Synchronization of web service endpoints in a multi-master synchronization environment

Abstract

A Web service synchronization protocol is provided that sets forth the metadata and messaging by which endpoints roam, share and synchronize common information with one another in a multi-master networked computing ecosystem. A general SOAP-based protocol is defined for synchronizing data between two endpoints where one or more of the endpoints supports a Web service. Defining messaging for knowledge-based transfers using XML Web services, the protocol allows devices, services and applications to synchronize through firewalls, allows for flexibility by allowing any common set or subset of information across endpoints and allows for extensibility by not prescribing the schema of the actual data being synchronized at the endpoints.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for data synchronization between a plurality of nodes communicatively coupled via one or more networks, comprising:
 at an intermediate node, receiving knowledge information regarding data, the knowledge information received from an originating node and including a version representation of the data at the originating node; and   propagating the knowledge information including the version representation of the data at the originating node to a different node via the intermediate node.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the propagating is performed while the intermediate node is connected to the originating node. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the propagating is performed while the originating node is not connected to the different node. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving at the intermediate node from the originating node changes to the data of which the intermediate node is not aware, wherein the propagating comprises propagating the changes to the different node via the intermediate node. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving at the intermediate node from the different node knowledge information concerning the data at the different node and a version representation of the data at the different node. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising comparing the knowledge information received from the different node with the knowledge information received from the originating node to determine what changes to the data to propagate to the different node of which the different node is unaware. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising comparing the knowledge information received from the different node with the knowledge information received from the originating node to determine what changes to the data to propagate to the originating node of which the originating node is unaware. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the originating node, the intermediate node, or the different node is configured to support a Web service. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the propagating comprises defining messaging for knowledge-based transfers using extensible markup language (XML) Web services. 
     
     
         10 . A system configured to synchronize data between a plurality of nodes communicatively coupled via one or more networks, comprising:
 a receiving component configured to receive, at an intermediate node, knowledge information regarding data, the knowledge information received from an originating node and including a version representation of the data at the originating node; and   a synchronization component configured to propagate the knowledge information including the version representation of the data at the originating node to a different node via the intermediate node.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the synchronization component is configured to propagate the knowledge information from the originating node to the different node via the intermediate node while the intermediate node is connected to the originating node. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the synchronization component is configured to propagate the knowledge information from the originating node to the different node via the intermediate node while the originating node is not connected to the different node. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the originating node, the intermediate node, or the different node is configured to support a Web service. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the synchronization component is configured to define messaging for knowledge-based transfers using extensible markup language (XML) Web services. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , the receiving component configured to accrue collective knowledge information regarding the data, wherein the collective knowledge information is node-independent synchronization knowledge of the data. 
     
     
         16 . A computer-readable storage medium configured to synchronize data between a plurality of nodes communicatively coupled via one or more networks, the computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions for causing at least one processor to execute the following acts:
 at an intermediate node, receiving knowledge information regarding data, the knowledge information received from an originating node and including a version representation of the data at the originating node; and   propagating the knowledge information including the version representation of the data at the originating node to a different node via the intermediate node.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the acts further comprise comparing knowledge information received from the different node with the knowledge information received from the originating node to determine what changes to the data to propagate to the different node of which the different node is unaware. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the acts further comprise comparing knowledge information received from the different node with the knowledge information received from the originating node to determine what changes to the data to propagate to the originating node of which the originating node is unaware. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the originating node, the intermediate node, or the different node is configured to support a Web service. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the propagating comprises defining messaging for knowledge-based transfers using extensible markup language (XML) Web services.