Synchronizing recurring events

• US 8,346,718 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extended Systems Inc. (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Extended Systems Inc. (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hall, Lyman, Annadurai, Raja, Jeide, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US09/949,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,134 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/201, 709/203, 709/228, 709/219, 707/201, 707/104, 707/203, 707/200, 707/610, 455/574, 395/200.78
• US Class Current: 707/610
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A system and method for synchronizing records stored in differing formats in a shared data environment. One aspect of the invention involves distinguishing a record without regard to its format. Once a record is introduced into the environment, it is detected. A record file is generated and associated with the event. A record file typically includes a record tag uniquely identifying a given record in the shared data environment and a record type indicating information such as whether or not the record represents a recurring event as well as the format of the record. A record file also contains data indicating the status of the particular event, that is, whether it is new, unchanged, modified, or deleted. When synchronizing, only those records with equivalent record tags are compared. The record type and status are then used to guide the synchronization of equivalent records.

Claims

1. A method for distinguishing data representing an event in a shared data environment, the method being implemented by one or more computers executing one or more programs, comprising:

detecting data representing an event new to the shared data environment;

generating a record file for the event, the record file including a record tag and a record type, the record type including data indicating that the event is recurring and indicating a format of the data representing the event, the format being selected from a plurality of formats that include a complex record format and a series of discrete records format; and

associating the generated record file with the data representing the event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the record type indicates that the event is a recurring event and the data representing the recurring event includes a series of discrete records;

the act of generating comprises generating a single record file for all of the discrete records; and

the act of associating comprises associating the single record file with all of the discrete records.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the record type indicates that the event is a recurring event and the data representing the recurring event includes a complex record;

the act of generating comprises generating a record file for the complex record; and

the act of associating comprises associating the generated record file with the complex record.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of generating comprises:

identifying all other record tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new record tag until the generated record tag is different from each of the other identified record tags.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data representing the event is associated with one or more local identifiers and is contained in a data store and the act of generating comprises:

acquiring at least one local identifier for the data representing the event;

acquiring a data store tag associated with the data store; and

generating a record tag for the event by combining the acquired local identifier with the acquired data store tag.

6. A computer program product for distinguishing data representing an event in a shared data environment, the product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer readable instructions thereon for:

generating a record file for the event, the record file including a record tag and a record type, the record type including data indicating that the event is recurring and indicating a format of the data representing the event, the format being selected from a plurality of formats that include a complex record format and a series of discrete records format; and

associating the generated record file with the data representing the event.

7. The product of claim 6, wherein

the record type indicates that the event is a recurring event and the data representing the recurring event includes a series of discrete records;

the instruction for generating comprise instructions for generating a single record file for all of the discrete records; and

the instructions for associating comprise instructions for associating the single generated record file with all of the discrete records.

8. The product of claim 6, wherein

the record type indicates that the event is a recurring event and the data representing the recurring event includes a complex record;

the instructions for generating comprise instructions for generating a record file for the complex record; and

the instructions for associating comprises instructions for associating the generated record file with the complex record.

9. The product of claim 6, wherein the instructions for generating comprise instructions for:

identifying all other record tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new record tag until the generated record tag is different from each of the other identified record tags.

10. The product of claim 6, wherein the data representing the event is associated with one or more local identifiers and is contained in a data store and the instructions for generating comprise instructions for:

acquiring at least one local identifier for the data representing the event;

acquiring a data store tag associated with the data store; and

generating a record tag for the event by combining the acquired local identifier with the acquired data store tag.

11. A method for synchronizing data representing recurring events in a shared data environment, the method being implemented by one or more computers executing one or more programs, comprising:

acquiring a first record tag, a first record type, and a first record status each associated with data representing a first recurring event, the first record type indicating a format of the data representing the first recurring event, the format being selected from a plurality of formats that include a complex record format and a series of discrete records format;

acquiring a second record tag, a second record type, and a second record status each associated with a second recurring event, the second record type indicating a format of the data representing the second recurring event, the format being selected from a plurality of formats that include a complex record format and a series of discrete records format;

comparing the first and second record tags; and

synchronizing the data representing the first and second recurring events according to the first and second record types and record statuses only if the first and second record tags are equivalent.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the act of synchronizing comprises expanding the data representing the second recurring event into a series of discrete records and replacing the data representing the first recurring event with the expanded data if:

the record status for the first recurring event indicates that the first recurring event is new or unchanged;

the record type for the first recurring event indicates that the data representing the first recurring event includes a series of discrete records;

