Enabling synchronization with a difference unaware data source

• US 7,996,357 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plaxo Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Plaxo Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Smarr, Joseph, King, Ryan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kim T
• Application Number:
  US12/040,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 707/610
• US Class Current: 707/609
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• 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

Abstract

A system and a method are disclosed for updating a master data list with data from a difference unaware information repository and a difference aware information repository. A master synchronization engine synchronizes to the difference unaware information repository and the difference aware information repository via connectors coupled to each information repository. The difference unaware information repository simply exports all the data stored within the repository to its respective connector. The connecter determines the changes made to the data since the last synchronization and the changes are forwarded to the master synchronization engine. The difference aware information repository is capable of determining the changes made to the stored data since the last synchronization and simply forwards the changes to its connector. Each connector forwards the changes to the data in their respective information repositories to a database which updates the master data list.

Claims

1. A synchronization method comprising:

storing, in a memory associated with a first computer, a previous export of contact information received from a memory with a difference unaware information repository, the difference unaware information repository configured to export a current state of contact information;

receiving, from a master synchronization computer, a request for synchronization;

receiving, from the master synchronization computer, a request for changes in contact information;

requesting, by the first computer, an export of current contact information from the difference unaware information repository;

receiving, from the difference unaware information repository, the export of the current contact information from the difference unaware information repository;

comparing, at the first computer, each field from the export of the current contact information with a corresponding field from the previous export of contact information; and

determining, by the first computer, changes from the previous export of contact information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, in the memory associated with the first computer, the export of the current contact information from the difference unaware information repository.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the first computer, changes from the previous export of contact information further comprises:

determining added contact information;

determining deleted contact information; and

determining revisions to contact information from the previous export of contact information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising ignoring contact information that was not modified since the previous export of contact information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising exporting the determined changes from the previous export of contact information to the master synchronization computer.

6. A computer readable medium storing a computer program product configured to store instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

store a previous export of contact information received from a memory with a difference unaware information repository;

receive a notification that a change in contact information maintained in the memory with the difference unaware information repository has occurred;

request a current export of current contact information from the memory of the difference unaware information repository;

receive the current export of the current contact information maintained in the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

compare each field from the current export of the current contact information with a corresponding field from the previous export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

determine changes from the previous export of contact information; and

store the current export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository as the previous export of contact information.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

request changes in contact information from a first information repository;

receive changes from a previous export of associated contact information stored in the first information repository;

map the received changes since the previous export of associated contact information from the first information repository to corresponding form fields in a master contact information list to create an updated master contact information list; and

save the updated master contact information list.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to determine a most recent synchronization time with the first information repository.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first information repository is configured to track changes in contact information for each contact information entry within its own repository.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7, the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to store a time and date of the previous export of contact information from the first information repository.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 6, the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to determine a most recent synchronization time with the difference unaware information repository.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 6, the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to store a time and date of the previous export of contact information from the difference unaware information repository.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the compare each field from the current export of the current contact information with a corresponding field from the previous export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository comprises determining related information using merge techniques.

14. A computer readable medium storing a computer program product configured to store instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

store a previous export of contact information received from a memory with a difference unaware information repository;

receive a request for changes in contact information maintained in the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

request a current export of current contact information from the memory of the difference unaware information repository;

receive the current export of the current contact information maintained in the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

compare each field from the current export of the current contact information with a corresponding field from the previous export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

determine changes from the previous export of contact information;

export the determined changes from the previous export of contact information to a second computer; and

store the current export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository as the previous export of contact information.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the determine changes from the previous export of contact information further comprises:

determining added contact information;

determining deleted contact information; and

determining revisions to contact information from the previous export of contact information.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to ignore contact information that was not modified since the previous export of contact information.

17. A method comprising:

storing, in a memory associated with a first computer, a previous export of contact information received from a memory with a difference unaware information repository;

receiving, at the first computer from a second computer, a request for changes in contact information maintained in the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

requesting, by the first computer to the difference unaware information repository, a current export of current contact information from the memory of the difference unaware information repository;

receiving, at the first computer from the memory with the difference unaware information repository, the current export of the current contact information maintained in the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

comparing, at the first computer, each field from the current export of the current contact information with a corresponding field from the previous export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

determining, by the first computer, changes from the previous export of contact information;

exporting the determined changes from the previous export of contact information to a second computer; and

storing, in the memory associated with the first computer, the current export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository as the previous export of contact information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the requesting, by the first computer to the difference unaware information repository, the current export of current contact information from the memory of the difference unaware information repository is dependent upon the frequency of changes to contact information maintained in the memory of the difference unaware information repository.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the determined changes from the previous export of contact information are modifications of the contact information.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining, by the first computer, changes from the previous export of contact information further comprises:

determining added contact information;

determining deleted contact information; and

determining revisions to contact information from the previous export of contact information.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising ignoring contact information that was not modified since the previous export of contact information.

22. A method comprising:

storing, in a memory associated with a first computer, a previous export of contact information received from a memory with a difference unaware information repository;

receiving, at the first computer from the difference unaware information repository, a notification that a change in contact information maintained in the memory with the difference unaware information repository has occurred;

requesting, by the first computer to the difference unaware information repository, a current export of current contact information from the memory of the difference unaware information repository;

receiving, at the first computer from the memory with the difference unaware information repository, the current export of the current contact information maintained in the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

comparing, at the first computer, each field from the current export of the current contact information with a corresponding field from the previous export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

determining, by the first computer, changes from the previous export of contact information; and

storing, in the memory associated with the first computer, the current export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository as the previous export of contact information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the requesting, by the first computer to the difference unaware information repository, the current export of current contact information from the memory of the difference unaware information repository is dependent upon the frequency of changes to contact information maintained in the memory of the difference unaware information repository.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the change in contact information is a modification of the contact information.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein determining, by the first computer, changes from the previous export of contact information further comprises:

determining added contact information;

determining deleted contact information; and

determining revisions to contact information from the previous export of contact information.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising ignoring contact information that was not modified since the previous export of contact information.

27. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to;

store a previous export of contact information received from a memory with a difference unaware information repository;

receive a request for changes in contact information maintained in the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

request a current export of current contact information from the memory of the difference unaware information repository;

receive the current export of the current contact information maintained in the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

compare each field from the current export of the current contact information with a corresponding field from the previous export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository;

determine changes from the previous export of contact information;

export the determined changes from the previous export of contact information to a second computer; and

store the current export of contact information received from the memory with the difference unaware information repository as the previous export of contact information.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the request the current export of current contact information from the memory of the difference unaware information repository is dependent upon the frequency of changes to contact information maintained in the memory of the difference unaware information repository.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the determined changes from the previous export of contact information are modifications of the contact information.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the determine changes from the previous export of contact information further comprises:

determine added contact information;

determine deleted contact information; and

determine revisions to contact information from the previous export of contact information.