Synchronization Client Top-Level Folder Delete Accumulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current synchronization clients handle folder deletions by individually deleting each item in a folder, leading to an unrestorable state on the cloud-based platform and preventing intuitive unsynchronization, as users often delete folders locally without understanding the implications for the cloud-based server.
Innovation Solution
The synchronization client detects top-level folder deletions and accumulates individual item deletes into a single top-level delete event, ensuring that only the top-level folder is unsynchronized across the cloud-based platform, maintaining user intent and avoiding pollution of the trash with descendant items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the synchronization client individually deletes each item in a folder from the cloud-based platform, then the deletion is complete and consistent, but the cloud-based platform becomes cluttered with deleted items and restoration becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual item deletions into a single top-level folder deletion operation. When a folder is deleted locally, the system identifies all descendant items and combines their deletion operations into one unified delete event, which is then synchronized to the cloud-based platform as a single operation. This reduces the number of deleted items scattered in trash and simplifies restoration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification of the top-level folder and its descendant items before executing deletions. By pre-processing the deletion request to determine the folder hierarchy and accumulate all items to be deleted, the system prepares a consolidated deletion plan that maintains consistency while preventing cloud platform clutter.
2Ease of operation
If the synchronization client deletes each item individually, then the trash is organized by item, but users cannot easily unsynchronize or restore entire folders
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the deletion process into two distinct phases: local processing and cloud synchronization. At the local level, the system handles the entire folder as a single unit, identifying the top-level folder and all descendants. At the cloud level, it transmits a consolidated deletion event. This segmentation simplifies user interaction for folder-level operations while maintaining detailed tracking for consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary deletion accumulation mechanism that sits between local folder deletion and cloud item deletion. This intermediary layer collects individual item deletions, groups them by their top-level folder, and prepares unified delete events for cloud synchronization. This mediator simplifies the user experience for folder operations while ensuring accurate cloud platform updates.
3Productivity
If the system processes each delete event separately, then synchronization accuracy is maintained, but processing time and system resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate delete events into a single consolidated synchronization operation. By accumulating individual item deletions and grouping them by top-level folder, the system reduces the number of separate network transactions and processing cycles required for cloud synchronization, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary accumulation and organization of delete events before cloud synchronization. By pre-processing deletion requests to identify top-level folders and aggregate descendant items, the system prepares optimized batch operations that reduce processing time and resource consumption while maintaining precise synchronization tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods to facilitate top down delete or un-synchronization on delete of a synchronization client to a cloud-based platform. The disclosed technology innovates the mechanism the synchronization client processes local deletes so that instead of synchronizing the delete of each individual item across to the cloud-based platform, it can accumulate the individual item deletes into a top-level folder delete and that top-level folder delete can be what is communicated across to the cloud-based platform. Embodiments of the present disclosure also include systems and methods for depicting item synchronization between a local and cloud based platform/service (e.g. the Box service). In some embodiments the system can identify items that cannot be synchronized between the local and cloud based platform/service (e.g., cloud based collaboration or storage platform/service). The system can further indicate reasons for the inability to synchronize and can offer corrective action.