Prioritizing file synchronization in a distributed computing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9965489-B2
Application number	US-201414218765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2014
Priority date	Mar 21, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

Technology is disclosed for performing a priority synchronization of a computing device to download a selected set of data files to the computing device from a distributed backup system. Data files are downloaded to a computing device by synchronizing the computing device with a server of the distributed backup system. A priority sync downloads a subset of the data files (“priority files”) rather than all of the data files of the user, thereby minimizing the computing resources consumed to download the data files. The priority sync can select the priority files based on various criteria, including an access pattern of the data files, attributes of the data files, or attributes of the computing device. The priority sync can also download the data files not identified as priority files (“non-priority files”). While the priority files are downloaded in their original format, the non-priority files are downloaded in a downgraded format.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing a computing device of a user with a distributed backup system, the method comprising:
receiving, at a server in the distributed backup system, a request to synchronize the computing device with the server to download data files of the user to the computing device;
determining, by the server, whether there is previous synchronization between the server and the computing device with regard to the data files of the user;
responsive to determining that there is no previous synchronization between the server and the computing device with regard to the data files of the user, performing, by the server, a priority synchronization with the computing device, the priority synchronization identifying a first subset of the data files as priority files and a second subset of the data files as non-priority files, the priority files identified based at least in part on an access pattern of the data files by the user on a set of other computing devices associated with the user;
responsive to determining that there is previous synchronization between the server and the computing device with regard to the data files of the user, performing, by the server, a normal synchronization with the computing device, the data files having the same priority in the normal synchronization;
transmitting, by the server, the priority files to the computing device; and
generating, by the server, a downgraded format version of a non-priority data file of the non-priority files, the downgraded format version of the non-priority data file having a smaller file size than an original format version of the non-priority data file stored at the server, wherein the request is a first request and the non-priority data file includes an audio-video file stored at the server, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the server, a second request from the user to download the original format version of the audio-video file to the computing device; and
transmitting, by the server, in response to the second request, the original format version of the audio-video file to the computing device,
wherein transmitting the priority files to the computing device includes transmitting at least one of the priority files from one of the other computing devices that is within a threshold proximity to the computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the access pattern includes
(a) a frequency of access of a particular data file of the data files,
(b) a frequency of access of the particular data file using a first computing device similar to the computing device,
(c) a period for which the particular data file is accessed using the first computing device, or
(d) most recently accessed set of the data files.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the priority synchronization identifies the priority files based on
(a) an attribute of a particular data file of the data files to be downloaded,
(b) a likelihood of the particular data file being accessed by the user using the computing device, or
(c) an attribute of the computing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the priority synchronization identifies the priority files based on a type of the computing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the priority synchronization identifies the priority files based on at least one of a user selection of the set of data files or a user selection of one or more types of the data files to download.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the priority files are transmitted in an original format of the priority files stored at the server.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the downgraded format version of the non-priority data file is generated by the server in advance of the first request.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-priority data file includes an image file stored at the server, the method further comprising:
transmitting, by the server, the downgraded format version of the image file to the computing device, the downgraded format version of the image file comprising at least one of a reduced image size, a thumbnail, or a lower resolution version of the original format version of the image file stored at the server.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:
receiving, by the server, an indication of a user selection of the image file at the computing device; and
transmitting, by the server, the original format version of the image file to the computing device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
transmitting, by the server, the downgraded format version of the audio-video file to the computing device, the downgraded format version of the audio-video file comprising at least one of a shorter duration, or a lower bit-rate version of the original format version of the audio-video file stored at the server.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the data files are stored in the distributed backup system across a storage device associated with the server and the set of other computing devices associated with the user.

12. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing a computing device of a user with a distributed backup system, the method comprising:
receiving, at a server in the distributed backup system, a request to synchronize the computing device with the server to download data files of the user to the computing device;
determining, by the server, whether the request is for a priority synchronization of the computing device, the priority synchronization identifying a first subset of the data files as priority files and a second subset of the data files as non-priority files;
responsive to determining that the request is for the priority synchronization, identifying the priority files based on a priority-synchronization policy;
generating, by the server, a downgraded copy of each non-priority file of the non-priority files, the downgraded copy of the non-priority file having a smaller file size than an original copy of the non-priority file stored at the server;
transmitting, by the server, original copies of a first subset of the priority files to the computing device and the downgraded copies of the non-priority files to the computing device; and
instructing, by the server, the computing device to download original copies of a second subset of the priority files from a second computing device that is within a threshold proximity to the computing device;
wherein determining whether the request is for the priority synchronization includes:
determining whether the computing device has been synchronized with the server at least once prior to the request, and
responsive to a determination that the computing device has not been synchronized with the server prior to the request, determining that the request is for the priority synchronization;

wherein the priority-synchronization policy is based on at least one of a user selection of the set of data files or a user selection of one or more types of the data files to download; and
wherein the downgraded copy of a first non-priority file of the non-priority files is obtained by the server in advance from an external source from which the first non-priority file in the original format was obtained.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the priority-synchronization policy is based on an access pattern of the data files by the user, the access pattern including
(a) a frequency of access of a particular data file of the

Assignees

• Razer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Chan Michael A
• Moss Tom
• Bornstein Daniel R
• Quan Justin
• Tong Linda

Classifications

• G06F16/168

  Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs (query results presentation G06F16/156) · CPC title

• G06F11/1464

  for networked environments · CPC title

• H04L69/04

  Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC · CPC title

• G06F16/1787

  Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems · CPC title

• G06F16/122

  using management policies (point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185) · CPC title