System and method for synchronizing multiple database files

Abstract

A system and method for efficiently synchronizing multiple databases stored on multiple computing devices. The method and system provides a duplicated database configuration where a database can either be stored only on a plurality of client computers, or on at least client computer and a server computer. This duplicated database configuration allows users to access a database from a plurality of client computers that are communicatively connected to a server computer. In one embodiment, the method and system synchronizes the databases of a client computer to the database of a server computer by downloading selected database objects from the server computer database, thereby minimizing the amount of data transferred between the client and server computers. The synchronization routine selectively downloads database objects based on a comparison of server access time indicators stored in the databases. If the server access time stored in the server computer database is earlier than the access time stored in the client computer database, the server computer downloads the entire server computer database to the client computer. If the server access time stored in the client computer database is earlier than the server access time stored in the server computer database, the server computer only downloads new database objects from the server computer to the client computer. The synchronization routine also provides for reducing the likelihood of synchronization errors by detecting expired client computer databases. If a particular client computer database is expired, the server computer replaces the client computer database with the server computer database.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.