Notification protocol for establishing synchronization mode for use in synchronizing databases

• US 7,007,003 B1
• Filed: 12/04/1998
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellisync Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intellisync Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rybicki, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US09/205,020
• Time in Patent Office: 2,643 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/7, 707/102, 707/103, 707/104, 707 8- 10, 709200-207, 709238-244, 709/400
• US Class Current: 707/613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2066 Optimisation of the communication load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• 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: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A method for reducing message traffic during synchronization between a database residing on a first computer (e.g., a remote computer) and another database residing on a second computer (e.g., a central computer) is disclosed. The first computer transmits to the second computer a proposed synchronization mode and at least one operation that operates on a record stored in the other database. The operation is transmitted to the second computer before the second computer returns to the first computer a confirmation message accepting the proposed synchronization mode. Synchronization is essentially independent of latency in the communication channel.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing a first database residing on a first computer with a second database residing on a second computer, wherein there are a plurality of synchronization modes specifying the procedure to be used for synchronizing the first and second databases, the method comprising:

the first computer making a choice of a proposed synchronization mode from among the plurality of synchronization modes, and transmitting to the second computer a notification of the proposed synchronization mode and at least one operation operative on a record stored in the second database; and

the second computer returning to the first computer a confirmation message accepting the proposed synchronization mode,

wherein the at least one operation is transmitted to the second computer before the second computer returns to the first computer the confirmation message accepting the proposed synchronization mode.

3. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first computer transmits the proposed synchronization mode and the at least one operation as a single message.

4. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first computer and the second computer communicate via a message layer having a latency and wherein the first and the second databases are synchronized independently of the latency of the message layer.

5. The subject matter of claim 3, wherein a plurality of the operations are concatenated in the single message.

6. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the operations is associated with at least one record in at least one of the first and second databases.

7. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the records comprises a unique record identifier.

8. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second computer returns to the first computer a confirmation message confirming a successful execution of the synchronization.

9. The subject matter of claim 8, wherein the second computer returns the confirmation message to the first computer not before receiving a subsequent synchronization request from the first computer.

10. The subject matter of claim 8, wherein the second computer confirms a successful execution of only the last received operation and wherein the confirmation of the last received operation is indicative of the successful execution of all operations received by the second computer.

11. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein the operations comprise at least one of adding, deleting, archiving and modifying records in at least one of the first and second databases.

12. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein the confirmation message comprises at least one operation operative on a record stored in the first database.

13. The subject matter of claim 12, wherein the operations comprise at least one of adding, deleting, archiving or modifying records in at least one of the first and second databases.

14. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second computer proposes to the first computer a second synchronization mode if the first proposed synchronization mode transmitted by the first computer is unacceptable to the second computer.

15. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first computer is a mobile computer.

16. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second computer is a host computer.

17. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first computer comprises at least one first broker for managing the first database.

18. The subject matter of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second computer comprises at least one second broker for managing the second database.

19. The subject matter of claim 18, wherein the second broker is capable of interpreting and executing the proposed synchronization mode and the at least one operation received from the first computer.

2. A computer program, residing on a computer-readable medium, for synchronizing a first database residing on a first computer with a second database residing on a second computer, wherein there are a plurality of synchronization modes specifying the procedure to be used for synchronizing the first and second databases, comprising instructions for causing:

the first computer to make a choice of a proposed synchronization mode from among the plurality of synchronization modes, and to transmit to the second computer a notification of the proposed synchronization mode and at least one operation operative on a record stored in the second database; and

the second computer to return to the first computer a confirmation message accepting the proposed synchronization mode,

wherein the at least one operation is transmitted to the second computer before the second computer returns to the first computer the confirmation message accepting the proposed synchronization mode.