Method for data replication with conflict detection

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of propagating small values includes the step of propagating nulls.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of propagating small values includes the step of propagating small values for new values associated with unmodified fields.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of propagating small values includes the step of propagating small values for old values associated with fields in a linked collection of unmodified fields.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of propagating small values includes the step of propagating small values for old values associated with fields having been disabled for conflict detection.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting for a conflict within a corresponding record based on said propagated small values and said propagated actual old values includes the step of detecting for a conflict only for fields of said corresponding record associated with said propagated old values.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of updating said corresponding record based on at least said propagated small values and said propagated actual new values includes the step of updating fields in said corresponding record associated with said propagated new values and said propagated old values.

Claim 11

The method of claim 8, wherein the step of identifying which of the related fields of said record are unmodified fields and which of the related fields of said record are updated fields includes the step of identifying which of the related fields of said record are unmodified fields and which of the related fields of said record are updated fields based on said request to update said record.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8, wherein the step of identifying which of the related fields of said record are unmodified fields and which of the related fields of said record are updated fields includes the step of identifying which of the related fields are unmodified fields and which of the related fields are updated fields based on said old values and said new values.

Claim 13

The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of: generating flag values for said fields, respectively, each of said flag values indicating whether or not a corresponding one of said fields is one of said updated fields; wherein the step of propagating, to said second site, said update to said record includes the step of propagating said flag values to said second site.

Claim 14

The method of claim 8, wherein the step of (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one of said related fields, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said at least one of said related fields includes the step of propagating values to said second site of all of said related fields prior to said processing as old values of all of said related fields.

Claim 15

The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of partitioning said record into a plurality of groups of said fields; wherein the step of (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one of said related fields, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said at least one of said related fields includes the steps of: propagating to said second site values of fields in a same group as updated fields, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said fields in said same group as updated fields; and propagating to said second site small values of fields not in said same group as updated fields as old values for said fields not in said same group as updated fields.

Claim 16

The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of storing administrative flags for each of said fields; wherein the step of (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one of said related fields, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said at least one of said related fields includes the step of propagating to said second site small values as old values for fields indicated by said administrative flags.

Claim 17

The method of claim 8, wherein the step of (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one of said related fields, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said at least one of said related fields includes the step of propagating to said second site a value at least a gigabyte in size as an old value for one of said unmodified fields.

Claim 18

The method of claim 8, wherein the step of (b) propagating to said second site small values as new values for the unmodified fields includes the step of propagating to said second site null values as said new values for the unmodified fields.

Claim 19

The method of claim 8, wherein said body of data is organized into rows and columns.

Claim 22

The method of claim 18, wherein the step of identifying which of the groups are unmodified groups and which of the groups are updated groups includes the step of identifying which of the groups are unmodified groups and which of the groups are updated groups based on said request to update said record.

Claim 23

The method of claim 18, wherein the step of identifying which of the groups are unmodified groups and which of the groups are updated groups includes the step of identifying which of the groups are unmodified groups and which of the groups are updated groups based on said old values and said new values.

Claim 24

The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of identifying which of the related fields of said record are unmodified fields and which of the related fields of said record are updated fields; wherein the step of (c) propagating to said second site values of one or more fields in an updated group, said values being subsequent to said processing, as new values for said one or more fields in said updated group includes the steps of: (c1) propagating to said second site small values as new values for unmodified fields of said one or more of said fields in said group as updated fields, and (c2) propagating to said second site values of the updated fields of said one or more of said fields in said group as updated fields as new values for the updated fields of said one or more of said fields in said group as updated fields.

Claim 25

The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of: generating flag values for said fields, respectively, each of said flag values indicating whether or not a corresponding one of said fields is one of said updated fields; wherein the step of propagating, to said second site, said update to said record includes the step of propagating said flag values to said second site.

Claim 26

The method of claim 18, wherein the step of (c) propagating to said second site values of one or more fields in an updated group, said values being subsequent to said processing, as new values for said one or more fields in said updated group includes the step of propagating to said second site said values of all said fields in said updated group as new values for all said fields in said updated group.

Claim 27

The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of storing administrative flags for each said fields; wherein the step of propagating, to a second site storing a second copy of said body of data, said update to said record includes the step of propagating to said second site small values as old values for fields indicated by said administrative flags.

Claim 28

The method of claim 18, wherein said small values comprise null values.

Claim 29

The method of claim 18, wherein said body of data is organized into rows and columns.

Claim 30

A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for maintaining multiple copies of a body of data organized into records of related fields, said instructions arranged to cause one or more processors to perform the steps of: processing a request to perform an update to a record within a first copy of said body of data at a first site; identifying which of the related fields of said record are unmodified fields and which of the related fields of said record are updated fields; and propagating, to a second site storing a second copy of said body of data and capable of detecting conflicts therein, said update to said record by performing the steps of: (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one of said related fields, said values being prior to said processing as old values for said at least one of said related fields, (b) propagating to said second site small values as new values for the unmodified fields, and (c) propagating to said second site values of the updated fields subsequent to said processing as new values for the updated fields.

Claim 31

A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for maintaining multiple copies of a body of data organized into records of related fields, said instructions arranged to cause one or more processors to perform the steps of: processing a request to perform an update to a record within a first copy of said body of data at a first site; identifying which of the related fields of said record are unmodified fields and which of the related fields of said record are updated fields; and propagating, to a second site storing a second copy of said body of data and capable of detecting conflicts therein, said update to said record by performing the steps of: (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one of said related fields, said values being prior to said processing as old values for said at least one of said related fields, (b) propagating to said second site small values as new values for the unmodified fields, and (c) propagating to said second site values of the updated fields subsequent to said processing as new values for the updated fields.

