Arrangement of data synchronization in a telecommunications system

• US 7,376,697 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2002
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Koskimies, Oskari
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US10/292,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,017 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of detecting duplicates in a synchronization system comprising at least one client device and at least two synchronization servers. The method comprises the steps of allocating first identifiers to the data units to be synchronized for use in the client device and second identifiers for use in the synchronization server; maintaining mapping tables for the synchronization servers by adding to the mapping table first identifiers and second identifiers allocated to the data units to be synchronized via the synchronization server. The method further comprises the steps of comparing the identifier pairs formed by the first and second identifiers added to the mapping tables of different synchronization servers; and causing at least part of the identifier pairs of the mapping tables to correspond to each other.

Claims

1. A method of detecting duplicates that are created during a synchronization process in a synchronization system comprising at least one synchronization client block, a mediator block and at least two synchronization server blocks, the method comprising:

defining by the mediator block first identifiers for use in the synchronization client block to data units to be synchronized;

arranging use of the first identifiers defined by the mediator block in the synchronization client block to identify the data units in the synchronization client block;

allocating to the data units to be synchronized second identifiers for use in a synchronization server block;

maintaining by the mediator block mapping tables for the synchronization server blocks by adding to the mapping tables the first identifiers and the second identifiers allocated to the data units to be synchronized via the synchronization server blocks;

comparing by the mediator block identifier pairs formed by the first and second identifiers added to the mapping tables of different synchronization server blocks;

causing by the mediator block at least part of the identifier pairs of the mapping tables to correspond to each other; and

detecting duplicates on the basis of the comparison.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the system comprises a first mediator and a second mediator, where

the first mediator is configured to send the identifier pairs of its mapping table to the second mediator;

and

the second mediator is configured to compare the identifier pairs of the first mediator with the identifier pairs of its mapping table and to inform the first mediator on the duplicates it has detected.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

deleting at least one duplicate during the next synchronization session as a response to at least two data units having the same first identifier and/or the same second identifier in the mapping table.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

defining for storing one data unit detected on the basis of the comparison of the mapping tables and a pair of identifiers referring to it;

arranging the identifier pairs referring to the duplicates of said data unit to refer to said data unit; and

deleting the identifier pairs referring to the duplicates of said data unit after a predetermined time.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier pairs of at least the data units under synchronization are caused to correspond to each other;

and

the recording of a data unit is prevented as a response to the first and/or second identifier allocated to said data unit being already defined in the mapping table.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization of the data units is arranged in accordance with the SyncML standard, whereby the first identifiers are LUID identifiers (Local Unique Identifier) and the second identifiers are GUID identifiers (Global Unique Identifier).

7. A method of detecting duplicates that are created during a synchronization process in a synchronization system comprising at least one synchronization client block, a mediator block and at least two synchronization server blocks, the method comprising:

defining by the mediator block first identifiers for use in the synchronization client block;

arranging use of the first identifiers defined by the mediator block in the synchronization client block to identify the data units in the synchronization client block;

allocating to the data units to be synchronized second identifiers for use in the synchronization server blocks;

maintaining by the mediator block mapping tables for the synchronization server blocks by adding to the mapping tables the first identifiers and the second identifiers allocated to the data units to be synchronized via the synchronization server blocks;

comparing by the mediator block identifier pairs formed by the first and second identifiers added to the mapping tables of different synchronization server blocks;

detecting duplicates on the basis of the comparison;

preventing duplicated recording of the data unit under synchronization as a response to a data unit according to the first identifier allocated to said data unit being already recorded on the basis of the mapping tables.

8. A synchronization system comprising at least one synchronization client blocks, at least two synchronization server blocks, and at least one mediator block wherein

the mediator block is configured to define a first identifier for use in the synchronization client block to a data unit to be synchronized;

the mediator block is configured to provide the first identifier for the synchronization client to arrange use of the first identifier in the synchronization client block to identify the data unit in the synchronization client block;

the system is configured to allocate for the data units to be synchronized second identifiers for use in a synchronization server block,

the mediator block is configured to maintain mapping tables for the synchronization server blocks by adding to the mapping tables first identifiers and second identifiers allocated to the data units to be synchronized via the synchronization server blocks;

the mediator block is configured to compare identifier pairs formed by the first and second identifiers added to the mapping tables of different synchronization server blocks;

the mediator block is configured to detect duplicates that are created during a synchronization process on the basis of the comparison; and

the mediator block is configured to cause at least part of the identifier pairs in the mapping tables to correspond to each other.

