Monotonic Update Token Synchronization for Data Items
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for synchronizing data items across devices face challenges in accurately determining which items need updates due to clock time discrepancies and inefficiencies in processing update requests, particularly when dealing with large numbers of files or directories.
Innovation Solution
The method involves associating each data item with a sequence of update tokens, where each token represents a monotonic sequence of updates within a bound period, allowing for efficient identification of updated items by comparing tokens rather than reading and comparing last modified attributes of all files.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If last update times are stored and compared for each data item, then synchronization status can be determined, but clock time discrepancies between devices cause inaccurate ordering of updates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a central system as an intermediary that maintains authoritative update time information. Instead of relying on distributed device clocks that may differ, the central system acts as a mediator that provides consistent time references to all devices, ensuring accurate update ordering across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where devices report their local update times to the central system, which then compares these against authoritative time references and provides correction information back to devices. This feedback loop enables devices to adjust their timekeeping and maintain accurate synchronization status.
2Reliability
If a central system processes all update requests to ensure accurate timing, then update ordering is maintained, but the central system becomes overburdened and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the time-synchronization function by introducing local time references at each device that are periodically synchronized with the central system. This segmentation allows devices to independently determine update ordering locally without constantly querying the central system, reducing the processing burden on the central infrastructure while maintaining accurate time ordering through distributed time references.
3Reliability
If all data items are checked for updates on each synchronization, then no updates are missed, but the time and computational resources required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by maintaining local caches of data items with their associated update time information at each device. Before performing a full synchronization, devices can perform preliminary checks against their local caches to identify which items may have changed, allowing them to focus synchronization efforts only on potentially updated items rather than checking all data items universally.
Data Source
AI summary
Each of a plurality of data items has an associated update time. Identifying updated data items comprises identifying those data items that have an update time later than a last synchronization time. The data items are updated such that each data item is associated with one of a plurality of update tokens. Each update token is associated with updates performed up to a respective bound period from a time at which the update token is superseded by a successive update token. The update tokens are allocated successively in a monotonic sequence. Data indicating a last synchronization time is received. An update token is identified that is associated with one or more updates performed relative to a point in time related to the last synchronization time by the bound period. Data items having an update time after the last synchronization time are identified on the basis of the identified update token.