Smart synchronization using created manifest

• US 7,565,381 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MobileFrame LLC
• Original Assignee: MobileFrame LLC
• Inventors: Oswalt, Lonny Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng; Amy
• Application Number:
  US11/056,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 707/8, 707/201, 707/10, 707/204, 707/200, 717/168, 717/169, 717/172, 717/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A solution is provided that intelligently synchronizes a central server with a mobile computing device by continuously monitoring changes to data in the central server. Upon discovery of a change relevant to the mobile computing device, the change may be noted in a synchronization system table corresponding to the mobile computing device, wherein the synchronization system table contains all items that need to be synchronized for the mobile computing device. Then, a manifest of all items to synchronize with the mobile computing device may be created based upon information in the synchronization system table. Finally, the items in the manifest may be transmitted to the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A method for intelligently synchronizing a central server with a mobile computing device, wherein the mobile computing device is assigned a project having one or more tasks and the central server includes a database, the method comprising:

continuously monitoring changes to enterprise data in the database of said central server and changes related to workflow functions related to a task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device and to database software used by the task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device;

upon discovery of a change to a workflow function related to a task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device, noting said change to the workflow function in a synchronization system table corresponding to said mobile computing device, said synchronization system table containing all items that need to be synchronized for said mobile computing device;

upon discovery of a change to a database software used by the task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device, noting said change to the database software in the synchronization system table corresponding to said mobile computing device;

creating a manifest of all items to synchronize with said mobile computing device, said creating based upon information in said synchronization system table, wherein the manifest includes database schema for the database as well as data relating to only projects assigned to the mobile computing device that are currently active; and

transmitting said items in said manifest to said mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said items include an indication of deletion of data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating occurs upon receipt of a synchronization request from said mobile computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said synchronization request is automatically generated from said mobile computing device upon detection of a network address for the mobile computing device by the central server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating includes excluding an item from said manifest if said item corresponds to a user who is not a current valid user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating includes excluding an item from said manifest if said item corresponds to a mobile computing device that is not a current valid mobile computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating includes excluding an item from said manifest if said item is not designated to go to said mobile computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating includes excluding an item from said manifest if said item has been designated as received by said mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating includes excluding an item from said manifest if said item has an associated retry count equal to or greater than a preconfigured retry limit.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting includes sending said items to said mobile computing device in groups by continuously looping through said manifest.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

incrementing a retry count in said synchronization system table for each transmitted item.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation request from said mobile computing device for one or more transmitted items; and

marking each of said one or more transmitted items for which a confirmation request has been received as synchronized in said synchronization system table.

13. An apparatus for intelligently synchronizing a central server with a mobile computing device, wherein the mobile computing device is assigned a project having one or more tasks and the central server includes a database, the apparatus comprising:

means for continuously monitoring changes to enterprise data in the database of said central server and changes related to workflow functions related to a task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device and to database software used by the task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device;

means for, upon discovery of a change to a workflow function related to a task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device, noting said change to the workflow function in a synchronization system table corresponding to said mobile computing device, said synchronization system table containing all items that need to be synchronized for said mobile computing device;

means for, upon discovery of a change to a database software used by the task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device, noting said change to the database software in the synchronization system table corresponding to said mobile computing device;

means for creating a manifest of all items to synchronize with said mobile computing device, said creating based upon information in said synchronization system table, wherein the manifest includes database schema for the database as well as data relating to only projects assigned to the mobile computing device that are currently active; and

means for transmitting said items in said manifest to said mobile computing device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said items include an indication of deletion of data.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for creating executes upon receipt of a synchronization request from said mobile computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said synchronization request is automatically generated from said mobile computing device upon detection of a network address for the mobile computing device by the central server.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for creating includes means for excluding an item from said manifest if said item corresponds to a user who is not a current valid user.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for creating includes means for excluding an item from said manifest if said item corresponds to a mobile computing device that is not a current valid mobile computing device.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for creating includes means for excluding an item from said manifest if said item is not designated to go to said mobile computing device.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for creating includes means for excluding an item from said manifest if said item has been designated as received by said mobile computing device.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for creating includes means for excluding an item from said manifest if said item has an associated retry count equal to or greater than a preconfigured retry limit.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for transmitting includes means for sending said items to said mobile computing device in groups by continuously looping through said manifest.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for incrementing a retry count in said synchronization system table for each transmitted item.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving a confirmation request from said mobile computing device for one or more transmitted items; and

means for marking each of said one or more transmitted items for which a confirmation request has been received as synchronized in said synchronization system table.

25. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly storing program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for intelligently synchronizing a central server with a mobile computing device, wherein the mobile computing device is assigned a project having one or more tasks and the central server includes a database, the method comprising:

continuously monitoring changes to enterprise data in the database of said central server and changes related to workflow functions related to a task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device and to database software used by the task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device;

upon discovery of a change to a workflow function related relevant to a task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device, noting said change to the workflow function in a synchronization system table corresponding to said mobile computing device, said synchronization system table containing all items that need to be synchronized for said mobile computing device;

upon discovery of a change to a database software used by the task of the project assigned to said mobile computing device, noting said change to the database software in the synchronization system table corresponding to said mobile computing device;

creating a manifest of all items to synchronize with said mobile computing device, said creating based upon information in said synchronization system table, wherein the manifest includes database schema for the database as well as data relating to only projects assigned to the mobile computing device that are currently active; and

transmitting said items in said manifest to said mobile computing device.