System and method for offline synchronization of exception items of shared services for client applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9298794-B2
Application number	US-201113164408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2011
Priority date	Nov 14, 2006
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and UI modifications for existing applications are used to implement efficient methods for taking content offline with full synchronization, incremental synchronization, in the case of document libraries per-folder synchronization, and the like. The APIs provide support for synchronizing changes to attachments, the ability to download a document library's complete contents or only a list of the available documents, and read-only folder hierarchy replication in the case of document libraries. These abilities coupled with corresponding user interface features enable easier browsing and searching of large document library structures, making edits to those documents offline, being able to see an up-to-date version of those documents in a preview mode, and receiving reminders when offline edits remain on the local computer and need to be updated to a server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for resolving a conflict during client side offline editing at a client, the method comprising:
storing a series locally at a client cache, wherein the series comprises a recurrence item and an exception item, wherein the exception item comprises a change to an instance of the recurrence item, and wherein each of the recurrence item and the exception item are calendar items, wherein the series is associated with a first URL and an alternate URL;
receiving a change to the exception item of the series by a server at the client, wherein the first URL resolves to the server;
increasing a master version for the exception item at the client;
receiving a request to check out a recurrence item at the client, wherein, upon receiving the request, the client pulls the recurrence item from the client cache instead of from the server;
changing the recurrence item of the series in response to a change made at the client, wherein the change includes a series version of the client;
comparing the master version to the series version;
upon determining that the master version and the series version are not the same, determining that the series version is the client-side conflict winner;
attempting to upload the change to the recurrence item of the series to the server to which the first URL resolves;
receiving an indication that the upload failed; and
uploading the change to the recurrence item of the series to an alternate server, wherein the alternate URL resolves to the alternate server.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the series is an appointment series in an electronic mail application.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the master version is stored in a separate property.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the master version is a GUID.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the series version is a GUID.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client side conflict winner is a conflict created from a client side user's item.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon increasing the master version for the exception item, storing the change as a server side change at the client.

8. A computer implemented system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor provide a method for resolving a conflict during client side offline editing at a client, the method comprising:
storing a series locally at a client cache, wherein the series comprises a recurrence item and an exception item, wherein the exception item comprises a change to an instance of the recurrence item, and wherein each of the recurrence item and the exception item are calendar items, wherein the series is associated with a first URL and an alternate URL;
receiving a change to the exception item of the series by a server at the client, wherein the first URL resolves to the server;
increasing a master version for the exception item at the client;
receiving a request to check out a recurrence item at the client, wherein, upon receiving the request, the client pulls the recurrence item from the client cache instead of from the server;
changing the recurrence item of the series in response to a change made at the client, wherein the change includes a series version of the client;
comparing the master version to the series version;
upon determining that the master version and the series version are not the same, determining that the series version is the client-side conflict winner;
attempting to upload the change to the recurrence item of the series to the server to which the first URL resolves;
receiving an indication that the upload failed; and
uploading the change to the recurrence item of the series to an alternate server, wherein the alternate URL resolves to the alternate server.

9. The computer implemented system of claim 8 , wherein the series is an appointment series in an electronic mail application.

10. The computer implemented system of claim 8 , wherein the master version is stored in a separate property.

11. The computer implemented system of claim 8 , wherein the master version is a GUID.

12. The computer implemented system of claim 8 , wherein the series version is a GUID.

13. The computer implemented system of claim 8 , wherein the client side conflict winner is a conflict created from a client side user's item.

14. The computer implemented system of claim 8 , further comprising:
upon increasing the master version for the exception item, storing the change as a server side change at the client.

15. A computer storage device having computer executable instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method for resolving a conflict during client side offline editing at a client, the method comprising:
storing a series locally at a client cache, wherein the series comprises a recurrence item and an exception item, wherein the exception item comprises a change to an instance of the recurrence item, and wherein each of the recurrence item and the exception item are calendar items, wherein the series is associated with a first URL and an alternate URL;
receiving a change to the exception item of the series by a server at the client, wherein the first URL resolves to the server;
increasing a master version for the exception item at the client;
receiving a request to check out a recurrence item at the client, wherein, upon receiving the request, the client pulls the recurrence item from the client cache instead of from the server;
changing the recurrence item of the series in response to a change made at the client, wherein the change includes a series version of the client;
comparing the master version to the series version;
upon determining that the master version and the series version are not the same, determining that the series version is the client-side conflict winner;
attempting to upload the change to the recurrence item of the series to the server to which the first URL resolves;
receiving an indication that the upload failed; and
uploading the change to the recurrence item of the series to an alternate server, wherein the alternate URL resolves to the alternate server.

16. The computer storage device of claim 15 , wherein the series is an appointment series in an electronic mail application.

17. The computer storage device of claim 15 , wherein the master version is stored in a separate property.

18. The computer storage device of claim 15 , wherein the master version is a GUID.

19. The computer storage device of claim 15 , wherein the series version is a GUID.

20. The computer storage device of claim 15 , wherein the client side conflict winner is a conflict created from a client side user's item.

Assignees

• Smith Eric
• Stillion Cameron
• Ash Andrew
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Smith Eric
• Stillion Cameron
• Ash Andrew

Classifications

• G06F17/30578 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04L51/066

  Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression · CPC title

• G06Q10/107 Primary

  Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] · CPC title

• G06F16/273

  Asynchronous replication or reconciliation · CPC title

• H04L67/1097

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title