Remote data access and synchronization

Abstract

A method for partially synchronizing a local database stored on a local computer and a remote database stored on a remote computer. The method includes forming a message including information related to a local update of the local database, selecting a path from one or more communication paths coupling the local computer to the remote computer to pass the message to the remote computer, and transmitting data including the message to the remote computer over the selected path. The method can include determining whether the local update to the local database should be sent to the remote computer. The method includes receiving the data at the remote computer, processing the message included in the received data, and providing the information related to the local update to a remote application executing on the remote computer. A remote database coupled to the remote application is then updated using the information related to the local update. Information related to an update of the remote can also be selectively sent to update the local database. Messages sent between a local computer and a remote computer can be passed through a networked server computer, coupled by wired or wireless data networks to both the local computer and the remote computer.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for partially synchronizing a local database stored on a local computer and a remote database stored on a remote computer, the method comprising: 
 forming a message including information related to a local update of the local database;    selecting a path from one or more communication paths coupling the local computer to the remote computer to pass the message to the remote computer;    transmitting data including the message to the remote computer over the selected path;    receiving the data at the remote computer;    processing the message included in the received data and providing the information related to the local update to a remote application executing on the remote computer; and    updating a remote database coupled to the remote application using the information related to the local update.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining whether the local update to the local database should be sent to the remote computer.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 accepting from the remote application information related to a remote update of the remote database;  
 selecting a return path from the one or more communication paths coupling the local computer to the remote computer to transmit the information related to the remote update to the local computer;  
 transmitting the information related to the remote update to the message router over the selected return path; and  
 updating the local database using the information related to the remote update.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein: 
 determining whether the local update to the local database should be sent to the remote computer includes accessing a local application coupled to the local database using a first application communication protocol; and wherein  
 providing the information to the remote application uses a second application communication protocol.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  4  wherein the first application communication protocol is MAPI and the second application communication protocol is POP.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the local database and the remote database include electronic mail messages.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the local database and the remote database include personal calendar information.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising setting configuration data, and wherein selecting the path from the one or more communication paths for transmission to the remote computer includes accessing that configuration data.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising setting configuration data on the remote computer, and wherein selecting the return path from the one or more communication paths for transmission to the local computer includes accessing that configuration data.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3  wherein transmitting the data to the remote computer over the selected path for the message includes: 
 transmitting the data to a networked server over a first data network;  
 storing the data in a networked database hosted on the networked server;  
 providing the data from the networked database to the remote computer over a second communication network.  
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the first data network is the Internet and the second data network is a wireless data network.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the data is stored in the networked database as electronic mail.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  further comprises: 
 encrypting the message prior to transmission to the networked server; and  
 decrypting the message after receipt of the message at the remote computer.  
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 establishing the selected path, wherein the selected path passes through a communication interface; and  
 buffering the data in the communication interface until the selected communication path is established.  
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising combining data for a plurality of messages for transmission to the remote computer as a single transmission packet.  
     
     
         16 . A method for providing a remote computer access to a local database, the method comprising: 
 sending a message, including information related to a local update to the local database over a first data network to a networked computer;    receiving the message at the networked computer;    updating a networked database hosted on the networked computer using the information related to the local update;    accessing and updating the networked database from a remote computer over a second data network;    sending a message that includes information related to the update of the networked database from the networked computer over the first data network;    receiving the message that includes the information related to the update of the networked database; and    updating the local database using the information related to the update of the networked database.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the first data network is the Internet and the second data network is a wireless data network.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the local database and the networked database include electronic mail messages.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein sending the message that includes information related to the local update includes sending a message formatted as a request for data using an application protocol, and receiving the message that includes the information related to the update of the networked database includes receiving a message formatted as a response to a request using the application protocol; 
 whereby communication between the local computer and the remote computer passes through a gateway device which restricts communication to protocols including the application protocol.  
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the application protocol is http and the messages are formatted using HTML.  
     
     
         21 . A system comprising: 
 a local database;    an agent for accessing information related to a local update of the local database, and for forming a message including that information for transmission to a remote computer;    a message router for accepting the message from the agent, and for selecting a path from one or more communication paths coupling the message router and the remote computer to pass the message to the remote computer; and    a local communication interface for accepting data including the message and transmitting the data to the remote computer over the selected path.    
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the agent further determines whether the information related to the local update should be sent to the remote computer.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  further comprising: 
 a remote database;  
 a remote communication interface on the remote computer for accepting the transmitted data including the message; and  
 a remote application for accepting the information related to the local update from the remote communication interface, and for updating the remote database using that information.  
 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein 
 the remote communication interface further accepts information related to a remote update to the remote database and selects which of the one or more communication paths coupling the remote computer to the message router should be used to transmit the information related to the remote update to the message router.  
 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the remote communication interface includes a hook module that accepts the message including the information related to the local update and provides the information to the remote application over an application program interface.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21  further comprising a networked server for receiving the data transmitted from the local communication interface, including a database for storing that data prior to communicating with the remote computer.  
     
     
         27 . Software stored on a computer readable medium for causing a computer to perform the functions of: 
 assessing information related to an update of a local database;    determining whether to forward the information to a remote computer;    selecting a communication path for passing the information to the remote computer;    forming a message including the information; and    sending the message on the selected communication path to the remote computer.    
     
     
         28 . Software stored on a computer readable medium for causing a computer to perform the functions of: 
 accepting a message from another computer including remote update information related to a database update;    providing the remote update information to an application program for updating a local database stored on the computer;    accepting local update information related to an update of the local database from the application program;    determining whether to send the local update information to the other computer; and    sending the local update information to the other computer.