Content Synchronization via Virtual Models Without OS Drivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing content management systems require specialized drivers for operating system-level interactions, leading to system crashes and reduced user productivity due to defects or communication issues, and are often tied to specific operating systems, making synchronization complex and difficult to distribute across multiple platforms.
Innovation Solution
A synchronization manager on the client device maintains local and remote data models to determine synchronization states, allowing seamless editing and synchronization of content using a local cache, independent of the operating system, and ensuring reliable access to content management server features like versioning and collaboration tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If specialized drivers are installed to intercept calls between editing applications and the operating system, then content management functionality is enabled, but system reliability deteriorates due to potential crashes and defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a synchronization application as an intermediary layer between the file system and the content management system. This mediator captures file system calls without requiring specialized drivers at the operating system level, thereby enabling content management functionality while maintaining system stability and avoiding crashes associated with driver-level interventions.
2Ease of operation
If synchronization is highly tied to a particular operating system, then integration with that OS is optimized, but device complexity increases and portability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization application is designed to operate as a universal solution across multiple operating systems. Instead of creating OS-specific synchronization mechanisms, the patent implements a single cross-platform application that interfaces with the file system through standardized APIs, enabling the same synchronization functionality to work on Windows, macOS, and other operating systems without increasing architectural complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If specialized drivers are used for file system interception, then content management access is enabled, but ease of operation deteriorates due to installation complexity and system reinitialization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization application serves as a mediator that operates at the application layer rather than the driver layer. This approach enables file system interception and content management integration without requiring complex driver installation, system reinitialization, or specialized technical knowledge from users, thereby significantly improving ease of operation and user productivity.
4Extent of automation
If the synchronization application runs at the operating system driver level, then file system control is enhanced, but loss of time increases due to system crashes requiring reinitialization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a synchronization application that operates as an intermediary at the application layer, providing sufficient file system control for synchronization purposes without the instability of driver-level operations. This approach maintains automated file system monitoring and control while eliminating system crashes and reinitialization requirements, thereby preventing productivity downtime and time loss.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of a system comprises a client device and a remote content management system. The client device comprises a synchronization manager that maintains a remote virtual model that models a synchronization state of a remote peer resource at the content management system and a local virtual model that models a synchronization state of a local peer resource in the local file system. The synchronization manager determines that the remote peer resource and local peer resource are out of sync based on a comparison of the remote virtual model and the local virtual model and synchronizes changes from the local cache to the content management system to update the remote peer resource or synchronizes changes from the content management system to update the local peer resource.