TWO-WAY AND MULTI-MASTER SYNCHRONIZATION OVER WEB SYNDICATIONS

• US 20080126364A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Novik, Lev, Khosravy, Moe, Lee, Oliver, Clark, Michael R., Pfenning, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Synchronization of a web syndication item over a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) format between a publisher and a subscriber. The publisher creates the web syndication item by including a media content associated therewith. The synchronization metadata is defined to include a first virtual clock value associated with the created web syndication item. The first virtual clock value indicates when the web syndication item was last updated. A request for subscribing the published web syndication item is received from the subscriber. In response to the received request, the published web syndication item is transmitted to a location remote from the publisher and accessible by the subscriber. The first virtual clock value is provided to the subscriber for use by the subscriber to modify the first virtual clock value when the subscriber modifies the media content associated with the web syndication item.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing a web syndication item over a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) format between a publisher and a subscriber, said method comprising:

publishing, by the publisher, the web syndication item including a media content associated therewith;

defining a synchronization metadata including a first virtual clock value associated with the published web syndication item, said first virtual clock value indicating when the web syndication item was last updated;

receiving a request for subscribing to the published web syndication item from the subscriber;

transmitting in response to the received request the published web syndication item to a location remote from the publisher and accessible by the subscriber;

providing the synchronization metadata including the first virtual clock value to the subscriber; and

permitting the subscriber to modify the first virtual clock value when the subscriber modifies the media content at the location remote from the publisher.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting the subscriber saving the modification to the first virtual clock value to the synchronization metadata by inserting another virtual clock value corresponding to when the subscriber modifies the media content associated with the web syndication item.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a version of the web syndication item at the location remote from the publisher when the published web syndication item is transmitted to the location, said version of the web syndication item including a second virtual clock value in the synchronization metadata indicating the media content of the published web syndication item has been modified at a time different from the first virtual clock value.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining whether a published web syndication item creates a conflict with the version of the web syndication item at the location remote from the publisher, said conflict indicating that the media content of the web syndication item is different as a function of the first virtual clock value, the second virtual clock value and a user who last updates the media content of the published web syndication content.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining comprises comparing the first virtual clock value with the second virtual clock value.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing to the subscriber a list of conflict resolution options in response to the comparing step in claim 5.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising presenting to the subscriber a list of modification history based on the determining step.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing one or more versions to the subscriber according to the list of modification history.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

10. A method for updating a web syndication channel over a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) format, said method comprising:

receiving a first version of a web syndication item and a second version of the web syndication item, said first version of the web syndication item indicating a first update to the web syndication item and said second version of the web syndication item indicating a second update to the web syndication item;

defining a syndication summary for the web syndication channel, said defined syndication summary describing information associated with the web syndication item;

aggregating web synchronization metadata associated with first version and the second version of the web syndication item in the syndication summary;

determining the order of the aggregated web synchronization metadata of the versions in the syndication summary as a function of the indicated updates; and

updating the syndication summary according to the determined order such that the one or more aggregated versions are provided to the users.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining comprises analyzing synchronization metadata associated with the first version and the second version of the web syndication item, said synchronization metadata including virtual clock values corresponding to versions of the web syndication item.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein analyzing comprises comparing each of the virtual clock values of each of the versions of the web syndication item to determine the order of the one or more aggregated versions in the syndication summary.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a conflict between the first version and the second version of the web syndication item, said conflict indicating that the versions of the web syndication item is different as a function of the first version, the second version, the first virtual clock value, the second virtual clock value and a user who last updates the web syndication item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein updating comprises merging the web synchronization metadata of the first version with the web synchronization metadata of the second version in the web syndication summary if there is no conflict.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing to the users a result of conflict resolution performed by the users.

16. A system for synchronizing a web syndication item transmitted based on a web syndication subscription, said system comprising:

a data store for storing a web syndication summary for the web syndication subscription and web synchronization metadata for one or more versions of the web syndication item;

a processor configured for executing computer-executable instructions for;

defining the syndication summary for the web syndication subscription to include information associated with the web syndication item;

aggregating the web synchronization metadata of the one or more versions of the web syndication item from users in the web syndication summary, said one or more versions indicating one or more updates by the users at various time periods;

determining the order of the one or more aggregated web synchronization metadata of the versions in the syndication summary as a function of the indicated updates and the various time periods; and

updating the web syndication summary according to the determined order such that the one or more aggregated versions are provided to the users.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a user interface (UI) for providing the one or more aggregated versions in the determined order to the users.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the versions of the web syndication item includes the web synchronization metadata describing a history of updates to the web syndication item by the users.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the web synchronization metadata includes metadata identifying a user who last updates the web syndication item and metadata describing a time period when the last update is performed.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to merge the web synchronization metadata of the one or more versions with the web syndication item in the web syndication summary.