9. A synchronization device for a synchronization system comprising at least one synchronization client block and synchronization server blocks, said synchronization device comprising:

a mediator block configured to;

define first identifiers for use in the synchronization client block to data units to be synchronized;

provide the first identifiers for the synchronization client block to arrange use of the first identifiers in the synchronization client block to identify the data units in the synchronization client block;

maintain mapping tables for the synchronization server blocks by adding to the mapping table first identifiers and second identifiers allocated to the data units to be synchronized via the synchronization server blocks, an allocation of the second identifiers being arranged in the system for data units to be synchronized for use in a synchronization server block;

compare identifier pairs formed by the first and second identifiers added to the mapping tables of different synchronization server blocks;

cause at least part of the identifier pairs of the mapping tables to correspond to each other; and

detect duplicates that are created during a synchronization process on the basis of the comparison.

13. A synchronization device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the synchronization device is configured to cause the identifier pairs of at least the data units under synchronization to correspond to each other;

and

the synchronization device is configured to cause prevention of the recording of a data unit as a response to the first and/or second identifier allocated to said data unit being already defined in the mapping table.

14. A synchronization device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the synchronization device is configured to comply with the SyncML standard, whereby the first identifiers are LUID identifiers (Local Unique Identifier) and the second identifiers are GUID identifiers (Global Unique Identifier).

10. A computer program product comprising a memory medium, said computer program product comprising program code for execution in a processor of a computer, for causing the computer to provide a mediator block configured to:

define first identifiers for use in a synchronization client block to data units to be synchronized;

provide the first identifiers for the synchronization client to arrange use of the first identifiers in the synchronization client block to identify the data units in the synchronization client block;

maintain at least one mapping table for at least one synchronization server, the mapping table comprising for the data units to be synchronized first identifiers for use in a synchronization client and second identifiers for use in a synchronization server;

compare identifier pairs formed by the first and second identifiers of different mapping tables;

detect duplicates that are created during a synchronization process on the basis of the comparison; and

cause at least part of the identifier pairs in the mapping table to correspond to each other.

11. A synchronization device for a synchronization system comprising synchronization clients and synchronization servers, said synchronization device comprising:

a mediator block configured to;

define first identifiers for use in the synchronization client block to data units to be synchronized;

provide the first identifiers for the synchronization client to arrange use of the first identifiers in the synchronization client block to identify the data units in the synchronization client block;

maintain at least one mapping table for at least one synchronization server, the mapping table comprising for the data units to be synchronized first identifiers for use in a synchronization client and second identifiers for use in the synchronization server;

compare identifier pairs formed by the first and second identifiers;

cause at least part of the identifier pairs of the mapping table to correspond to each other;

detect duplicates that are created in a synchronization process on the basis of the comparison;

communicate with a second mediator in the synchronization system;

send the identifier pairs of the mapping table to the second mediator; and

/or

compare identifier pairs of the second mediator with the identifier pairs of the mapping table and to inform the second mediator on the duplicates the mediator block has detected.

12. A synchronization device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the synchronization device is configured to cause deletion of at least one duplicate during the next synchronization session as a response to at least two data units having the same first identifier and/or the same second identifier in the mapping table.

15. A data processing device for a synchronization system comprising at least one synchronization client block and synchronization server blocks, said data processing device comprising a synchronization client block, wherein the data processing device is configured to receive from a mediator block a first identifier defined by the mediator block for use in the synchronization client to a data unit to be synchronized to identify the data unit in the synchronization client block;

an allocation of second identifiers being arranged in the system for data units to be synchronized for use in a synchronization server block, the mediator block being configured to maintain at least one mapping table for at least one synchronization server block by adding to the mapping table first identifiers and second identifiers allocated to the data units to be synchronized via the synchronization server blocks, to compare identifier pairs formed by the first and second identifiers added to the mapping tables of different synchronization server blocks, to detect duplicates that are created during a synchronization process on the basis of the comparison, and to cause at least part of the identifier pairs in the mapping tables to correspond to each other; and

the synchronization client is configured to use the first identifier received from the mediator to identify the data unit in the synchronization client block and to identify the data unit in later synchronization events.