Selective Synchronization Manager for Crash-Free File Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing content management systems require specialized drivers that can cause system crashes and reduce user productivity, and they lack flexibility in synchronizing specific subsets of files without altering folder hierarchies.
Innovation Solution
A synchronization manager that allows users to selectively synchronize files and folders by independently selecting objects in a content navigation hierarchy, maintaining a local cache for seamless editing and synchronization, and using a selective synchronization model to filter events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If specialized drivers are used to intercept calls between editing applications and the operating system, then content management functionality is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to potential crashes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the call interception functionality from the operating system driver level and relocates it to a user-space synchronization manager application. This separates the content management functionality from the critical system infrastructure, allowing the system to crash or fail without affecting overall system stability. The synchronization manager operates independently of OS drivers, eliminating the crash risk associated with driver-level programming.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization manager acts as an intermediary layer between editing applications and the content management server. Instead of requiring direct driver-level interception, the patent introduces this intermediate application that handles call interception and synchronization logic in a isolated user-space environment, preventing system-wide failures from propagating through the OS.
2Quantity of substance
If conventional synchronization applications synchronize all files in a folder hierarchy, then synchronization completeness is improved, but flexibility deteriorates when users need to sync only specific subsets of files
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the folder hierarchy into selectable units (folders and files) that can be independently chosen for synchronization. The synchronization manager maintains a selection model that tracks which specific objects should be synchronized, allowing users to divide and conquer large folder structures by selecting only relevant items rather than being forced to sync everything or reorganize the entire hierarchy.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization system dynamically adapts its behavior based on user selections. The selection model can be modified at any time to include or exclude specific objects, and the synchronization manager automatically adjusts its operations accordingly. This dynamic reconfigurability allows users to respond to changing needs without restructuring the remote folder hierarchy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If users must change folder hierarchy to stop synchronizing a file, then synchronization control flexibility is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to required hierarchy reorganization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables independent control of synchronization at the file level within the existing folder hierarchy. Users can selectively disable synchronization for individual files without touching the folder structure. The selection model stores this granular control information, allowing users to stop a specific file from synchronizing while leaving its parent folders and other files unaffected.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring users to reorganize the folder hierarchy to achieve fine-grained synchronization control, the patent inverts the approach by maintaining the hierarchy as-is and adding selective control attributes to individual objects. The selection model provides the inversion layer that translates user intentions into targeted synchronization behavior without structural changes.
4Adaptability or versatility
If desktop synchronization applications are used, then content management is improved, but device complexity increases due to installed applications
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization manager is designed to work with standard operating system call interfaces rather than requiring specialized drivers or complex installed applications. It leverages existing OS capabilities for file monitoring, call interception, and communication, reducing the complexity burden on client devices while maintaining comprehensive content management functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A client computer includes a synchronization manager. The synchronization manager communicates with a remote content management system to determine a set of objects in a content navigation hierarchy. The synchronization manager provides a user interface with controls to allow a user to independently select multiple objects in the content navigation hierarchy for synchronization and receives an input, via the interface, that selects objects from the set of objects for synchronization. The synchronization manager stores local peers of the selected objects in a local cache in a local file system. The synchronization manager synchronizes changes to the selected objects at the content management system to the local peers in the file system.