Method of resolving data conflicts in a shared data environment

A method of automatically resolving data conflicts in a shared data environment where a plurality of users can concurrently access at least portions of a master data file having one or more data elements and existing in a shared storage area, said method comprising the steps of:

• creating a local data file which is a copy of at least one of said one or more data elements of said master data file in a local storage area;
• detecting an attempted save of an edited version of said local data file by a first user;
• determining for each changed data element in said edited local data file whether updating a corresponding data element in said master data file with said changed data element will conflict with a change made to said corresponding data element in said master data file by a second user;
• completing said save by:
• (a) updating said corresponding data element in said master data file with said changed data element if no conflict will be created;
• or
• (b) initiating an attended conflict reconciliation dialog with at least one of said first and second user if a conflict will be created and, according to the results of said dialog, either updating said corresponding data element in said master data file with said changed data element, or preserving said corresponding data element in said master data file.

A method of automatically resolving data conflicts in a shared data environment where a plurality of users can concurrently access at least portions of a master data file having one or more data elements and existing in a shared storage area, said method comprising the steps of:

• creating a local data file which is a copy of at least one of said one or more data elements of said master data file in a local storage area;
• detecting an attempted update of said master data file by a first user with an edited version of said local data file;
• in response to a detected update attempt, processing each data element in said edited local file by:
• (a) determining whether said processed data element is a new data element and, if so, adding said processed data element to said master data file and then proceeding to step (f), otherwise proceeding to step (b);
• (b) determining whether the contents of said processed data element have been changed relative to a corresponding data element in said local data file and, if not, proceeding to step (f), otherwise proceeding to step (c);
• (c) determining whether said processed data element is a multi-value data element, and, if so, merging the contents of said processed multi-value data element into a data element in said master data file corresponding to said processed data element and then proceeding to step (f), otherwise proceeding to step (d);
• (d) comparing the contents of said data element in said local data file corresponding to said processed data element with the contents of said data element in said master data file corresponding to said processed data element and, if said local and master corresponding data elements are the same, applying said processed data element to said corresponding master data file element and then proceeding to step (f), otherwise proceeding to step (e);
• (e) indicating that a conflict exists by initiating an attended conflict reconciliation sequence and, depending on the results of said sequence, either processing a subsequent data element, or applying said processed data element to said corresponding master data file element;
• and
• (f) repeating steps (a)-(e) for another processed data element until each data element in said edited local file has been processed.

A method of automatically resolving data conflicts in a shared data environment comprising the steps of:

• providing a shared data computing environment containing a master data file in a shared storage area, the master data file comprising one or more data elements of particular types and having particular attributes, wherein a plurality of users can concurrently edit at least portions of said master data file via respective instances of a local data file in a local storage area,
• creating a local data file in response to a first user opening said master data file, said local data file including copies of one or more data elements and associated attributes from said master data file;
• detecting an attempted update of said master data file with an edited version of said local data file;
• determining for each particular one of said data elements in said edited local data file, in accordance with one or more predefined rules, whether updating said corresponding master data file element to reflect changes made to said particular edited local data file element will generate a true conflict with a change made to said corresponding master data file element by a second user;
• updating said corresponding master data field element to reflect changes made to said particular edited local data file element when it is determined that said updating will not result in a true conflict;
• and
• initiating a conflict mediation when it is determined that said step of updating would result in a true conflict, wherein said corresponding master data field element is updated to reflect changes made to said particular edited local data file element if said conflict mediation is resolved in favor of said first user.

A method of resolving data conflicts in a shared data environment in which copies of data files are distributed across a plurality of data sites, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a replicated data file at a data site, said replicated data file corresponding to a current data file existing on said data site;
• upon the occurrence of a potential conflict condition between said replicated data file and said current data file, resolving said potential conflict by creating a reconciled data file from said received replicated data file and said current data file according to a predefined set of rules;
• replacing said corresponding current data file with said reconciled data file;
• and
• replicating said reconciled data file across said plurality of data sites.

