Offline Synchronization of Shared Document Libraries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sharing systems limit user interactions when offline, requiring cumbersome data import or drag-and-drop operations to perform actions on shared content, restricting workflow efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Implementing client-side Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for various synchronization modes, enabling offline editing and synchronization of shared documents, including full and incremental synchronization, and read-only folder hierarchy replication, allowing seamless browsing, editing, and synchronization with share servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users work with shared services content when connection is accessible, then data sharing and collaboration are enabled, but offline operations are restricted and require cumbersome import operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by downloading and caching shared services content (documents, folder structures) to the client device before offline access is needed. This allows users to browse and operate on content offline without requiring import operations, as the content is already locally available in a usable format
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a synchronization component as an intermediary that manages the complexity of syncing exception items between the share server and client device. This component handles the complex synchronization logic, allowing the rest of the system to interact with a simplified interface while the intermediary manages the underlying complexity
2Ease of operation
If complete document library contents are downloaded, then offline browsing capability is improved, but synchronization time and data transfer are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and downloads only the necessary folder structure and metadata (exception items) to the client device, rather than downloading complete document contents. This allows offline browsing of the library structure and metadata while minimizing data transfer and synchronization time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial synchronization by downloading only exception items (new, modified, or deleted content) rather than synchronizing the entire document library. This partial action approach provides sufficient offline browsing capability while significantly reducing synchronization time and data transfer requirements
3Reliability
If exception items are synchronized in background, then data consistency is maintained, but additional processing overhead is created
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic background synchronization that checks for and transfers exception items at scheduled intervals rather than continuously. This periodic action maintains data consistency between the share server and client device while reducing processing overhead compared to continuous synchronization
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization component operates autonomously in the background, automatically detecting and transferring exception items without requiring user intervention. This self-service approach maintains data consistency while minimizing the processing overhead required from the user and the main application
Data Source
AI summary
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and UI modifications for existing applications are used to implement efficient methods for taking content offline with full synchronization, incremental synchronization, in the case of document libraries per-folder synchronization, and the like. The APIs provide support for synchronizing changes to attachments, the ability to download a document library's complete contents or only a list of the available documents, and read-only folder hierarchy replication in the case of document libraries. These abilities coupled with corresponding user interface features enable easier browsing and searching of large document library structures, making edits to those documents offline, being able to see an up-to-date version of those documents in a preview mode, and receiving reminders when offline edits remain on the local computer and need to be updated to a server.