Method of bi-directional synchronization of user data

• US 8,078,577 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Installfree Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Shlomai, Netzer, Lahav, Amos
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US12/419,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/611, 707/612, 707/614, 707/620, 707/638, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/248
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]

Abstract

A method for bi-directional synchronization of user data files between a client and at least one server. The method comprises determining if a match exists between a local session file and a reflection session file, wherein the local session file is maintained by the client and the reflection session is maintained by the at least one server; when the local session file and the reflection session file match, performing: synchronizing contents of a user data file maintained by the client with contents of a user data file maintained by the at least one server, when the user data file in the client includes more records than the user data file in the at least one server; and synchronizing contents of a user data file maintained by the at least one server with contents of a user data file maintained by the client, when the user data file in the client includes less records than the user data file in the at least one server. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the user data file includes a session file, an index file and a data file.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for bi-directional synchronization of user data files between a client and at least one server, wherein a user data file includes a session file, an index file and a data file, comprising:

determining if a match exists between a local session file and a reflection session file, wherein the local session file is maintained by the client and the reflection session is maintained by the at least one server;

when the local session file and the reflection session file match, performing;

synchronizing contents of a user data file maintained by the client with contents of a user data file maintained by the at least one server, when the user data file in the client includes more records than the user data file in the at least one server; and

synchronizing contents of a user data file maintained by the at least one server with contents of a user data file maintained by the client by creating a new session record including a session identifier (ID) and an offset value;

creating a new local index file to include the contents of a reflection session file respective to a last session;

creating a new local session file to include contents of the new session record; and

offline copying data blocks in from a data file maintained by the server to a data file maintained by the client, said synchronization with the contents of the user data file maintained by the client is performed, when the user data file in the client includes less records than the user data file in the at least one server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to select one of a user data file in the at least one server or a user data file of the client to be deleted, when the local session file and the reflection session file do not match.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing contents of the user data file maintained by the client with contents of the user data file maintained by the at least one server, further comprising:

streaming data blocks from the client to the at least one server to overwrite the contents of the user data file maintain by the server.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

creating a new session record including a session identifier (ID) and an offset value;

creating a new local index file to include the contents of the reflection index file respective to the last session; and

creating a new local session file to include the contents of the new session records.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bi-directional synchronization of user data files is utilized for roaming profiles of users between clients.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when a user logs on to a client performing;

synchronizing the contents of the user data file stored in the at least one server with the contents of the user data file stored in the client;

periodically synchronizing the contents of the user data file stored in the client with the contents of the user data file stored the at least one server, while the user is logged on to the client, thereby when the user logs off the client the at least one server maintains an updated copy of the user data file.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a user data file includes at least personalized information of a user, wherein the user data file is being accessed by a software application during its execution.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the software application is at least a software virtual application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the bi-directional synchronization is performed regardless of a communication protocol type employed between the clients and the at least one server and regardless to the configuration of either the client of the at least one server.