Maintaining time-date information for syncing low fidelity devices

• US 7,370,067 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Starbuck, Bryan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin; Jean B
• Application Number:
  US11/166,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 709/236, 709/240, 709/248, 715/500.1
• 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 16/275 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 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Generally, the present invention provides for a distributed computing system that is capable of associating time-date information with a property value in the database. The distributed computing system has a device that stores properties in a database without corresponding time-date fields, and thus is considered a low fidelity or legacy device. Example embodiments provide that time-date information corresponding to remote property values can be identified and formatted in a standard format parsable by one or more devices in the distributed computing system. The formatted time-date information is sent to the remote database for storage in a field associated with the remote property values. The formatted time-date information can then subsequently be used in resolving conflicts between property values.

Claims

1. A computing device that stores properties in a database without a corresponding time-date field, the computing device comprising:

a processor for processing computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media of the computing device and that are configured for implementing a method of associating time-date information with a property value in the database, wherein the method comprises the acts of;

identifying time-date information corresponding to one or more remote property values in a remote database that stores properties without a corresponding time-date field, wherein the one or more property values are a subset of a total number of associated property values, and the one or more property values are selected to have the identified time-date information formatted in the standard format based on values associated with the time-date information, and wherein a remaining portion of property values from the total number of property values not selected are represented in the field associated with the one or more remote property values by a combined representation value, the combined representation value having associated time-date information based on time-date information for the remaining portion of property values;

formatting the identified time-date information in a standard format parsable by one or more devices in the distributed computing system; and

sending the formatted time-date information to the remote database for storage in a field associated with the one or more remote property values.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the standard format is a uniform resource identifier.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the representation of the one of the one or more property values is a hash of the one of the one or more property values.

4. A computing device that stores properties in a database without a corresponding time-date field, the computing device comprising:

a processor for processing computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media of the computing device and for implementing a method of associating time-date information with a property value in the database, wherein the method comprises the acts of;

receiving formatted time-date information associated with the one or more property values, the formatted time-date information formatted in a standard format parsable by one or more devices in the distributed computing system; and

storing the formatted time-date information in a database field associated with the one or more property values such that the formatted time-date information can be utilized to resolve data conflicts involving the one or more property values, wherein the one or more property values are a subset of a total number of associated property values, and the one or more property values are selected to have the identified time-date information formatted in the standard format based on values associated with the time-date information, and wherein a remaining portion of property values from the total number of property values not selected are represented in the field associated with the one or more remote property values by a combined representation value, the combined representation having associated time-date information based on time-date information for the remaining portion of property values.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises the acts of:

changing at least one of the one or more property values;

identifying the formatted time data information as being associated with the one or more property values; and

updating the formatted time-date information in the database field in accordance with the changed at least one of the one or more property values.

6. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the standard format is a uniform resource identifier.

7. A computing device that stores properties in a database without a corresponding time-date field, the computing device comprising:

a processor for processing computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media of the computing device and that are configured for implementing a method of resolving a data conflict between devices in the distributed computing system, wherein the method comprises the acts of;

receiving a remote property value for a remote property and corresponding remote time-date information from a database without a corresponding time-date field, the remote time-date information formatted in a standard format parsable by one or more devices in the distributed computing system, wherein the standard format is a uniform resource identifier, and wherein the uniform resource identifier is a uniform resource locator parsed into segments, one of the segments including a property identification corresponding to the remote property value, a remote representation of the remote property value and a representation of the time-date information corresponding to the remote property value, and wherein the representation of the time-date information corresponding to the remote property value is one or more of a Hexadecimal number of the time-date information, stored down to the seconds, stored down to the minutes or stored in a time zone independent format;

detecting a conflict between the remote property value and a corresponding local property value;

parsing the remote time-date information according to the standard format to identify a remote time and date, the remote time and date indicating when the remote property value was changed;

comparing the remote time and date to a local time and date, the local time and data indicated when the one or more local property values were changed; and

resolving the conflict based on the results of the comparison.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the remote representation of the remote property value is a hash of the remote property value.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises the acts of:

generating a local representation of the remote property from the remote property value;

comparing the remote representation to the local representation; and

determining, based on the comparison, the remote property value has not changed after the remote representation was generated.

10. A computing device that stores properties in a database without a corresponding time-date field, the computing device comprising:

a processor for processing computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media of the computing device and that are configured for implementing a method of associating time-date information with a property value in the database, wherein the method comprises the acts of;

identifying time-date information corresponding to one or more remote property values in a remote database that stores properties without a corresponding time-date field;

formatting the identified time-date information in a standard format parsable by one or more devices in the distributed computing system, wherein the standard format is a uniform resource identifier, and wherein the uniform resource identifier is a uniform resource locator parsed into segments, each segment including a property identifier, a representation of one of the one or more property values and a representation of the time-date information corresponding to the one of the one or more property values, and wherein the representation of the time-date information corresponding to the one of the one or more property values is one or more of a Hexadecimal number of the time-date information, stored down to the seconds, stored down to the minutes or stored in a time zone independent format; and

sending the formatted time-date information to the remote database for storage in a field associated with the one or more remote property values.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the representation of the one of the one or more property values is a hash of the one of the one or more property values.

