Apparatus, System, and Method for Data Synchronization in a Multi-Path Environment

• US 20100146133A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zawacki, Jennifer Greenwood, Perrin, Steven Richard, Dubs, Justin Tyler, Thrasher, James Joseph, Vanover, Michael Terrell
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for synchronizing inbound and outbound data in an environment that offers multiple data pathways. When an attempt to send data by a host computer fails, the host computer notifies a secondary device with a separate network connection of the failure. The secondary device attempts to send the data over its separate network connection. If the secondary device fails to send the data, the host computer generates new attempts to send the data over its network connection. The secondary device does the same if the host computer continues to fail in its attempts to send the data. When either the host computer or the secondary device sends the outbound data, it notifies the other of the successful send. The devices then stop further attempts to transmit the data. For inbound data, the host computer and secondary device obtain unique identifiers for inbound data items, compare them, and request from the other those inbound data items that it has not received.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program:

for data synchronization, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to;

notify a secondary device of a failed send event in response to a host computer failing to send an outbound data item over a first network connection, wherein the secondary device is configured to generate a secondary send event for the outbound data item over a second network connection in response to receiving the notification of the failed send event;

generate a new send event for the outbound data item on the host computer over the first network connection in response to the secondary device failing to successfully send the outbound data item; and

notify the secondary device of a successful send event in response to the host computer successfully executing the new send event that sends the outbound data item over the first network connection.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising causing the host computer to receive a confirmation notification from the secondary device, wherein the secondary device sends the confirmation notification in response to the secondary device successfully sending the outbound data item.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the secondary device is configured to stop generating secondary send events for the outbound data item on the second network connection in response to receiving the notification of a successful send event from the host computer.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the new send event is generated further in response to one of a change in the state of the host computer and a change in the state of the network connection of the host computer.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising causing the host computer to verify that the secondary device failed to successfully send the outbound data item prior to generating the new send event.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising causing the host computer to designate the outbound data item as sent in response to one of the host computer sending the outbound data item over the first network connection and the secondary device sending the outbound data item over the second network connection.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the secondary device is communicatively connected to the host computer through a card that is separate from and directly connected to the host computer, and wherein the card is communicatively connected to the secondary device by a Bluetooth connection.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the card sends data to the secondary device and receives data from the secondary device in response to the host computer being in a powered-down state.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising causing the host computer to:

determine whether the secondary device has received inbound data items that the host computer has not received over the first network connection; and

receive from the secondary device the inbound data items that the host computer has not received.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein determining whether the secondary device has received inbound data items that the host computer has not received further comprises:

obtaining a set of unique identifier for inbound data items sent to the host computer over the first network connection;

obtaining a set of unique identifier for inbound data items sent to the secondary device over the second network connection; and

receiving from the secondary device the inbound data items having a unique identifier that is not in the set of unique identifiers for inbound data items of the host computer.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the outbound data item is one of an email, a calendar event, and a software update.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the secondary device is communicatively connected to the host by a Bluetooth connection.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program is executed on one of the host computer and a card.

14. An apparatus for reducing the duplication of data transmissions in a multi-path environment comprising:

an outbound module configured to notify a secondary device of a failed send event in response to a host computer failing to send an outbound data item over a first network connection, wherein the secondary device is configured to generate a secondary send event instructing the secondary device to send the outbound data item over a second network connection in response to receiving the notification of the failed send event;

a confirmation module configured to receive a confirmation notification from the secondary device in response to the secondary device successfully executing the secondary send event such that the outbound data item is sent over the second network;

a retry module configured to generate a new send event on the host computer for the outbound data item while the confirmation module lacks the confirmation notification for the outbound data item; and

a synch module configured to provide the secondary device with a success notification indicating a successful send event of the outbound email by the host computer, wherein the secondary device is configured to stop generating secondary send events for the outbound data item in response to receiving the success notification.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, the synch module further configured to designate the outbound data item as sent on the host computer in response to the confirmation module receiving the confirmation notification.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, the apparatus further comprising an inbound module configured to:

obtain a set of unique identifiers for one or more inbound data items sent to the host computer;

compare one or more unique identifiers for one or more inbound data items sent to the secondary device with the set of unique identifiers for the one or more inbound data items sent to the host computer; and

receive from the secondary device inbound data items received by the secondary device that have a unique identifier that is not in the set of unique identifiers for inbound data items of the host computer.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the retry module generates the new send event further in response to one or more of:

the host computer detecting a connection to a network;

the host computer entering a powered on state; and

the completion of a predetermined wait time.

18. A system comprising:

a host computer comprising;

a first network connection communicatively connecting the host computer to a first network;

a first synchronization apparatus comprising;

an outbound module configured to notify a secondary device of a failed send event in response to the host computer failing to send an outbound data item over the first network;

a confirmation module configured to receive a confirmation notification from the secondary device in response to the secondary device successfully sending the outbound data item over a second network;

a retry module configured to resend the outbound data item on the host computer in response to the confirmation module lacking the confirmation notification for the outbound data item; and

a synch module configured to provide the secondary device with a success notification in response to a successful send of the outbound data item by the host computer;

the secondary device comprising;

a second network connection communicatively connecting the secondary device to the second network;

a support apparatus comprising;

a send module configured to generate a secondary send event for the outbound data item over the second network in response to receiving notification of a failed send event on the host computer from the outbound module;

a verification module configured to send the confirmation notification to the host computer in response to the secondary device successfully sending the outbound data item over the second network;

a secondary retry module configured to resend the outbound data item on the secondary device in response to the secondary send event failing and further in response to the secondary device lacking the success notification.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the retry module is further configured to continue resending the outbound data item until one of a successful send event of the outbound data item by the host computer and the confirmation module receiving the confirmation notification.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a card configured to communicatively connect to the host computer through a direct connection and to communicatively connect to the secondary device.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the card sends data to the secondary device and receives data from the secondary device in response to the host computer being in a powered-down state.

22. An apparatus for reducing the duplication of data transmissions in a multi-path environment comprising:

an outbound module configured to;

detect a send event of a mail user agent operating on a host computer that instructs the host computer to send an outbound email over a first network connection that connects the host computer to a first network;

copy the outbound email to a secondary device communicatively connected to the host computer and communicatively connected to a second network by a second network connection;

monitor for one or more transmission events indicating that the send event of the outbound email on the host computer is one of failed and delayed;

send the secondary device a transmit request in response to the occurrence of one or more transmission events, wherein the secondary device is configured to send the outbound email in response to receiving the transmit request;

a confirmation module configured to receive a confirmation notification from the secondary device in response to the secondary device successfully sending the outbound email; and

a retry module configured to generate a new send event in the mail user agent for the outbound email on the host computer while the confirmation module lacks the confirmation notification for the outbound email.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a synch module configured to provide the secondary device with a success notification indicating a successful send event of the outbound email by the host computer, wherein the secondary device is configured to delete the outbound email from a send queue in response to receiving the success notification.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising an inbound module configured to:

obtain a set of unique identifiers for one or more inbound emails sent to the host computer;

compare one or more unique identifiers for one or more inbound emails sent to the secondary device with the set of unique identifiers for the one or more inbound emails sent to the host computer; and

receive from the secondary device inbound emails received by the secondary device that have a unique identifier that is not in the set of unique identifiers for inbound emails of the host computer.