Client-Side Flow State Caching for Offline Form Resumption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile applications interacting with cloud-based database systems face challenges in providing customizable user experiences while accommodating offline operation due to variability in network connectivity.
Innovation Solution
A client-side flow engine service downloads flow configuration metadata and record data to a client device, enabling offline execution of customizable process flows, including GUI displays, and maintains user input and execution state locally, with automatic synchronization to the database system when connectivity is restored.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cloud-based database systems are used to provide centralized data access, then data consistency and system management are improved, but network connectivity requirements increase and offline operation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides data access functionality into two segments: online access to the centralized cloud-based database system for data consistency, and offline access to locally cached data for offline operation. The mobile application can switch between these segments based on network availability, resolving the contradiction between centralized data management and offline capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by caching data locally on the mobile device before network disconnection occurs. This pre-loading of data enables offline operation without compromising the ability to synchronize with the centralized database when connectivity is restored, thus maintaining both data consistency and offline accessibility.
2Productivity
If customizable user experiences with custom applications and features are added, then user productivity and experience are improved, but application complexity and development difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile application is designed with multi-functionality to handle both standardized and customized workflows within a single platform. It provides a unified interface that can adapt to different custom applications and features through configuration rather than requiring separate applications, thus improving productivity without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The application employs dynamic configuration capabilities that allow customization of user experiences and workflows at runtime. This enables the system to adapt to different custom applications and features without requiring complex hard-coded structures, maintaining flexibility while managing complexity through dynamic rather than static design.
3Productivity
If offline operation is supported with local data caching, then offline productivity is improved, but data synchronization complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism for data synchronization that automatically detects changes between local cached data and cloud-based database data. When network connectivity is restored, the system compares data states, identifies modifications, and synchronizes changes bidirectionally, managing synchronization complexity through automated feedback loops rather than manual processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates local copies of necessary data on the mobile device for offline operation. These copies are maintained in a cache that can be updated from the cloud and used when offline. The copying approach enables offline productivity while synchronization complexity is managed through selective updating of cached copies rather than maintaining complete data replicas.
Data Source
AI summary
Database systems and methods are provided for supporting offline operation of a process flow associated with a native application at a client device. In response to an indication to pause a flow while in an offline mode, the method captures current values for input information for one or more fields for a form associated with the flow received at a client device via one or more graphical user interface (GUI) elements of a GUI display associated with the flow, encodes the current values in a serialized format, and updates a field of an object in a data storage at the client device to include the serialized encoded values. In response to a subsequent indication to resume the flow, the method regenerates the second GUI display associated with the flow using the serialized encoded values from the field of the object to populate the one or more GUI elements.