Patent ID: 7080104

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of synchronizing folders between one or more layers of folders, the method comprising: selecting one or more layers to link together; comparing folders in the selected one or more layers using an immutable identifier; parsing the folders of each of the selected one or more layers into fields; comparing the fields of parsed folders of the selected one or more layers to identify duplicate folders having matching immutable identifiers, wherein the duplicate folders contain one or more entries that differ within one or more of the fields; determining whether to synchronize the folders of the selected one or more layers based on one or more conflict rules triggered in response to the comparison of the fields of the parsed folders; and responsive to a determination to synchronize, synchronizing the duplicate folders of the selected one or more layers; and merging the one or more entries that differ to generate a single merged entry including at least a subset of information'from each of the one or more entries, wherein the synchronizing and merging steps occur substantially automatically.