Patent attributes
A technique is described to selectively synchronize content on a client database with content from a server database. As the user traverses a hierarchical folder structure of the client database, he may run into content that has been deleted or moved in the server database. If the content is something that the user wishes to store locally, the content can be stored as an orphan. An orphan is content stored on the client that cannot be traversed by the hierarchical folder structure. When the user traverses to a node in the hierarchical folder structure that is missing an object existing on the server, a determination can be made as to whether the orphan object is the missing object. If so, the orphan object can be connected once against to the hierarchical folder structure. This may minimize the content that needs to be re-downloaded from the server.
