systems and methods for synchronization including the use of a global equivalency identification datum or set of datum. A universally unique identification datum may be associated with each independently created associated data set. In some embodiments, a synchronization server software element may be responsible for maintaining synchronization for a plurality of clients, including software elements or devices. A record believed to be new by the software elements may verify that the record is actually new. In some embodiments, verification of the record'"'"'s newness involves assuming that the local ID is a global identification datum and comparing that datum to the all the sets of datum that the Sync-Server knows about. The synchronization server software element may use a table to hold information for all of the records known to that element. In some embodiments these records may have been deleted in the past.

Claims

1. A method for operating a synchronization server installed and running on a first system, the first system having stored thereon one or more current associated data sets each having associated therewith a global equivalency identification datum (GID), the method comprising:

receiving from a client an associated data set having associated therewith a first GID;

identifying the received first associated data set as one of new or old by determining if the first GID of the received first associated data set is equivalent to a second GID of one of the current associated data sets;

identifying each new associated data set as one of truly new or independently created by checking at least one identity key of the received first associated data set against at least one identity key of at least one current associated data set;

upon identifying the received first associated data set as independently created, associating the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other further comprises deriving a global equivalency set from the first GID and the second GID.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing in memory one or more global equivalency sets each derived from one or more GIDs, wherein identifying the received first associated data set as one of new or old comprises determining that the received first associated data set is old by identifying that one of the global equivalency sets stored in memory is derivative of the first GID of the received first associated data set.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of the GID uniquely corresponds to the system on which it is generated.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the GID is a Universally Unique Identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, upon identifying the received first associated data set as truly new, storing the received first associated data set on the first system.

7. A method of synchronizing a first system with a second system, each system having stored thereon one or more current associated data sets each having associated therewith a global equivalency identification datum (GID), the method comprising:

receiving a first associated data set having associated therewith a first GID transmitted from a second system;

identifying the received first associated data set as one of new or old by determining if the first GID of the received first associated data set is equivalent to a second GID of one of the current associated data sets;

identifying each new associated data set as one of truly new or independently created by checking at least one identity key of the received first associated data set against at least one identity key of at least one current associated data set;

upon identifying the received first associated data set as independently created, associating the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein associating the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other further comprises deriving a global equivalency set from the first GID and the second GID.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising storing in memory one or more global equivalency sets each derived from one or more GIDs, wherein identifying the received first associated data set as one of new or old comprises determining that the received first associated data set is old by identifying that one of the global equivalency sets stored in memory is derivative of the first GID of the received first associated data set.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the value of the GID uniquely corresponds to the system on which it is generated.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the GID is a Universally Unique Identifier.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising, upon identifying the received first associated data set as truly new, storing the received first associated data set on the first system.

13. A system for synchronizing with one or more second systems, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein;

one or more current associated data sets each having associated therewith a global equivalency identification datum (GID), and

a synchronization server program adapted to;

receive from a client a first associated data set having associated therewith a first GID;

identify the received first associated data set as one of new or old by determining if the first GID of the received first associated data set is equivalent to a second GID of one of the current associated data sets;

identify each new associated data set as one of truly new or independently created by checking at least one identity key of the received first associated data set against at least one identity key of at least one current associated data set; and

upon identifying the received first associated data set as independently created, associate the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the synchronization server program is adapted to identify the received first associated data set as old by identifying that the first GID of the received first associated data set is equivalent to a second GID of one of the current associated data sets.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the synchronization server program is adapted to associate the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other comprise program instructions adapted to derive a global equivalency set from the first GID and the second GID.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the synchronization server program is further adapted to:

store in memory one or more global equivalency sets each derived from one or more GIDs; and

identify the received first associated data set as old by identifying that one of the global equivalency sets stored in memory is derivative of the first GID of the received first associated data set.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the client is a corresponding second system for synchronization with the first system.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the value of the GID uniquely corresponds to the system on which it is generated.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the GID is a Universally Unique Identifier.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the memory also has stored therein program instructions adapted to store the received first associated data set on the first system upon identifying the received first associated data set as truly new.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the second system is desktop computer.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the second system is a laptop computer.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the second system is a personal digital assistant.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein the second system is a telephone.

25. The system of claim 13 wherein the second system is a digital media player.

26. A method for operating a synchronization server installed and running on a first system, the first system having stored thereon one or more current associated data sets each having associated therewith a global equivalency identification datum (GID), the method comprising:

receiving from a client an associated data set having associated therewith a first GID;

identifying the received first associated data set as one of new or old by determining if the first GID of the received first associated data set is equivalent to a second GID of one of the current associated data sets;

identifying each new associated data set as one of truly new or independently created by checking at least one identity key of the received first associated data set against at least one identity key of at least one current associated data set;

identifying each old associated data set as one of changed or unchanged by comparing at least one property of the received first associated data set with at least one corresponding property of at least one current associated data set having associated therewith a second GID equivalent to the first GID of the received first associated data set;

if the received first associated data set is truly new, storing the first associated data set on the first system;

if the received first associated data set is independently created, associating the received first associated data set and the current associated data set as corresponding to each other; and

if the received first associated data set is old and changed, updating the current associated data set having associated therewith a second GID equal to the first GID of the received first associated data set according to a conflicts resolution scheme.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein associating the received and current associated data sets as corresponding to each other further comprises deriving a global equivalency set from the first GID and the second GID.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising storing in memory one or more global equivalency sets each derived from one or more GIDs, wherein identifying the received first associated data set as one of new or old comprises determining that the received first associated data set is old by identifying that one of the global equivalency sets stored in memory is derivative of the first GID of the received first associated data set.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the value of the GID uniquely corresponds to the system on which it is generated.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the GID is a Universally Unique Identifier.

31. A system synchronizing structured data comprising:

a microprocessor resource and a memory resource for storing data associated with operations of said microprocessor resource;

a first software element representing a sync server for execution on said microprocessor resource;

a plurality of second software elements, each said second software element representing a synchronizing entity, each of said second software elements for running on said microprocessor resource;

a first structured data record and an associated first unique ID created by a first synchronizing entity, said first structured data record representing data associated with a first item;

a second structured data record and an associated second unique ID created by a second synchronizing entity, said second structured data record representing data associated with said first item;

said first software element further comprising;

a first sub element for associating a global equivalency identification datum (GID) with each of said first structured data record and said second structured data record;

a second sub element for using said GIDs in a first data structure, said first data structure for maintaining associations between a plurality of structured data records that represent data associated with said first item.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein one of said synchronizing entities is a software element representing an application program for running on said microprocessor resource.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said application program is a contact manager.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein one of said synchronizing entities is an independent device that does not share the microprocessor resource.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said independent device is a PDA.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein said independent device is a telephone.

37. The system of claim 31 wherein said microprocessor resource comprises a single microprocessor.

38. The system of claim 31 wherein said microprocessor resource comprises a plurality of microprocessors.

39. The system of claim 31 wherein said first unique ID is the same as said GID.

40. The system of claim 31 wherein said first software element uses said first unique ID as a GID.

41. The system of claim 31 wherein said first data structure is a table.