Claim 32

The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the step of identifying which of the related fields of said record are unmodified fields and which of the related fields of said record are updated fields includes the step of identifying which of the related fields of said record are unmodified fields and which of the related fields of said record are updated fields based on said request to update said record.

Claim 33

The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the step of identifying which of the related fields of said record are unmodified fields and which of the related fields of said record are updated fields includes the step of identifying which of the related fields are unmodified fields and which of the related fields are updated fields based on said old values and said new values.

Claim 34

The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein: said instructions are further arranged to perform the step of generating flag values for said fields, respectively, each of said flag values indicating whether or not a corresponding one of said fields is one of said updated fields; and the step of propagating, to said second site, said update to said record includes the step of propagating said flag values to said second site.

Claim 35

The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the step of (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one of said related fields, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said at least one of said related fields includes the step of propagating values to said second site of all of said related fields prior to said processing as old values of all of said related fields.

Claim 36

The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein: said instructions are further arranged to perform the step of partitioning said record into a plurality of groups of said fields; and the step of (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one of said related fields, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said at least one of said related fields includes the steps of: propagating to said second site values of fields in a same group as updated fields, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said fields in said same group as updated fields; and propagating to said second site small values of fields not in said same group as updated fields as old values for said fields not in said same group as updated fields.

Claim 37

The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein: said instructions are further arranged to perform the step of storing administrative flags for each said fields; and the step of (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one of said related fields, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said at least one of said related fields includes the step of propagating to said second site small values as old values for fields indicated by said administrative flags.

Claim 38

The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the step of (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one of said related fields, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said at least one of said related fields includes the step of propagating to said second site a value at least a gigabyte in size as an old value for one of said unmodified fields.

Claim 39

The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the step of (b) propagating to said second site small values as new values for the unmodified fields includes the step of propagating to said second site null values as said new values for the unmodified fields.

Claim 40

The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein said body of data is organized into rows and columns.

Claim 41

A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for maintaining multiple copies of a body of data organized into records of related fields, said instructions arranged for causing one or more processors to perform steps of: partitioning said record into a plurality of groups of said fields; processing a request to perform an update to a record within a first copy of said body of data at a first site; identifying which of the groups are unmodified groups and which of the groups are updated groups, wherein all fields of an unmodified group are not modified and at least one field is an updated group is updated; and propagating, to a second site storing a second copy of said body of data and capable of detecting conflicts therein, said update to said record by performing the steps of: (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one field in an updated group, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said at least one field in said updated group, (b) propagating to said second site small values as old values for fields in an unmodified group, (c) propagating to said second site values of one or more fields in an updated group, said values being subsequent to said processing, as new values for said one or more fields in said updated group, and (d) propagating to said second site small values as new values for said fields in an unmodified group.

Claim 42

A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for maintaining multiple copies of a body of data organized into records of related fields, said instructions arranged for causing one or more processors to perform steps of: partitioning said record into a plurality of groups of said fields; processing a request to perform an update to a record within a first copy of said body of data at a first site; identifying which of the groups are unmodified groups and which of the groups are updated groups, wherein all fields of an unmodified group are not modified and at least one field is an updated group is updated; and propagating, to a second site storing a second copy of said body of data and capable of detecting conflicts therein, said update to said record by performing the steps of: (a) propagating to said second site values of at least one field in an updated group, said values being prior to said processing, as old values for said at least one field in said updated group, (b) propagating to said second site small values as old values for fields in an unmodified group, (c) propagating to said second site values of one or more fields in an updated group, said values being subsequent to said processing, as new values for said one or more fields in said updated group, and (d) propagating to said second site small values as new values for said fields in an unmodified group.

Claim 43

The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the step of identifying which of the groups are unmodified groups and which of the groups are updated groups includes the step of identifying which of the groups are unmodified groups and which of the groups are updated groups based on said request to update said record.

Claim 44

The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the step of identifying which of the groups are unmodified groups and which of thc groups are updated groups includes the step of identifying which of the groups are unmodified groups and which of the groups are updated groups based on said old values and said new values.

Claim 45

The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein: said instructions are further arranged for performing the step of identifying which of the related fields of said record are unmodified fields and which of the related fields of said record are updated fields; and the step of (c) propagating to said second site values of one or more fields in an updated group, said values being subsequent to said processing, as new values for said one or more fields in said updated group includes the steps of: (c1) propagating to said second site small values as new values for unmodified fields of said one or more of said fields in said group as updated fields, and (c2) propagating to said second site values of the updated fields of said one or more of said fields in said group as updated fields as new values for the updated fields of said one or more of said fields in said group as updated fields.

Claim 46

The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein: said instructions are further arranged for performing the step of generating flag values for said fields, respectively, each of said flag values indicating whether or not a corresponding one of said fields is one of said updated fields; and the step of propagating, to said second site, said update to said record includes the step of propagating said flag values to said second site.

Claim 47

The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the step of (c) propagating to said second site values of one or more fields in an updated group, said values being subsequent to said processing, as new values for said one or more fields in said updated group includes the step of propagating to said second site said values of all said fields in said updated group as new values for all said fields in said updated group.

Claim 48

The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein: said instructions are further arranged for performing the step of storing administrative flags for each said fields; and the step of propagating, to a second site storing a second copy of said body of data, said update to said record includes the step of propagating to said second site small values as old values for fields indicated by said administrative flags.

Claim 49

The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein said small values are null values.

Claim 50

The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein said body of data is organized into rows and columns.