Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Rebecca L Anderson

Alexander Hopmann

Brian J Deen

Thomas Jay Miller

Gregory Irving Thiel

Martin Andras Chisholm

Systems and methods for synchronizing multiple copies of data in a network environment that includes servers and clients so that incremental changes made to one copy of the data can be identified, transferred, and incorporated into all other copies of the data. The synchronization can be accomplished regardless of whether modifications to the data have been made by a client while the client is in an on-line or off-line mode of operation. The clients cache data locally as data are modified and downloaded. The caching enables the clients to access the data and allows the synchronization to be performed without transmitting a particular version more than once between a client and a server. Such elimination of redundant data transmission results in an efficient use of time and network bandwidth.

Method and system for supporting off-line mode of operation and synchronization

Detecting the failure of file transfers via a network copy service from a source computer to a destination computer via a network monitoring service. If the network monitoring service determines that the source computer is no longer available, the destination computer initiates a second file transfer request via the network copy service from a second source of the file.

Exploiting service heartbeats to monitor file share

A system and method for synchronizing changes among multiple copies of data is disclosed. The system and method allows the data to be synchronized without any copying or transferring of those portions of the data that have not been changed. In particular, the system and method preferably uses an identifier to represent the current state of the data and the identifier is used to determine what, if any, changes have occurred to the data. Thus, instead of comparing the data itself to see if changes have been made, the identifier is used to simply and easily determine if changes were made to the data. Each identifier preferably includes a first portion that identifies a particular source for the data and a second portion that includes a change number that is changed each time the underlying resource is modified. The identifier is preferably opaque or transparent to the client such that the client does not have to understand anything about the format or use of the identifier. Advantageously, an opaque identifier allows the system and method to be compatible with a wide range of data and programs.

Method, computer readable medium, and system for monitoring the state of a collection of resources

Systems and methods for synchronizing multiple copies of data in a network environment that includes servers and clients so that incremental changes made to one copy of the data can be identified, transferred, and incorporated into all other copies of the data. The synchronization can be accomplished regardless of whether modifications to the data have been made by a client while the client is in an on-line or off-line mode of operation. The clients cache data locally as data are modified and downloaded. The caching enables the clients to access the data and allows the synchronization so be performed without transmitting a particular version more than once between a client and a server. Such elimination of redundant data transmission results in an efficient use of time and network bandwidth.

Method and system for supporting off-line mode of operation and synchronization using resource state information

Techniques are presented for allowing clients and servers in a computer network executing the WebDAV protocol to identify a specific version of a specific resource a specific version using a resource tag. The resource can be identified even though it has been changed at a server or at an off line local cache of a client that is disconnected from the network and then later re connected to the network for uploading. Also, a resource UID is presented that will not change despite changes to the URL or the resource tag of the resource. Each resource UID of each resource can be cached locally at a client and can be stored at network server in an index. The index allows the resource to be identified uniquely across a collection in a database at a server, across a database at the server, across the entire server, or across all servers in the network.

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Rebecca L Anderson