System and method for synchronizing local versions of database

• US 6,073,141 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Salazar, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US08/977,891
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 707/8, 707/2, 707/104, 707/204, 707/10, 395/500, 395/425, 379/88
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/278 Data partitioning, e.g. horizontal or vertical partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A computer system for providing a current set of records to a plurality of users. The system includes a master database which stores a master set of a plurality of records and a plurality of terminals in communication with the master database. Each of the terminals stores a subset of the master set of records. The system also includes a device that receives input regarding updates to the plurality of users and has a single point of entry to the master database. The input receiving device stores the updates in the master database. The system provides a mechanism that indicates which records have been updated since a predetermined period of time. The system also includes a retrieving device that is responsive to the indicating mechanism and retrieves one or more of the updated fields from the master database and provides those fields to one or more of the terminals. An updating device associated with one or more of the terminals is provided for updating each of the subsets on each of the terminals with the updated fields provided by the retrieving device. A sharing device is provided for sharing the updated fields with at least one of the terminals.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing a current set of records to a plurality of users, the records having a plurality of fields, the system comprising:

a master database means for storing a master set of a plurality of records, the records having a plurality of fields;

a plurality of terminals in communication with said master database means;

each of said terminals storing a subset of said plurality of records;

input receiving means for receiving input regarding updates to said plurality of records from the master database;

storing means for storing said updates in said master database means;

indicating means for indicating the fields that have been updated since a previous update;

retrieving means, responsive to the indicating means, for retrieving one or more updated fields from the master database means and providing that to one or more of said terminals;

updating means, associated with one or more terminals, for updating the subset on a terminal using the updated fields provided by the retrieving means; and

means associated with each terminal for sharing the updated fields with at least one other terminal.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said input receiving means comprises a single point of entry to said means for storing a master set of a plurality of records.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said records are address book entries.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said fields are selected from the group consisting of:

user name, electronic mail address, telephone number, address, job title, job department, and employer.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said indicating means is a field containing a date stamp.

6. A method for providing a current set of records having a plurality of fields to a plurality of users, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a master set of a plurality of records in a master database means, the records having a plurality of fields;

providing a plurality of terminals in communication with said master database means;

storing a subset of said plurality of records in each of said terminals;

receiving input regarding updates to said plurality of records from the master database means;

storing said updates in said master database means;

indicating the fields that have been updated since a previous update;

retrieving one or more updated fields from the master database means and providing that to one or more of said terminals;

updating the subset on a terminal using the updated fields provided by the retrieving means; and

sharing the updated fields with at least one other terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the updating step is processed automatically.

8. The method of claim 7,.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the updating step is processed for a predetermined amount of time.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said records are address book entries.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said inputting step is done through a single point of entry.

12. A computer system for providing a current set of records to a plurality of users, the records having a plurality of fields, the system comprising:

a master database that stores a master set of a plurality of records;

a plurality of terminals in communication with the master database;

each of the terminals storing a subset of the plurality of records;

an input receiving module that receives input regarding updates to the plurality of records from the master database;

a storing modules that stores the updates in the master database;

an indicating module that indicates the fields that have been updated since a previous update;

a retrieving module, responsive to the indicating module, that retrieves one or more updated fields from the master database and provides that to one or more of the terminals;

an updating module, associated with one or more terminals, that updates the subset on a terminal using the updated fields provided by the retrieving module; and

a sharing module associated with each terminal that shares the updated fields with at least one other terminal.

13. A computer system according to claim 12, wherein the input receiving module comprises a single point of entry to the storing module.

14. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the records are address book entries.

15. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the fields are selected from the group consisting of:

user name, electronic mail address, telephone number, address, job title, job department, and employer.

16. A computer system according to claim 12, wherein the indicating module is a field containing a date stamp.

17. A computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for providing a current set of records to a plurality of users, the records having a plurality of fields, the medium comprising:

database storing computer readable code that stores a master set of a plurality of records in a master database;

subset storing computer readable code that stores a subset of the plurality of records;

input receiving computer readable code that receives input regarding updates to the plurality of records from the master database;

update storing computer readable code that stores the updates;

update indicating computer readable code that indicates the fields that have been updated since a previous update;

field retrieving computer readable code that retrieves one or more updated fields and provides that to one or more terminals;

terminal updating computer readable code that updates the subset on the one or more terminals using the updated fields provided by the field retrieving computer readable code; and

field sharing computer readable code that shares the updated fields with at least one other terminal.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the records are address book entries.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the fields are selected from the group consisting of:

user name, electronic mail address, telephone number, address, job title, job department, and employer.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the update indicating computer readable code updates the fields using a date stamp.