Synchronization methods and systems

A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions comprising:

• a first software component configured to cause retrieval and storage of structured data for a first data class from a first store of the structured data on a host and configured to synchronize structured data for the first data class in the first store with structured data for the first data class in a second store on a device, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to access and edit the structured data, and wherein the first software component synchronizes the structured data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to implement an order of synchronizing the first data class through an nth data class of structured data and configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

A machine implemented method comprising:

• retrieving and storing, through a first software component, structured data for a first data class from a first store of the structured data on a device, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to access and edit the structured data;
• synchronizing the structured data for the first data class in the first store with structured data for the first data class in a second store on a host, the first software component synchronizing the structured data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to implement an order of synchronizing the first data class through an nth data class of structured data and configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

• retrieving and storing, through a first software component, structured data for a first data class from a first store of the structured data on a device, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to access and edit the structured data;
• synchronizing the structured data for the first data class in the first store with structured data for the first data class in a second store on a host, the first software component synchronizing the structured data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to implement an order of synchronizing the first data class through an nth data class of structured data and configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

A data processing system comprising:

• means for retrieving and storing, through a first software component, structured data for a first data class from a first store of the structured data on a device, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to access and edit the structured data;
• means for synchronizing the structured data for the first data class in the first store with structured data for the first data class in a second store on a host, the first software component synchronizing the structured data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to implement an order of synchronizing the first data class through an nth data class of structured data and configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

A machine implemented method comprising:

• causing retrieval and storage, through a first software component, of structured data for a first data class from a first store of the structured data on a host, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to access and edit the structured data;
• synchronizing the structured data for the first data class in the first store with structured data for the first data class in a second store on a device, the first software component synchronizing the structured data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to implement an order of synchronizing the first data class through an nth data class of structured data and configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

• causing retrieval and storage, through a first software component, of structured data for a first data class from a first store of the structured data on a host, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to access and edit the structured data;
• synchronizing the structured data for the first data class in the first store with structured data for the first data class in a second store on a device, the first software component synchronizing the structured data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to implement an order of synchronizing the first data class through an nth data class of structured data and configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

A data processing system comprising:

• means for causing retrieval and storage, through a first software component, of structured data for a first data class from a first store of the structured data on a host, the first software component being separate from an application software which provides a user interface to allow a user to access and edit the structured data;
• means for synchronizing the structured data for the first data class in the first store with structured data for the first data class in a second store on a device, the first software component synchronizing the structured data through a second software component which is coupled to the first software component through software based messages, the second software component configured to implement an order of synchronizing the first data class through an nth data class of structured data and configured to couple the device to the host through software based messages.

A machine implemented method comprising:

• transferring structured data from a first store of structured data on a first device as part of a synchronization process and transferring metadata about the synchronization process, the transferring being performed by a first software component which is a first active agent which causes storage and retrieval of structured data as part of the synchronization process;
• receiving structured data from a second store of structured data on a second device as part of the synchronization process and receiving metadata about the synchronization process from the second device, the synchronization process on the second device being performed by a second software component which is a second active agent which causes storage and retrieval of structured data as part of the synchronization process.

A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

• transferring structured data from a first store of structured data on a first device as part of a synchronization process and transferring metadata about the synchronization process, the transferring being performed by a first software component which is a first active agent which causes storage and retrieval of structured data as part of the synchronization process;
• receiving structured data from a second store of structured data on a second device as part of the synchronization process and receiving metadata about the synchronization process from the second device, the synchronization process on the second device being performed by a second software component which is a second active agent which causes storage and retrieval of structured data as part of the synchronization process.

A data processing system comprising:

• means for transferring structured data from a first store of structured data on a first device as part of a synchronization process and transferring metadata about the synchronization process, the transferring being performed by a first software component which is a first active agent which causes storage and retrieval of structured data as part of the synchronization process;
• means for receiving structured data from a second store of structured data on a second device as part of the synchronization process and receiving metadata about the synchronization process on the second device being performed by a second software component which is a second active agent which causes storage and retrieval of structured data as part of the synchronization process.

A machine implemented method comprising:

• comparing a first version identifier for a first software component on a first data processing system and a second version identifier for a second software component on a second data processing system, the first software component configured to cause storage and retrieval of structured data on the first data processing system as part of a synchronization process for synchronizing structured data on the first and second data processing systems, and the second software component configured to cause storage and retrieval of structured data on the second data processing system as part of the synchronization process;
• determining whether to perform the synchronization process in response to the comparing.

A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

• comparing a first version identifier for a first software component on a first data processing system and a second version identifier for a second software component on a second data processing system, the first software component configured to cause storage and retrieval of structured data on the first data processing system as part of a synchronization process for synchronizing structured data on the first and second data processing systems, and the second software component configured to cause storage and retrieval of structured data on the second data processing system as part of the synchronization process;
• determining whether to perform the synchronization process in response to the comparing.

A data processing system comprising:

• means for comparing a first version identifier for a first software component on a first data processing system and a second version identifier for a second software component on a second data processing system, the first software component configured to cause storage and retrieval of structured data on the first data processing system as part of a synchronization process for synchronizing structured data on the first and second data processing systems, and the second software component configured to cause storage and retrieval of structured data on the second data processing system as part of the synchronization process;
• means for determining whether to perform the synchronization process in response to the comparing.

A machine implemented method comprising:

• determining whether a first software component is available on a first data processing system, the first software component being configured for causing retrieval and storage of structured data of a first data class as part of a synchronization process;
• determining, in response to the determining of whether the first software component is available, whether to synchronize the structured data of the first data class between the first data processing system and a second data processing system.

A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

• determining whether a first software component is available on a first data processing system, the first software component being configured for causing retrieval and storage of structured data of a first data class as part of a synchronization process;
• determining, in response to the determining of whether the first software component is available, whether to synchronize the structured data of the first data class between the first data processing system and a second data processing system.

A data processing system comprising:

• means for determining whether a first software component is available on a first data processing system, the first software component being configured for causing retrieval and storage of structured data of a first data class as part of a synchronization process;
• means for determining, automatically in response to the determining of whether the first software component is available, whether to synchronize the structured data of the first data class between the first data processing system and a second data processing system.