Patent ID: 7353223

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: translating grouping values into nodes of a directed graph, wherein the grouping values are associated with periods of timelines, the timelines comprising data records, and wherein a grouping value associated with a period of a first one of the timelines being the same as a grouping value associated with a concurrently occurring period of a second one of the timelines indicates that specified data of a data record for the period of the first one of the timelines is to be synchronized with the specified data of a data record for the period of the second one of the timelines; distributing data through the nodes to obtain a modified subset of the data records; re-distributing the data recursively along the nodes to obtain a modified directed graph; translating the modified directed graph into a modified plurality of timelines that include the modified subset of data records; and storing the modified plurality of timelines in a storage medium.