Application independent record level synchronization

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said change detection mechanism further comprises: a semi-unique identification mechanism for identifying whether a record in a given data set is a duplicate of a corresponding record in a modified data set by using the contents of individual fields in a record; and an error correction mechanism for identifying said duplicate which was not identified by said Semi-Unique Identification mechanism.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a change existing data mechanism for correctly identifying a record to update or delete without requiring said record in said first and second set of data to contain system assigned unique identifiers.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 wherein said means for generating further comprises: means for identifying whether a record in a given data set is a duplicate of a corresponding record in a modified data set by using the contents of individual fields in a record; and means for identifying said duplicate which was not identified by said Semi-Unique Identification mechanism.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1 wherein said means for synchronizing further comprises means for correctly identifying a record to update or delete without requiring said record in said first and second set of data to contain system assigned unique identifiers.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means for generating further comprises: means for identifying whether a record in a given data set is a duplicate of a corresponding record in a modified data set by using the contents of individual fields in a record; and means for identifying said duplicate which was not identified by said Semi-Unique Identification mechanism.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising means for correctly identifying a record to update or delete without requiring said record in said first and second set of data to contain system assigned unique identifiers.

Claim 11

A computer system for application independent synchronization of a first set of data with a second set of data at a record level from the same or different applications, said system comprising: a memory which contains, a change detection mechanism retroactively generating a change list for said first and second sets of data having a plurality of records, said change list generated without requiring any of the applications to have a synchronization function or their own synchronization primitives, said change list listing the changes made at a record level to said first and second sets of data for record level synchronization of said first and second sets of data, and a synchronization mechanism coupled to said change detection mechanism, said synchronization mechanism making said first set of data and said second set of data equivalent by using the information in said change list generated by said change detection mechanism, said synchronization mechanism producing the same synchronization results regardless of whether one or both of said first and second sets of data are modified prior to synchronization; and a processor coupled to said memory, said processor running said change detection mechanism and said synchronization mechanism.

Claim 12

A computer system for application independent synchronization of a first set of data with a second set of data at a record level from the same or different applications, said system comprising: a memory which contains, a change detection mechanism retroactively generating a change list for said first and second sets of data having a plurality of records, said change list generated without requiring any of the applications to have a synchronization function or their own synchronization primitives, said change list listing the changes made at a record level to said first and second sets of data for record level synchronization of said first and second sets of data, and a synchronization mechanism coupled to said change detection mechanism, said synchronization mechanism making said first set of data and said second set of data equivalent by using the information in said change list generated by said change detection mechanism, said synchronization mechanism producing the same synchronization results regardless of whether one or both of said first and second sets of data are modified prior to synchronization; and a processor coupled to said memory, said processor running said change detection mechanism and said synchronization mechanism.

Claim 13

The system of claim 9 wherein said change detection mechanism further comprises: an Semi-Unique Identification mechanism for identifying whether a record in a given data set is a duplicate of a corresponding record in a modified data set by using the contents of individual fields in a record; and an error correction mechanism for identifying said duplicate which was not identified by said Semi-Unique Identification mechanism.

Claim 14

The system of claim 9 wherein said synchronization mechanism further comprises a change existing data mechanism for correctly identifying a record to update or delete without requiring said record in said first and second set of data to contain system assigned unique identifiers.

Claim 15

A computer system for application independent synchronization of a first set of data with a second set of data at a record level from the same or different applications, said system comprising: means for containing, means for retroactively generating a change list for said first and second sets of data having a plurality of records, said change list generated without requiring any of the applications to have a synchronization function or their own synchronization primitives, said change list listing the changes made at a record level to said first and second sets of data for record level synchronization of said first and second sets of data, and means for making said first set of data and said second set of data equivalent by using the information in said change list generated by said means for retroactively generating, said means for making coupled to said means for retroactively generating, said means for making producing the same synchronization results regardless of whether one or both of said first and second sets of data are modified prior to synchronization; and means for running said means for retroactively generating and said means for making.

Claim 16

A computer system for application independent synchronization of a first set of data with a second set of data at a record level from the same or different applications, said system comprising: means for containing, means for retroactively generating a change list for said first and second sets of data having a plurality of records, said change list generated without requiring any of the applications to have a synchronization function or their own synchronization primitives, said change list listing the changes made at a record level to said first and second sets of data for record level synchronization of said first and second sets of data, and means for making said first set of data and said second set of data equivalent by using the information in said change list generated by said means for retroactively generating, said means for making coupled to said means for retroactively generating, said means for making producing the same synchronization results regardless of whether one or both of said first and second sets of data are modified prior to synchronization; and means for running said means for retroactively generating and said means for making.

Claim 19

The method of claim 13 wherein said step of generating further comprising the steps of: identifying whether a record in a given data set is a duplicate of another record in a modified data set, said first set of data and said second set of data being said given data set and said first set of data and said second set of data with changes being said modified data set; and identifying said duplicate which was not identified is said step of identifying a record.

Claim 20

The method of claim 13 wherein said step of synchronizing further comprising the step of changing records in said first set of data and records in said second set of data for synchronizing records in said first set of data and said second set of data.