Synchronization of server database with client database using distribution tables

A storage medium encoded for use in synchronization of a server database and multiple respective client databases, wherein the server database includes a plurality of server tables and is accessible on a server computer system, and wherein the respective client databases include respective subsets of the server database and are accessible on respective client computers, the storage medium comprising:

• a first server database table which has the property that modification of different server database table may influence the distribution requirements of respective client databases during respective synchronizations of the server database and such respective client databases;
• a distribution table separate from the server database application tables which includes respective distribution information that respectively identifies different client databases and that respectively relates the different respective client databases to respective information in the different server table that may affect distribution requirements during respective synchronizations of the server database and such respective identified client databases;
• and
• a first extract program which identifies information in said first server table to be distributed to a respective synchronizing client database by referencing respective first distribution information in the respective first distribution table that identifies such synchronizing client database and by referencing respective related information in said first server table.

A server database extract process for use during synchronization of a server database and multiple respective client databases, wherein the server database includes a plurality of server tables and is accessible on a server computer system, and wherein the respective client databases include respective subsets of the server database and are accessible on respective client computers, the extract process comprising the steps of:

• providing the server database in an electronic storage medium;
• providing in the server database a first distribution point table which has the property that modification of such first distribution point table may influence the distribution requirements of respective client databases during respective synchronizations of the server database and such respective client databases;
• providing in the electronic medium, separate from the server database application tables, a first distribution table which includes respective distribution rules that respectively relates different respective client databases to respective information in the distribution point table;
• and
• identifying information in said first distribution point table to be distributed to a respective synchronizing client database by referencing respective distribution rules in the respective first distribution table.

A server database extract process for use during synchronization of a server database and multiple respective client databases, wherein the server database includes a plurality of server tables and is accessible on a server computer system, and wherein the respective client databases include respective subsets of the server database and are accessible on respective client computers, the extract process comprising the steps of:

• providing the server database in an electronic storage medium;
• providing in the server database a first server database table which has the property that modification of different server database application table may influence the distribution requirements of respective client databases during respective synchronizations of the server database and such respective client databases;
• providing in the electronic medium, separate from the server database application tables, a first distribution table which includes respective distribution rules that respectively relates different respective client databases to respective information in the different server database application table that may affect distribution requirements;
• and
• identifying information in said first server table to be distributed to a respective synchronizing client database by referencing respective distribution rules in the respective first distribution table and by referencing respective related information in said first server table.

A storage medium encoded for use in synchronization of a server database and multiple respective client databases, the storage medium comprising:

• a first distribution point table in the server database which includes a column which has the property that modification of entries in such column may influence the distribution of information subsets from at least one server database application table to respective client databases during respective synchronizations of the server database and such respective client databases;
• a first distribution table which is separate from the server database application tables and which includes a column which identifies different respective client databases and which includes a column that respectively relates the different respective identified client databases to respective entries in the at least one server database application table for which modification may affect distribution requirements during respective synchronizations of the server database and such respective identified client databases;
• first means for identifying information in said first distribution point table to be distributed to a respective synchronizing client database by referencing a respective column in the first distribution table that identifies such respective synchronizing client database and by referencing respective related information in the at least one server database application table.