Data sharing and synchronization with relay endpoint and sync data element

• US 7,900,203 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Augustine, Matthew S., Ozzie, Jack E., Kirkpatrick, Robert G. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri; Anil
• Application Number:
  US11/739,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20080267221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 717172-178, 709228-229, 709/235, 709/248
• US Class Current: 717/178
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for sharing and synchronizing data using the addition of synchronization data to a feed that contains data items, and in some implementations, at least a node or endpoint that provides relay functionality or relay capabilities to one or more endpoints, are disclosed. Such systems and methods may also include the communication of information about the data that is synchronized, in addition to synchronization of the data itself.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

synchronizing a first change to an item with data associated with a relay endpoint wherein the first change is made on a first endpoint and the first change is represented using a feed comprising a representation of the item that includes a sync data element and an item data element, wherein the synchronizing the first change to the item comprises determining that the item is associated with a local item in the data associated with the relay endpoint and merging the first change to the item with the data associated with the relay endpoint, and wherein the synchronized first change is stored by the relay endpoint, and wherein the relay endpoint and the first endpoint each include a computing device;

identifying a set comprising at least one endpoint identifier, wherein each endpoint identifier in the set identifies an endpoint with which the relay endpoint synchronizes data;

identifying a second endpoint associated with the endpoint identifier;

synchronizing a second change that comprises at least some information also comprised by the first change between the relay endpoint and the second endpoint, wherein the synchronizing the second change comprises generating an updated feed that includes the second change from the data associated with the relay endpoint and providing the updated feed to the second endpoint, and wherein the synchronized second change is stored by the second endpoint, and wherein the relay endpoint is different from the first endpoint and different from the second endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein synchronizing the first change to the item further comprises:

determining that the item is associated with a local item in the data associated with the relay endpoint;

determining that the local item should be updated when the item is associated with the local item, using the sync data element; and

updating the local item in the data associated with the relay endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the relay endpoint is a mobile endpoint and connects with the first endpoint using a wireless connection.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first endpoint and the second endpoint are members of different networks and the first endpoint and the second endpoint cannot communicate directly with each other.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the relay endpoint communicates with the second endpoint through a hole in a firewall that the first endpoint does not use.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first endpoint and the relay endpoint are part of a first network, and the first endpoint communicates with the relay endpoint in response to communication between the first network and the second endpoint being constrained.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the relay endpoint synchronizes any type of data that can be represented using the item data element in the feed.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first endpoint is pre-configured with a network address of the relay endpoint.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the set further comprises:

using a directory feed that includes an entry associated with the feed, and the entry includes the endpoint identifier.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a directory feed on a relay endpoint from a first endpoint, wherein the directory feed comprises information associated with a feed change made on the first endpoint and the feed change is associated with a first feed that comprises an item that includes a sync data element and an item data element;

synchronizing the first feed to the relay endpoint;

incorporating the item in the first feed into a data store associated with the relay endpoint updating a second feed that is associated with the first feed;

ensuring that the second feed includes the item;

updating the directory feed to incorporate information associated with the second feed; and

synchronizing a second feed change, wherein the synchronizing the second feed change comprises generating an updated feed that includes the synchronized second feed change and providing the updated feed to the second endpoint.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the relay endpoint and the first endpoint are the same endpoint.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the feed change is adding the first feed, or deleting the first feed, or modifying metadata associated with the first feed.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the second feed is accessible to a second endpoint that is different from the first endpoint and that is different from the relay endpoint.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein updating the directory feed further comprises:

adding an endpoint identifier that is associated with the relay endpoint and that is associated with the first feed to the directory feed.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the second feed is accessible to a second endpoint using the endpoint identifier.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the second feed is accessible to a second endpoint and the second endpoint cannot access the first feed.

17. A relay endpoint system, comprising:

a processor,

a storage module coupled to the processor and configured to store data comprising a set of at least one item;

a sync module configured to;

synchronize a first change to the item with the data, wherein the first change is made on a first endpoint and the first change is represented using a feed comprising a representation of the item that includes a sync data element and an item data element, and wherein the synchronizing the first change to the item comprises determining that the item is associated with a local item in the data and merging the first change to the item with the data, and wherein the synchronized first change is stored by the relay endpoint,

identify a set comprising at least one endpoint identifier, wherein each endpoint identifier in the set identifies an endpoint with which the relay endpoint system synchronizes information,

identify a second endpoint associated with the endpoint identifier, and

synchronize a second change that comprises at least some information also comprised by the first change between the relay endpoint system and the second endpoint, wherein synchronizing the second change comprises generating an updated feed that includes the second change from the data associated with the relay endpoint and providing the updated feed to the second endpoint, and wherein the synchronized second change is stored by the second endpoint;

a directory module configured to;

receive a directory feed from a third endpoint, wherein the directory feed comprises information associated with a feed change made on the third endpoint and the feed change is associated with a second feed that comprises a representation of a second item and the representation of the second item includes a second sync data element and a second item data element,

update a third feed that is associated with the second feed and that is maintained on the relay endpoint system using the storage module, and

update the directory feed to incorporate information associated with the third feed.