Hash-Based File Synchronization for Shared Folders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for synchronizing shared folders and files across multiple local and remote file systems are inefficient, as they often require monitoring the content of folders and files to detect changes, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A state-based synchronization system that uses hash tables to monitor attributes associated with folders, sub-folders, files, and shortcuts, comparing local and remote hash values to determine changes, allowing for efficient synchronization without directly monitoring the content of the files.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If content monitoring is used to detect changes in shared folders and files, then change detection accuracy is improved, but synchronization time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential attribute (hash value) from the complete file content to represent the file state. Instead of monitoring entire file contents, the system computes and compares hash values, which are condensed representations that preserve change detection capability while dramatically reducing the data volume that must be processed during synchronization checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the monitoring approach from observing raw file content to observing derived parameters (hash values). By changing the parameter being monitored from full content to a condensed hash representation, the system maintains the ability to detect changes while reducing the computational and temporal resources required for comparison operations.
2Measurement precision
If content monitoring is used to detect changes in shared folders and files, then change detection accuracy is improved, but resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential attribute (hash value) from the complete file content to represent the file state. Instead of monitoring entire file contents, the system computes and compares hash values, which are condensed representations that preserve change detection capability while dramatically reducing the data volume that must be processed during synchronization checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the monitoring approach from observing raw file content to observing derived parameters (hash values). By changing the parameter being monitored from full content to a condensed hash representation, the system maintains the ability to detect changes while reducing the computational and temporal resources required for comparison operations.
3Stability of the object's composition
If full file synchronization is performed, then data consistency is improved, but data transfer time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial synchronization by comparing hash values to identify only the files that have changed between source and destination. Instead of synchronizing all files regardless of changes, the system performs selective synchronization on a subset of files that actually differ, thereby maintaining data consistency while minimizing data transfer time and network bandwidth consumption.
4Speed
If hash comparison is used instead of content monitoring, then synchronization speed is improved, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by computing hash values for files in advance and storing them for comparison. This pre-computation and storage of hash values eliminates the need for complex real-time content analysis during synchronization, as the system only needs to compare previously computed hash representations, thereby achieving high synchronization speed with manageable complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of synchronizing shared folders and files within a remote and local file system includes determining a remote and local file system state. The remote file system state includes remote hash values for remote instances of shared folders, shared sub-folders, shared files, shared sub-level files, and shared shortcuts. The local file system state includes a local hash values for local instances of shared folders, shared sub-folders, shared files, shared sub-level files, and shared shortcuts. The method also includes comparing the remote file system state and the local file system state to determine any differences in the hash values within the remote file system state and the local file system state and synchronizing any shared folder, shared sub-folder, or shared file having a differing value in the remote file system state and the local file system state across the local file system and the remote file system.