the record status for the second recurring event indicates that the second recurring event has been modified; and

the record type for the second recurring event indicates that the data representing the second recurring event includes a complex record.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the complex record includes a rule and exceptions and wherein the act of expanding comprises generating a series of discrete records according to the rule and exceptions.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the act of synchronizing comprises retracting the data representing the second recurring event to form a complex record and replacing the data representing the first recurring event with the retracted data if:

the record status for the first recurring event indicates that the first recurring event is new or unchanged;

the record type for the first recurring event indicates that the data representing the first recurring event includes a complex record;

the record status for the second recurring event indicates that the second recurring event has been modified; and

the record type for the second recurring event indicates that the data representing the second recurring event includes a series of discrete records.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the act of retracting comprises generating a rule and exceptions, if any, by compiling the data in each of the discrete records and forming a complex record from the generated rule and exceptions.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

discovering events new to the shared data environment; and

for each discovered event, generating a record tag, noting a record type and associating that record tag and record type with data representing the discovered event, the noted record type indicates whether data representing the discovered event includes a complex record or a series of discrete records.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of generating comprises:

identifying all other record tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new record tag until the generated record tag is different from each of the other identified record tags.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the shared data environment includes two or more data stores and data representing each event in the shared data environment is contained within one of the data stores and is associated with one or more local identifiers and wherein the act of generating comprises:

identifying the data store containing the data representing the discovered event;

acquiring at least one local identifier for the data representing the discovered event;

acquiring a data store tag associated with the data store; and

generating a record tag for the discovered event by combining the acquired local identifier with the acquired data store tag.

19. A computer program product for synchronizing data representing recurring events in a shared data environment, the product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer readable instructions thereon for:

acquiring a first record tag, a first record type, and a first record status each associated with data representing a first recurring event, the first record type indicating a format of the data representing the first recurring event, the format being selected from a plurality of formats that include a complex record format and a series of discrete records format;

acquiring a second record tag, a second record type, and a second record status each associated with a second recurring event, the second record type indicating a format of the data representing the second recurring event, the format being selected from a plurality of formats that include a complex record format and a series of discrete records format;

comparing the first and second record tags; and

synchronizing the data representing the first and second recurring events according to the first and second record types and record statuses only if the first and second record tags are equivalent.

20. The product of claim 19, wherein the instructions for synchronizing comprise instructions for expanding the data representing the second recurring event into a series of discrete records and replacing the data representing the first recurring event with the expanded data if:

the record status for the first recurring event indicates that the first recurring event is new or unchanged;

the record type for the first recurring event indicates that the data representing the first recurring event includes a series of discrete records;

the record status for the second recurring event indicates that the second recurring event has been modified; and

the record type for the second recurring event indicates that the data representing the second recurring event includes a complex record.

21. The product of claim 20, wherein the complex record includes a rule and exceptions and wherein the instructions for expanding comprise instructions for generating a series of discrete records according to the rule and exceptions.

22. The product of claim 19, wherein the instructions for synchronizing comprise instructions for retracting the data representing the second recurring event to form a complex record and replacing the data representing the first recurring event with the retracted data if:

the record status for the first recurring event indicates that the first recurring event is new or unchanged;

the record type for the first recurring event indicates that the data representing the first recurring event includes a complex record;

the record status for the second recurring event indicates that the second recurring event has been modified; and

the record type for the second recurring event indicates that the data representing the second recurring event includes a series of discrete records.

23. The product of claim 22, wherein the instructions for retracting comprise instructions for generating a rule and exceptions, if any, by compiling the data in each of the discrete records and forming a complex record from the generated rule and exceptions.

24. The product of claim 19, further comprising instructions for:

discovering events new to the shared data environment; and

for each discovered event, generating a record tag, noting a record type and associating that record tag and record type with data representing the discovered event, the noted record type indicates whether data representing the discovered event includes a complex record or a series of discrete records.

25. The product of claim 24, wherein the instructions for generating comprise instructions for:

identifying all other record tags in the shared data environment; and

repeatedly generating a new record tag until the generated record tag is different from each of the other identified record tags.

26. The product of claim 24, wherein the shared data environment includes two or more data stores and data representing each event in the shared data environment is contained within one of the data stores and is associated with one or more local identifiers and wherein the instructions for generating comprise instructions for:

identifying the data store containing the data representing the discovered event;

acquiring at least one local identifier for the data representing the discovered event;

acquiring a data store tag associated with the data store; and

generating a record tag for the discovered event by combining the acquired local identifier with the acquired data store tag.