Patent ID: 7103612

Claim:
A method for instantiating objects that are to participate in an information sharing relationship, the method comprising the steps of: making a copy of a first object residing in a first system; allowing changes to be made to said first object while said copy is being made; wherein said copy reflects all changes made permanent to said first object up to a particular point in time, and no changes made permanent to said first object after said particular point in time; recording data indicating said particular point in time; creating a second object in a second system based on said copy of said first object; causing data indicating certain changes made in said first system to said first object to be sent to said second system; wherein said data indicating certain changes includes data indicating a time at which said certain changes made in said first system were made permanent in said first system; and in said second system, determining whether to apply said certain changes made in said first system to said first object to said second object based on a comparison between the time indicated for the changes and said particular point in time.