12. A computing system that stores properties in a database without a corresponding time-date field, the computing system comprising:

a processor for processing computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media of the computing system and that are configured for implementing a method of associating time-date information with a property value in the database, wherein the method comprises the acts of;

receiving formatted time-date information associated with the one or more property values, the formatted time-date information formatted in a standard format parsable by one or more devices in the distributed computing system, wherein the standard format is a uniform resource identifier, and wherein the uniform resource identifier is a uniform resource locator parsed into segments, each segment including a property identification, a representation of one of the one or more property values and a representation of the time-date information corresponding to the one of the one or more property values, and wherein the representation of the time-date information corresponding to the one of the one or more property values is one or more of a Hexadecimal number of the time-date information, stored down to the seconds, stored down to the minutes or stored in a time zone independent format; and

storing the formatted time-date information in a database field associated with the one or more property values such that the formatted time-date information can be utilized to resolve data conflicts involving the one or more property values.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises the acts of:

changing at least one of the one or more property values;

identifying the formatted time data information as being associated with the one or more property values; and

updating the formatted time-date information in the database field in accordance with the changed at least one of the one or more property values.

14. A computer program product for use in a device that stores properties in a database without a corresponding time-date field, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media having stored computer-executable instructions for implementing a method of associating time-date information with a property value in the database, wherein the method comprises the acts of;

identifying time-date information corresponding to one or more remote property values in a remote database that stores properties without a corresponding time-date field, wherein the one or more property values are a subset of a total number of associated property values, and the one or more property values are selected to have the identified time-date information formatted in the standard format based on values associated with the time-date information, and wherein a remaining portion of property values from the total number of property values not selected are represented in the field associated with the one or more remote property values by a combined representation value, the combined representation value having associated time-date information based on time-date information for the remaining portion of property values;

formatting the identified time-date information in a standard format parsable by one or more devices in the distributed computing system; and

sending the formatted time-date information to the remote database for storage in a field associated with the one or more remote property values.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the representation of the one of the one or more property values is a hash of the one of the one or more property values.

16. A computer program product for use in a device that stores properties in a database without a corresponding time-date field, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media having stored computer-executable instructions for implementing a method of associating time-date information with a property value in the database, wherein the method comprises the acts of;

receiving formatted time-date information associated with the one or more property values, the formatted time-date information formatted in a standard format parsable by one or more devices in the distributed computing system; and

storing the formatted time-date information in a database field associated with the one or more property values such that the formatted time-date information can be utilized to resolve data conflicts involving the one or more property values, wherein the one or more property values are a subset of a total number of associated property values, and the one or more property values are selected to have the identified time-date information formatted in the standard format based on values associated with the time-date information, and wherein a remaining portion of property values from the total number of property values not selected are represented in the field associated with the one or more remote property values by a combined representation value, the combined representation having associated time-date information based on time-date information for the remaining portion of property values.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises the acts of:

changing at least one of the one or more property values;

identifying the formatted time data information as being associated with the one or more property values; and

updating the formatted time-date information in the database field in accordance with the changed at least one of the one or more property values.

18. A computer program product for use in a device that stores properties in a database without a corresponding time-date field, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media having stored computer-executable instructions for implementing a method of associating time-date information with a property value in the database, wherein the method comprises the acts of;

identifying time-date information corresponding to one or more remote property values in a remote database that stores properties without a corresponding time-date field;

formatting the identified time-date information in a standard format parsable by one or more devices in the distributed computing system, wherein the standard format is a uniform resource identifier, and wherein the uniform resource identifier is a uniform resource locator parsed into segments, each segment including a property identifier, a representation of one of the one or more property values and a representation of the time-date information corresponding to the one of the one or more property values, and wherein the representation of the time-date information corresponding to the one of the one or more property values is one or more of a Hexadecimal number of the time-date information, stored down to the seconds, stored down to the minutes or stored in a time zone independent format; and

sending the formatted time-date information to the remote database for storage in a field associated with the one or more remote property values.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the representation of the one of the one or more property values is a hash of the one of the one or more property values.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises the acts of:

changing at least one of the one or more property values;

identifying the formatted time data information as being associated with the one or more property values; and

updating the formatted time-date information in the database field in accordance with the changed at least one of the one or more property values.

20. A computer program product that stores properties in a database without a corresponding time-date field, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media having stored computer-executable instructions for implementing a method of associating time-date information with a property value in the database, wherein the method comprises the acts of;

receiving formatted time-date information associated with the one or more property values, the formatted time-date information formatted in a standard format parsable by one or more devices in the distributed computing system, wherein the standard format is a uniform resource identifier, and wherein the uniform resource identifier is a uniform resource locator parsed into segments, each segment including a property identification, a representation of one of the one or more property values and a representation of the time-date information corresponding to the one of the one or more property values, and wherein the representation of the time-date information corresponding to the one of the one or more property values is one or more of a Hexadecimal number of the time-date information, stored down to the seconds, stored down to the minutes or stored in a time zone independent format; and

storing the formatted time-date information in a database field associated with the one or more property values such that the formatted time-date information can be utilized to resolve data conflicts involving the one or more property values.