Idle state triggered constrained synchronization of shared content items

摘要

A content management system synchronizes content items across client computing systems connected by a network. Each client device has a storage allocation for synchronized shared content items. If the storage allocation for shared content items on a client device is exceeded by the request to add or edit a content item such that it is enlarged, or open a large content item remote to the client device, a client application or the host of content management system selects content items to remove from residence on the client device but keep remotely on content management system. Upon removal of the selected content items, the client application creates shadow items, representing the content item but only containing the metadata of the content item. This creates sufficient space for the initial request to be completed while maintaining user access to all synchronized shared content items. The processes of replacing content items with shadow items may be completed while the client device is idle.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method of synchronizing content items comprising:
receiving, from a client device, a measure of activity; determining, by a content management system, an idle state based on the measure of activity; responsive to determining, by the content management system, that the client device is idle and that a retention state for a shared content storage directory on the client device violates predetermined retention state criteria:
identifying, by the content management system, one or more actions that when performed on the shared content storage directory will produce a retention state for the shared content storage directory that satisfies the predetermined retention state criteria; andrequesting, by the content management system, that the client device perform the one or more identified actions on the shared content storage directory.