Maintaining data synchronization in a file-sharing environment

A computer-implemented method for receiving by a first application running on a first computing device a notification about data events that occur on a second computing device, the method comprising:

• subscribing by the first application running on the first computing device and by a second application running on the second computing device to a data event in a data file accessible by the first application and the second application, wherein in response to the subscribing, data subscription records for the first application and the second application are generated, wherein the data event comprises creation, deletion, or modification of a data object in the data file, wherein the data subscription records identify at least one of:
• the data object in the data file and an operation performed on the data object, wherein the data subscription records are stored in the data file, and wherein the data event can occur on the first computing device and the second computing device;
• when a data event occurs on the second computing device, determining whether the first and second applications are local or non-local to the data event, and based on the determination that the first application is non-local, setting a data event recovery time stamp in the data subscription record of the first application specifying the time when the data event occurred of which the first application has not been notified;
• querying the subscription record of the first application to determine whether the subscribed data event occurred on a data object in the data file on the second computing device, wherein the data subscription record includes a data recovery time stamp which specifies a time when the data event occurred;
• and
• when the first application accesses the data file, requesting by the first application a current version of the data object on which the subscribed data event occurred on the second computing device at or after the time specified in the data event recovery time stamp in response to the determination that the subscribed data event occurred on the subscribed data objects on the second computing device.

A computer system for providing to a first application running on a first computing device a notification about a data event occurring on a second computing device, the system comprising:

• a first computing device;
• a first event notification engine running on the first computing device adapted to receive a request from a first application to subscribe to a data event in a data file accessible by the first application, generate a subscription record for the first application based on the subscription request, wherein the data subscription records identify at least one of:
• the data object in the data file and an operation performed on the data object, wherein the data subscription records are stored in the data file, notify the application of the data event occurring in the data file by a second application on the second computing device at a specified time, and provide to the subscribed application a current version of all subscribed data objects on which data events occurred at or after a specified time, wherein the data event comprises creation, deletion, or modification of a data object in the data file, and wherein the data event can occur on the first computing device;
• a second computing device;
• and
• a second event notification engine running on the second computing device adapted to receive a request from the second application running on the second computing device to subscribe to a data event in the data file accessible by the second application, and when the data event in the data file occurs on the second computing device, the second event notification engine is adapted to determine whether the first and second applications are local or non-local to the data event, and based on the determination that the second application is local and the first application is non-local, send a notification of the data event to the second application and provide an indication to the first application running on the first computing device by setting a data recovery time stamp specifying a time when the data event occurred, in the subscription record of the first application.

A computer system for providing to a first application running on a first computing device a notification about a data event that occurred on a second computing device, the first and the second computing devices are connected over a network, the system comprising:

• a first computing device;
• a first event notification engine running on the first computing device adapted to receive a request from the first application to subscribe to a data event, generate a subscription record for the first application based on the subscription request, and store the subscription record in the data file, wherein the data event comprises creation, deletion, or modification of a data object in the data file, wherein the data subscription records identify at least one of:
• the data object in the data file and an operation performed on the data object, and wherein the data file is accessible to applications on the first computing device and the second computing device;
• the second computing device;
• a second event notification engine running on the second computing device adapted to receive a request from a second application running on the second computing device to subscribe to a data event in the data file accessible by the second application, and when the data event in the data file occurs on the second computing device, the second event notification engine is adapted to determine whether the second applications is local or non-local to the data event, and based on the determination that the second application is local, send a notification of the data event to the second application, identify the first computing device that executes applications subscribed to the data event that occurs on the second computing device, and determine whether the first application is local or non-local to the data event, and based on the determination that the first application is non-local, indicate to the first application running on the first computing device the occurrence of the data event by setting a data event recovery time stamp in the subscription record of the first application specifying the time when the data event occurred;
• and
• an application proxy running on the first computing device adapted to listen to data events that occur on the second computing device, receive the notification from the second event notification engine about the data events that occurred on the second computing device, and notify the applications subscribed to the data events of the data events that occurred on the second computing device.

A computer-readable storage medium having computer program code embodied that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for receiving by a first application running on a first computing device a notification of data events that occur on a second computing device, the method comprising:

• subscribing by the first application running on the first computing device and by a second application running on the second computing device to a data event in a data file accessible by the first application and the second application to generate data subscription records for the first application and the second application, the data event comprising a data operation occurring on a data object in the data file, wherein the data operation comprises creation, deletion, or modification of a data object in the data file, wherein the data subscription records identify at least one of:
• the data object in the data file and an operation performed on the data object, wherein the data subscription records are stored in the data file, and wherein the data file is accessible to applications on the first computing device and the second computing device;
• when a data event occurs on the second computing device,
• determining whether the first and second applications are local or non-local to the data event;
• based on the determination that the second application is non-local, receiving a notification of the data event that occurs in the data file by the second application on the second computing device, the notification includes an identification of a data object and data operation performed on the data object;
• based on the determination that the first application is local, setting a data event recovery time stamp in the subscription record of the first application specifying the time when the data event occurred;
• and
• when the first application accesses the data file, requesting by the first application a current version of the subscribed data objects on which data events occurred on the second computing device at or after the specified time.