A method of resolving data conflicts in a shared data environment in which copies of data files are distributed across a plurality of data sites, each said data file having a designated home site, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a replicated data file at a data site, said replicated data file corresponding to a current data file existing on said data site, said current data file and said replicated data file both having the same designated home site;
• in response to the detection of a potential conflict between said replicated data file and said current data file, indicating said potential conflict condition to each of said data sites;
• searching for an indicated potential conflict condition at the home site of said replicated and current data files;
• in response to detecting an indicated potential conflict condition, resolving said potential conflict by creating a reconciled data file from said replicated data file and said current data file according to a predefined set of rules;
• and
• replicating said reconciled data file across said plurality of data sites to replace said corresponding current data files.

In a shared data environment where a plurality of users can concurrently access at least portions of a master data file, a system for automatically resolving data conflicts comprising:

• means for creating a local data file which is a copy of at least a portion of said master data file;
• means for detecting an attempted update of said master data file with said local data file;
• means for determining if any changes made to said local data file by a first user are in conflict with changes made to said master data file subsequent to said creating step by a second user;
• means for updating said master data file with non-conflicting changes made to said local data file;
• means for notifying at least one user of said particular data conflict;
• means for presenting said user with conflict resolving information related to said particular data conflict;
• means for receiving user input indicating how said particular conflict should be resolved;
• and
• means for resolving said particular data conflict in accordance with said user input.

In a shared data environment where a plurality of users can concurrently access at least portions of a master data file having one or more data elements and existing in a shared storage area, a system for automatically resolving data conflicts comprising:

• means for creating a local data file which is a copy of at least one of said one or more data elements of said master data file in a local storage area;
• means for detecting an attempted save of an edited version of said local data file by a first user;
• means for determining for each changed data element in said edited local data file whether updating a corresponding data element in said master data file with said changed data element will conflict with a change made to said corresponding data element in said master data file by a second user;
• means for completing said save by either (a) updating said corresponding data element in said master data file with said changed data element if no conflict will be created or (b) initiating an attended conflict reconciliation dialog with at least one of said first and second user if a conflict will be created and, according to the results of said dialog, either updating said corresponding data element in said master data file with said changed data element, or preserving said corresponding data element in said master data file.

In a shared data environment containing a master data file in a shared storage area, the master data file comprising one or more data elements of particular types and having particular attributes, wherein a plurality of users can concurrently edit at least portions of said master data file via respective instances of a local data file, a system for automatically resolving data conflicts in a shared data environment comprising:

• means for creating a local data file in response to a first user opening said master data file, said local data file including copies of one or more data elements and associated attributes from said master data file;
• means for detecting an attempted update of said master data file with an edited version of said local data file;
• means for determining for each particular one of said data elements in said edited local data file in accordance with one or more predefined rules whether updating said corresponding master data file element to reflect changes made to said particular edited local data file element will generate a true conflict with a change made to said corresponding master data file element by a second user subsequent to said creating step;
• means for updating said corresponding master data field element to reflect changes made to said particular edited local data file element when it is determined that said updating will not result in a true conflict;
• and
• means for initiating a conflict mediation dialog when it is determined that said updating will result in a true conflict, wherein said corresponding master data field element is updated to reflect changes made to said particular edited local data file element if said conflict mediation is resolved in favor of said first user.

In a shared data environment in which copies of data files are distributed across a plurality of data sites, a system for resolving data conflicts comprising:

• means for receiving a replicated data file at a data site, said replicated data file corresponding to a current data file existing on said data site;
• means responsive to the occurrence of a potential conflict condition between said replicated data file and said current data file for resolving said potential conflict by creating a reconciled data file from said replicated data file and said current data file according to a predefined set of rules;
• and
• means for replicating said reconciled data file across said plurality of data sites to replace said corresponding current data files.

In a shared data environment in which copies of data files are distributed across a plurality of data sites, each said data file having a designated home site, a system for resolving data conflicts comprising:

• means for receiving a replicated data file at a data site, said replicated data file corresponding to a current data file existing on said data site, said current data file and said replicated data file both having the same designated home site;
• means responsive to the detection of a potential conflict between said replicated data file and said current data file for indicating said potential conflict condition to each of said data sites;
• means for searching for an indicated potential conflict condition at the home site of said replicated and current data files;
• means responsive to the detection of an indicated potential conflict condition for resolving said potential conflict by creating a reconciled data file from said replicated data file and said current data file according to a predefined set of rules;
• and
• means for replicating said reconciled data file across said plurality of data sites to replace said corresponding current data files.