Patent ID: 7650394

Claim:
A computer-implemented method performed by a first device for replicating an email recipient list, the method comprising: receiving from a second device a first list of hashed blocks, each hashed block in the first list of hashed blocks being a compressed view of a block of records of a target email recipient list; receiving from the second device block partition information specifying partitioning of the target email recipient list into blocks of records from which the first list of hashed blocks was generated; after receiving the block partition information from the second device, generating by the first device a second list of hashed blocks from blocks of records of a local email recipient list based on the block partition information received from the second device so that the first device and the second device partition using the same technique and so that the first device does not require prior knowledge of the technique used by the second device; comparing the first list of hashed blocks to the second list of hashed blocks, each hashed block in the second list of hashed blocks being a compressed view of a block of records of the local email recipient list; identifying hashed blocks in the first list of hashed blocks that are different from their corresponding hashed blocks in the second list of hashed blocks; for each different hashed block, sending to the second device the corresponding block of records of the local email recipient list; and for at least one different hashed block, sending a request to repartition the block of records of the target email recipient list corresponding to the different hashed block, such that each sent block of records of the local email recipient list results in updating the corresponding block of records of the target email recipient list.