Synchronizing local and remote data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9633068-B2
Application number	US-201514817167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2015
Priority date	Mar 13, 2012
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to synchronizing data. In aspects, properties are synchronized from an organization property store to a cloud property store and/or vice versa. The list of properties to synchronize may change based on the cloud services to which the organization subscribes, changes to the cloud services, or for other reasons. Furthermore, the list of properties to synchronize may be limited to certain objects of the organization which may also change over time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system, the computer system comprising:
a processor;
system memory coupled to the one or more hardware processors, the system memory storing instructions that are executable by the one or more hardware processors;
the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to synchronize data from an organization to the cloud, including the following:
access a schema for a plurality of services offered by the cloud, the schema defining a set of properties relevant to the plurality of services, the schema combining one or more properties relevant to each service in the plurality of services into the defined set of properties;
determine that synchronization of the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud is appropriate due the organization changing subscriptions to the plurality of services, synchronization of the defined set of properties increasing the effectiveness of providing the plurality of services to the organization;
compare the schema to a previously utilized schema to identify a difference of at least one relevant property between the plurality of services and a different plurality of services previously subscribed to by the organization, the previously utilized schema defining a prior set of properties relevant to the different plurality of services, the previously utilized schema combining one or more properties relevant to each service in the different plurality of services into the defined prior set of properties; and
synchronize the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud by performing a set of actions to address the identified difference of at least one relevant property between the defined set of properties and the defined prior set of properties.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system hosts the plurality of services.

3. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is external to both the organization and the cloud.

4. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to synchronize the defined set of properties comprises the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to convert between a first storage format at the organization and a second different storage format at the cloud.

5. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to select a limited set of objects for synchronization, the limited set of objects selected from among a plurality of objects of the organization, the limited set of objects selected in accordance with a rule.

6. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to:
track licensed subscribers to the plurality of services; and
limit the properties to synchronize based on the licensed subscribers to the plurality of services.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to identify a difference of at least one relevant property between the plurality of services and a different plurality of services comprises the one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions to perform one or more of:
identify at least one property included in the previously utilized schema that is not included in the schema; and
identify at least one property included in the schema that is not included in the previously accessed utilized schema.

8. A method for use at a computer system, a method for synchronizing data from an organization to a cloud, the method implemented at least in part by the computer system, the method comprising:
accessing a schema for a plurality of services offered by the cloud, the schema defining a set of properties relevant to the plurality of services, the schema combining one or more properties relevant to each service in the plurality of services into the defined set of properties;
determining that synchronization of the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud is appropriate due the organization changing subscriptions to the plurality of services, synchronization of the defined set of properties increasing the effectiveness of providing the plurality of services to the organization;
comparing the schema to a previously utilized schema to identify a difference of at least one relevant property between the plurality of services and a different plurality of services previously subscribed to by the organization, the previously utilized schema defining a prior set of properties relevant to the different plurality of services, the previously utilized schema combining one or more properties relevant to each service in the different plurality of services into the defined prior set of properties; and
synchronizing the defined set of properties from the organization to the cloud by performing a set of actions to address the identified difference of at least one relevant property between the defined set of properties and the defined prior set of properties.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein accessing a schema comprises accessing a schema that indicates the defined set of properties are to be synchronized for a limited set of eligible objects, the limited set of eligible objects being a subset of objects of the organization.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the limited set of eligible objects comprises licensed subscribers to a service, the service selected from among the plurality of services.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining that synchronization is appropriate comprises obtaining a rule that defines the limited set of eligible objects; and
wherein comparing the schema to a previously utilized schema comprises applying the rule on a plurality of objects of the organization to determine which of the plurality of objects satisfy the rule.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein synchronizing the defined set of properties comprises for each object included in the limited set of eligible objects:
obtaining data corresponding to the defined set of properties from organization resources; and
sending the data to the cloud.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein synchronizing the defined set of properties comprises:
obtaining data for the defined set of properties for an additional object to be synchronized from the organization to the cloud; and
sending the data to the cloud.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein identifying a difference of at least one relevant property comprises determining at least one property included in the schema is not included in the previously utilized schema; and
further comprising adding the at least one property to the defined set of properties to check periodically for changes to synchronize from the organization to the cloud.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein identifying a difference of at least one relevant property comprises determining at least one property included in the previously utilized schema is not included in the schema; and
further comprising removing the at least one property from the defined set of properties to periodically check for changes to synchronize the organization with the cloud.

16. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for synchronizing data from an organization to a cloud, the computer program product comprising one or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable ins

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Didcock Clifford Neil
• Luk Jonathan M

Classifications

• G06F16/955

  using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL] · CPC title

• G06F16/00

  Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor · CPC title

• G06F16/2365

  Ensuring data consistency and integrity · CPC title

• H04L67/1095

  Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes · CPC title

• G06F16/211

  Schema design and management · CPC title