Patent ID: 7281024

Claim:
A method for propagating changes from a database to a client, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: providing to the client, at a first time, a copy of a portion of the database, wherein the portion of the database contains at least a first data item and a second data item; generating, at a second time, an updated value of the first data item, wherein the updated value of the first data item reflects the application of a first plurality of changes to the first data item; generating, at a third time, an updated value of the second data item, wherein the updated value of the second data item reflects the application of a second plurality of changes to the second data item; selecting the updated value of the first data item from the updated value of the first data item and the updated value of the second data item based upon the first time at which the copy of the portion of the database was provided to the client being earlier than the second time at which at which the updated value of the first data item was generated and the first time being later than the third time at which at which the updated value of the second data item was generated; and providing the updated value of the first data item to the client with operator data that indicates one or more operations to be performed at the client to update the copy of the portion of the database at the client with the updated value of the first data item.