Patent ID: 7941410

Claim:
A method of resolving conflicts for a synchronized folder comprising: creating a synchronized folder as a set of local folders, each local folder associated with one of a plurality of devices, and wherein each local folder is processed to contain a consistent set of items organized by a hierarchical tree structure including parent and child relationships, and wherein an item is a folder or a file; creating a holding area store that is restricted from user access; receiving at a first node a set of update items of the synchronized folder, wherein the update items each contain an attribute for designating a link to an enclosure of the item and contain metadata indicating a hierarchical position of the item in the hierarchical tree structure; merging the set of update items with corresponding items of a local feed to form a set of deferred items, wherein the local feed is separate and distinct from a local folder; creating a deferred items store that is restricted from user access and that holds the deferred items; executing an orphan conflict resolution process sequentially on the deferred items in the deferred items store to move a set of orphan items to the holding area store; executing a duplicate conflict resolution process sequentially on the deferred items in the deferred items store to sort a set of duplicate items and to move all but a duplicate item having a most recent update time to the holding area store; and executing a cycle conflict resolution process sequentially on the deferred items in the deferred items store to select a folder item of a cycle having an earliest modification date and re-parenting that folder to a root folder; and updating the local folder with a deferred item that is not moved to the holding area store based on one of the resolution processes.