US Patent 7787489 Mobile data distribution

Selectively replicating data from a network server to a mobile device during a synchronization is provided. The system and method of the invention associates mobile device users with roles that include rules. Each of the rules includes one or more conditions that can be either static or dynamic. When a rule is invoked, only those specific instances of data that satisfy the conditions of the rule are replicated to the mobile device. Whether a rule of a role is invoked can be made to depend on a device type of the mobile device. The method can also exclude data from replication where the user lacks an authorization to access a particular data type, even though a valid rule would otherwise permit the data to be synchronized.