Using the transformational approach to build a safe and generic data synchronizer

TLDR

Reconciliating divergent data is a key challenge in concurrent engineering, mobile computing, and software configuration management, yet existing synchronizers lack a clear definition of correctness. The authors propose using a transformational approach as the foundational model for reasoning about synchronization. They present an algorithm with specific transformation functions that implement file‑system synchronization. The resulting synchronizer guarantees convergence, causality, and intention preservation, and can be extended to new data types.

Abstract

Reconciliating divergent data is an important issue in concurrent engineering, mobile computing and software configuration management. Currently, a lot of synchronizers or merge tools perform reconciliations. However, they do not define what is the correctness of their synchronisation. In this paper, we propose to use a transformational approach as the basic model for reasonning about synchronisation. We propose an algorithm and specific transformation functions that realize a file system synchronisation. Unlike classic synchronizers, our synchronizer ensures properties of convergence, causality and intention preservation and is extensible to new data types.