Netiq Corporation

Wei-Jen Chuang

Ching-Fa Hwang

Prayoon Phathayakorn

Her-Daw Che

Kong Li

The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for performing database updates in a distributed system having an originating database stored in a server and a partial or complete copy of the database stored in a client. In one embodiment, a database update system includes a server having a database, a network, and a client having a storage and software for accessing the database over the network. The client maintains the last update time of each table stored in its storage. The server maintains the modification time as an integral field of each record in the database. The modification time of a record indicates the last time at which the record was modified in the database. The client software requests copies of all records of a table stored in the client's storage that have a modification time that is later than the last update time of the table. In another embodiment, the server also maintains a modification table that includes a record for each table in the database. Each record in the modification table includes a table modification time that indicates the last time at which any record in the associated table was modified in the database.

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Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Wei-Jen Chuang