IP Library Granted Patent US 9,740,570
Granted Patent B2
US 9,740,570 · App. 15/192,954 · Granted Aug 22, 2017

Network folder resynchronization

Inventors: John Lai (San Francisco, CA); Elmer Charles Jubb, IV (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
G06F11/1451G06F17/3033G06F17/30368
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,740,570
App. No.
15/192,954
Granted
Aug 22, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Resynchronization of folders shared among multiple client devices over a network is provided. Metadata and hash values stored on the client device are moved from a metadata database to a resynchronization database, and the data in the metadata database is deleted. Metadata is created for locally stored synchronized files. For each file, the created metadata is compared to the metadata stored in the resynchronization database. If the metadata matches, hash values are retrieved from the resynchronization database and stored with the created metadata in the metadata database. If the metadata does not match, hashes for the file are created and stored with the created metadata in the metadata database. A synchronization operation may be performed which consists of comparing the files stored on the client to the synchronized versions on a host server and updating or adding files that are not present or not up to date.

Claims (68)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

creating, by a client device, new metadata for each file in a plurality of files synchronized with a content management system;

for each file in the plurality of files:

comparing, by the client device, the new metadata for the file with stored metadata for the file; and

responsive to the new metadata and the stored metadata matching:

retrieving, by the client device, from a resynchronization database, stored hashes corresponding to the file; and

storing, by the client device, the retrieved hashes and the new metadata in a metadata database.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to the new metadata and the stored metadata not matching:

creating, by the client device, new hashes for the file; and

storing, by the client device, the new hashes and the new metadata in the metadata database.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the stored metadata and the stored hashes are stored in the resynchronization database.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising performing a synchronization operation such that each file in the plurality of files is synchronized with a version of the file stored on a host system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the synchronization operation comprises:

receiving, for each file in a plurality of files on the host system, host metadata corresponding to a plurality of file blocks that constitute the file;

for each file block in the plurality of file blocks, determining whether the file block is stored in a client database;

responsive to determining that the file block is not stored in the client database, receiving, from the host system, the file block.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the synchronization operation comprises:

receiving, for each of a plurality of files on the host system, host metadata corresponding to a plurality of file blocks that constitute the file;

for each file block in the plurality of file blocks, determining whether the file block is stored in a client database;

responsive to determining that an outdated version of the file block is stored in the client database, receiving, from the host system, a patch for updating the outdated version of the file block to a current version.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the resynchronization database and the metadata database are stored locally on the client device.

8. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and including instructions that when loaded into memory cause a computer processor to carry out the steps of:

creating, by a client device, new metadata for each file in a plurality of files synchronized with a content management system;

for each file in the plurality of files:

comparing, by the client device, the new metadata for the file with stored metadata for the file; and

responsive to the new metadata and the stored metadata not matching:

creating, by the client device, new hashes for the file; and

storing, by the client device, the new hashes and the new metadata in a metadata database.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the stored metadata and the stored hashes are stored in the resynchronization database.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising:

responsive to the new metadata and the stored metadata matching:

retrieving, by the client device, from a resynchronization database, stored hashes corresponding to the file; and

storing, by the client device, the retrieved hashes and the new metadata in the metadata database.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising performing a synchronization operation such that each file in the plurality of files is synchronized with a version of the file stored on a host system.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the synchronization operation comprises:

receiving, for each file in a plurality of files on the host system, host metadata corresponding to a plurality of file blocks that constitute the file;

for each file block in the plurality of file blocks, determining whether the file block is stored in a client database;

responsive to determining that the file block is not stored in the client database, receiving, from the host system, the file block.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the synchronization operation comprises:

receiving, for each of a plurality of files on the host system, host metadata corresponding to a plurality of file blocks that constitute the file;

for each file block in the plurality of file blocks, determining whether the file block is stored in a client database;

responsive to determining that an outdated version of the file block is stored in the client database, receiving, from the host system, a patch for updating the outdated version of the file block to a current version.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the resynchronization database and the metadata database are locally stored on the client device.

15. A client device comprising:

a processor configured to execute modules; and

a memory storing the modules, the modules comprising:

a hash engine configured to create new metadata for each file in a plurality of files synchronized with a content management system;

a resync engine configured to:

for each file in the plurality of files:

comparing the new metadata for the file with stored metadata for the file; and

responsive to the new metadata and the stored metadata matching:

 retrieving, from a resynchronization database, stored hashes corresponding to the file; and

 storing the retrieved hashes and the new metadata in a metadata database.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the stored metadata and the stored hashes are stored in the resynchronization database.

17. The system of claim 15 , the resync engine further configured to:

responsive to the new metadata and the stored metadata not matching:

creating new hashes for the file; and

storing the new hashes and the new metadata in the metadata database.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising a sync engine configured to perform a synchronization operation such that each file in the plurality of files is synchronized with a version of the file stored on a host system.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the synchronization operation comprises:

receiving, for each file in a plurality of files on the host system, host metadata corresponding to a plurality of file blocks that constitute the file;

for each file block in the plurality of file blocks, determining whether the file block is stored in a client database;

responsive to determining that the file block is not stored in the client database, receiving, from the host system, the file block.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the synchronization operation comprises:

receiving, for each file in a plurality of files on the host system, host metadata corresponding to a plurality of file blocks that constitute the file;

for each file block in the plurality of file blocks, determining whether the file block is stored in a client database;

responsive to determining that an outdated version of the file block is stored in the client database, receiving, from the host system, a patch for updating the outdated version of the file block to a current version.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 069635/0332 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069604/0611 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 069613/0744 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 10, 2021
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055670/0219 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2017
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 042254/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 5, 2016
From: LAI, JOHN; JUBB, ELMER CHARLES, IV
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 039077/0741 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14975601 · Dec 18, 2015
Related Publication 20170177445A1 · Jun 22, 2017