Database synchronization on a network

• US 8,103,728 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2008
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Swearingen, Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US12/051,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Systems, methods and media for database synchronization on a network are disclosed. More particularly, hardware and/or software for database synchronization on a network protected with firewalls are disclosed. Embodiments include an e-mail listener for receiving e-mails from a plurality of computer systems and modifying a central database based on the received e-mails. In one embodiment, the computers systems and central database are protected by a firewall. Other embodiments provide for a transaction log that includes information about received e-mails. In these embodiments, the transaction log may optionally be used to synchronize other databases, including local databases located at the computer systems.

Claims

1. A data processing system for synchronizing a database on a network, the system comprising:

a plurality of computer systems each having one or more processors in communication with the network and a local database, the computer systems being capable of transmitting a transaction e-mail, the transaction e-mail comprising an indication of a modification by the user to a local database of the user'"'"'s computer system;

a central database in communication with the network and having a firewall that prevents access to the central database by users of the plurality of computer systems; and

an e-mail listener in communication with the network, the e-mail listener being capable of receiving a transaction e-mail transmitted from one of the plurality of computer systems via the network, wherein the e-mail listener analyzes received transaction e-mail by determining if the transaction e-mail contains a pre-defined string of characters associated with the central database and, in response to determining that the pre-defined string of characters is present, determining whether the transaction e-mail adds information to the central database; and

wherein the e-mail listener modifies the central database based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail to synchronize the central database with the local database, wherein;

the user'"'"'s computer system, prior to the transmitting, modifying of a record in the local database and creating the transaction email;

the e-mail listener determining, in response to receiving the transaction e-mail, whether the transaction e-mail is written in a second language different from a first language of entries in the central database, and translating the transaction e-mail to the first language if the transaction e-mail is written in the second language;

the e-mail listener updating a transaction log based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail and transmitting the transaction log to the user'"'"'s computer system through a server computer system firewall; and

the user'"'"'s computer system receiving the transaction log and modifying the local database based on the receiving of the transaction log.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of computer systems is protected by a firewall.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the e-mail listener is capable of updating a transaction log based on the received e-mail.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of computer systems is a personal digital assistant.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an administrator computer in communication with the e-mail listener, the administrator computer being adapted to adjust settings of the e-mail listener.

6. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing a central database on a network, the method comprising:

modifying, by a user'"'"'s computer system, a record in a local database associated with the user'"'"'s computer system;

creating, by the user'"'"'s computer system, a transaction e-mail;

by an e-mail listener executing on one or more processors of a server computer system, receiving the transaction e-mail from the user'"'"'s computer system through a firewall that prevents access to a central database by the user'"'"'s computer system, the transaction e-mail comprising an indication of the modification to the local database;

analyzing the transaction e-mail, by the e-mail listener, by determining if the transaction e-mail contains a pre-defined string of characters associated with the central database and, in response to determining that the pre-defined string of characters is not present, deleting the transaction e-mail;

in response to determining that the pre-defined string of characters is present in the transaction e-mail, determining, by the e-mail listener, whether the transaction e-mail adds information to the central database;

in response to determining that the transaction e-mail adds information to the central database, modifying, by the e-mail listener, a central database based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail to synchronize the central database with the local database, wherein modifying the central database comprises determining, by the e-mail listener, whether the transaction e-mail is written in a second language different from a first language of entries in the central database, and translating, by the e-mail listener, the transaction e-mail to the first language if the transaction e-mail is written in the second language;

updating, by the e-mail listener, a transaction log based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail and transmitting, by the e-mail listener, the transaction log to the user'"'"'s computer system through a server computer system firewall;

receiving, by the user'"'"'s computer system, the transaction log; and

modifying, by the user'"'"'s computer system, the local database subsequent to, and based on, the received transaction log.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising updating a transaction log based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

updating a transaction log based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail;

transmitting the transaction log;

receiving the transaction log at a computer system; and

modifying the local database based on the transaction log.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising before analyzing the transaction e-mail, decrypting the transaction e-mail.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising before analyzing the transaction e-mail, authenticating the transaction e-mail.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting the transaction log.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising modifying a second database based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail.

13. A machine-accessible medium of a storage device containing instructions effective, when executing in a data processing system, to cause said data processing system to perform operations comprising:

modifying, by a user'"'"'s computer system, a record in a local database associated with the user'"'"'s computer system;

creating, by the user'"'"'s computer system, a transaction e-mail;

by an e-mail listener executing on one or more processors of a server computer system, receiving the transaction e-mail from the user'"'"'s computer system through a firewall that prevents access to a central database by the user'"'"'s computer system, the transaction e-mail comprising an indication of the modification to the local database;

analyzing the transaction e-mail, by the e-mail listener, by determining if the transaction e-mail contains a pre-defined string of characters associated with the central database and, in response to determining that the pre-defined string of characters is not present, deleting the transaction e-mail;

in response to determining that the pre-defined string of characters is present in the transaction e-mail, determining, by the e-mail listener, whether the transaction e-mail adds information to the central database;

in response to determining that the transaction e-mail adds information to the central database, modifying by the e-mail listener the central database based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail to synchronize the central database with the local database, wherein modifying the central database comprises determining, by the e-mail listener, whether the transaction e-mail is written in a second language different from a first language of entries in the central database, and translating, by the e-mail listener, the transaction e-mail to the first language if the transaction e-mail is written in the second language;

updating, by the e-mail listener, a transaction log based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail and transmitting, by the e-mail listener, the transaction log to the user'"'"'s computer system through a server computer system firewall;

receiving, by the user'"'"'s computer system, the transaction log; and

modifying, by the user'"'"'s computer system, the local database subsequent to, and based on, the received transaction log.

14. The machine-accessible medium of claim 13 wherein the operations further comprise decrypting the transaction e-mail.

15. The machine-accessible medium of claim 13 wherein the operations further comprise authenticating the transaction e-mail.

16. The machine-accessible medium of claim 13 wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the transaction log.

17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 13 wherein the operations further comprise modifying a second database based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail.