Apple Inc.

Joe Holt

Scott James Forstall

Gordie Freedman

A technique for synchronizing a datum between a plurality of stores, wherein a version history is associated with the datum in each store. The version history has one or more entries, and each entry has an identifier and a value. The identifier identifies a store that has modified the datum, and indicates a number of modifications to the datum. When synchronizing the datum between stores, the version histories of the datum are compared to determine whether one version history is subordinate to another version history. The datum having the subordinate version history is then replaced with the datum having the dominant version history. Conflict resolution is required if the version histories are not identical, if the version histories do not have the same identifiers, and if one version history does not contain all of the identifiers with equal or greater values of those in the other version history.

Peer-to-peer N-way syncing in a decentralized environment

An apparatus and method of synchronizing a datum between a plurality of stores is disclosed. A version history is associated with the datum in each store. The version history has one or more entries, and each entry has an identifier and a value. The identifier identifies a store that has modified the datum, and the value indicates a number of modifications to the datum made by the store. When synchronizing the datum between stores, the version histories of the datum are compared to determine whether one version history is subordinate to another version history. The datum in the store having the subordinate version history is then replaced with the datum having the dominant version history. When compared, a conflict resolution by a user is required if the version histories are not identical, if the version histories do not have all the same identifiers, and if one version history does not contain all of the identifiers with equal or greater values of those in the other version history.

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North Bennington, VT, United States of America

Joe Holt