Patent ID: 7024214

Claim:
In a network that includes a first computer system having a first data store and second computer system having a second data store, a method for synchronizing the first and second data stores in a flexible manner considering the circumstances that exist at the time of synchronization, the method comprising the following: an act of the first computer system determining that a data item is to be synchronized; an act of the first computer system identifying which of a plurality of synchronization mechanisms, including one or more hardwired or wireless communication connections, are available to use for synchronization; an act of the first computer system consulting a set of one or more flexible selection rules to select a synchronization mechanism, the set of one or more flexible roles taking into consideration value, from having access to synchronized data, relative to at least one of (i) an economic cost for synchronization using each available synchronization mechanism, (ii) network security for each available synchronization mechanism, or (iii) security of the second computer system, or (iv) value of data being synchronized and thereby selecting an available synchronization mechanism appropriate for the data item given the one or more flexible selection rules; and an act of the first computer system using the selected synchronization mechanism to synchronize the data item with the second computer.