Intelligent resource synchronization
View Patent ↗Synchronizing resources shared among a plurality of devices includes determining access information about each of the resources, determining activity for each of the resources on at least a subset of the devices based on the access information, estimating future use of the devices, providing an estimate of a desire to have particular resources on particular devices according to the activity and future use, and synchronizing resources according to the estimate of a desire to have particular resources on particular devices. The resources may be data files. Access information may include information about when the resources were read and/or may include information about when the resources were renamed, created, and modified. Estimating a desire to have particular resources on particular devices may take into account a user's desire to maintain backup files and/or maintain certain types of files on certain devices.
1. A method of synchronizing resources shared among a plurality of devices, comprising:
determining access information about each of the resources, wherein the access information includes information about a set of actions taken on each of the resources;
determining activity for each of the resources on at least a subset of the devices based on the access information, wherein activity for a particular one of the resources is based on a sum of weights associated with the set of actions corresponding to the particular one of the resources and wherein each of the weights is adjusted according to a time that a corresponding action occurred, wherein the activity A(R) for the particular one of the resources is estimated according to the following formula:
A
(
R
)
=
∑
a
∈
Act
(
R
)
F
(
a
)
+
W
(
a
)
·
2
-
T
(
sync
)
-
T
(
a
)
H
(
a
)
where Act(R) is the set of actions taken on resource R over devices in which R is stored, F(a) is an activity weight associated with action a, W(a) is a weight associated with action a, T(a) is a time that action a occurred, T(sync) is a time at which the data synchronization will occur, and H(a) is a half-life associated with action a;
estimating future use of the devices;
providing an estimate of a desire to have particular resources on particular devices according to the activity and future use; and
synchronizing resources according to the estimate of a desire to have particular resources on particular devices.
2. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein the resources are data files.
3. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein access information includes information about when the resources were read.
4. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein access information includes information about when the resources were renamed, created, and modified.
5. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein estimating a desire to have particular resources on particular devices takes into account a user's desire to maintain backup files, a user's desire to maintain certain types of files on certain devices, and a user's indication that certain files and types of files be replicated immediately.
6. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein F(a), H(a) and W(a) are set/determined empirically and adjusted to favor/disfavor certain activities.
7. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein the resources are subdivided into categories wherein each of the resources is stored on a device according to the category of the resource.
8. Computer software, provided in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, that synchronizes resources shared among a plurality of devices, the software comprising:
executable code that determines access information about each of the resources, wherein the access information includes information about a set of actions taken on each of the resources;
executable code that determines activity for each of the resources on at least a subset of the devices based on the access information, wherein activity for a particular one of the resources is based on a sum of weights associated with the set of actions corresponding to the particular one of the resources and wherein each of the weights is adjusted according to a time that a corresponding action occurred, wherein the activity A(R) for the particular one of the resources is estimated according to the following formula:
A
(
R
)
=
∑
a
∈
Act
(
R
)
F
(
a
)
+
W
(
a
)
·
2
-
T
(
sync
)
-
T
(
a
)
H
(
a
)
where Act(R) is the set of actions taken on resource R over devices in which R is stored, F(a) is an activity weight associated with action a, W(a) is a weight associated with action a, T(a) is a time that action a occurred, T(sync) is a time at which the data synchronization will occur, and H(a) is a half-life associated with action a;
executable code that estimates future use of the devices;
executable code that provides an estimate of a desire to have particular resources on particular devices according to the activity and future use; and
executable code that synchronizes resources according to the estimate of a desire to have particular resources on particular devices.
9. Computer software, according to claim 8 , wherein the resources are data files.
10. Computer software, according to claim 8 , wherein access information includes information about when the resources were read.
11. Computer software, according to claim 8 , wherein access information includes information about when the resources were renamed, created, and modified.
12. Computer software, according to claim 8 , wherein executable code that estimates a desire to have particular resources on particular devices takes into account a user's desire to maintain backup files, a user's desire to maintain certain types of files on certain devices, and a user's indication that certain files and types of files be replicated immediately.
13. Computer software, according to claim 1 , wherein F(a), H(a) and W(a) are set/determined empirically and adjusted to favor/disfavor certain activities.
14. A device, comprising:
a plurality of resources; and
software, provided in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, that synchronizes resources shared by the device with other devices, the software including executable code that receives access information about resources, wherein the access information includes information about a set of actions taken on each of the resources, the software also including executable code that determines activity for each of the resources based on the access information, wherein activity for a particular one of the resources is based on a sum of weights associated with the set of actions corresponding to the particular one of the resources and wherein each of the weights is adjusted according to a time that a corresponding action occurred, wherein the activity A(R) for the particular one of the resources is estimated according to the following formula:
A
(
R
)
=
∑
a
∈
Act
(
R
)
F
(
a
)
+
W
(
a
)
·
2
-
T
(
sync
)
-
T
(
a
)
H
(
a
)
where Act(R) is the set of actions taken on resource R over devices in which R is stored, F(a) is an activity weight associated with action a, W(a) is a weight associated with action a, T(a) is a time that action a occurred, T(sync) is a time at which the data synchronization will occur, and H(a) is a half-life associated with action a, and wherein the software also including executable code that provides an estimate of a desire to have particular resources on the device according to the activity and an estimate of future use of the device, and executable code that requests resources from the other devices according to the estimate.
15. A device, according to claim 14 , wherein the resources are data files.
16. A device, according to claim 14 , wherein access information includes information about when the resources were read.
17. A device, according to claim 14 , wherein access information includes information about when the resources were renamed, created, and modified.
18. A device, according to claim 14 , wherein executable code that estimates a desire to have particular resources on the device takes into account a user's desire to maintain backup files, a user's desire to maintain certain types of files on certain devices, and a user's indication that certain files and types of files be replicated immediately.