SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED SYNCHRONIZATION BETWEEN A SERVER AND A CLIENT

• US 20080208998A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lemarchand, Remi A., Gray, Ronald E., Curtis, Brent, Bonilla, Nicole A., Hartwell, Aaron, Warren, Joseph R., Novitskey, Robert R., Froelich, Karl, Power, Brendan
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A system and method for improved client and server communications, more particularly, an improved protocol that may be used for communication between a client and a server, such as in an email environment. Many features are provided for improved communications. An email server may provide the best message body available for an email message, may transfer an entire data object if requested property or properties are not well defined within the data object, may provide progress data for use in tracking download progress, and may send error information for a data object having an error. Email changes may be optimized at an email server component, even if the email changes occurred at another email server component. An email server may maintain a table of changes that occur to folders at an associated data store, and may notify a subscribed email client component of changes that occur in the table.

Claims

1-2. -2. (canceled)

3. :

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, the instructions comprising;

maintaining a table regarding changes made to a plurality of folders containing email data objects;

subscribing an email client component to the table; and

in response to a change in the table, sending a notification to the email client component.

4. :

The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the email client component is automatically subscribed in response to receipt of a request from the email client component for an email data object in the plurality of folders.

5. :

The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the request comprises a request for synchronization of a folder in which the email data object is located said folder being one of the plurality of folders.

6. :

The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the request comprises a request for a copy of the email data object.

7. :

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, the instructions comprising;

subscribing to a table regarding changes made to a plurality of folders containing email data objects;

in response to a change in the table, receiving a notification from the email server component regarding rows in the table corresponding to at least one of the plurality of folders in which a change has occurred; and

in response to the notification, sending a request to the email server component to synchronize the at least one of the plurality of folders that have changed wherein the at least one of the plurality of folders correspond to the rows of the table received in the notification.

8. :

The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the subscribing automatically occurs in response to sending a request for an email data object in the plurality of folders to the email server component.

9. :

The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the request comprises a request for synchronization of a folder in which the email data object is located said folder being one of the plurality of folders.

10. :

The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the request comprises a request for a copy of the email data object.

11. :

A computer-implemented method, comprising;

subscribing to a table regarding changes made to a plurality of folders containing email data objects, the table being maintained by an email server component wherein a notification is sent by the email server component in response to a change occurring in at least one of the plurality of folders;

sending a request to the email server component to cause a change to at least one of the data objects in at least one of the plurality of folders, wherein the request includes an indication that the notification is not to be sent.

12. :

The method of claim 11, wherein the indication comprises a flag included with the request.

13. :

The method of claim 11, wherein the request comprises a request for synchronization of a folder in which the email data object is located.

14. :

The method of claim 11, wherein the request comprises a request for a copy of the email data object.

15. :

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 11.

16. :

A data packet embodied on a computer readable medium comprising;

a first data field including an identification of an email client component said email client component being subscribed to a table regarding changes made to an email folder, wherein a notification is sent to the email client component in response to a change occurring in the email folder;

a second data field representing changes made by the email client component to an email data object in the email folder; and

an indication requesting that a notification not be sent to the email client component regarding the change in the email folder.

17. :

The data packet of claim 16, wherein the indication comprises a flag included with a request.

18. :

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, the instructions comprising;

maintaining a table regarding changes made to a plurality of folders containing email data objects;

subscribing a plurality of email client components to the table wherein a notification based on the table is sent to the plurality email client components in response to a change occurring in at least one of the plurality of folders;

receiving a request from a first email client component to cause a change to at least one of the email data objects in at least one of the plurality of folders, said first email client component being one of the subscribed plurality of email components wherein the request includes an indication that the notification is not to be sent to the first email client component in response to the change; and

in response to the change and the indication, sending a notification regarding the change to the subscribed plurality of email components other than the first email client component and not sending a notification to the first email client component.

19. :

The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the indication comprises a flag included with the request.

20. :

The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the request comprises a request for synchronization of the at least one of the plurality of folders.

21. :

The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the request comprises a request for a copy of at least one of the email messages data objects.