Storing data based on device location

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for storing data based on device location. The systems and methods include operations for: determining, by a messaging application server, a geographical location associated with a client device; identifying, by the messaging application server, a plurality of storage devices located in different geographical regions; computing, by the messaging application server, a plurality of distances between the geographical location associated the client device and the geographical regions of the plurality of storage devices; selecting, by the messaging application server based on the computed plurality of distances, a first storage device of the plurality of storage device that is in a geographical region that is closest to the geographical location associated with the client device; and storing, by the messaging application server on the first storage device, data associated with a messaging application implemented on the client device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to the technical field of social networks. In particular, the present embodiments are generally directed to managing data storage.

BACKGROUND

As the popularity of social networking grows, social networks are expanding their capabilities. To improve ease of use, social networks are integrating more and more functions such that a user may accomplish many or even most of their computer-based tasks within the social network itself. One vision of social networks is that they eventually become a virtual operating system, from which a user seldom finds a need to remove themselves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced. Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example messaging system for exchanging data (e.g., messages and associated content) over a network, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating data which may be stored in the database of a messaging server system, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a message generated by a messaging client application for communication, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example message storage system, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating example operations of the message storage system, according to example embodiments.

FIGS. 6 and 7 shows illustrative inputs and outputs of the message storage system, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a representative software architecture, which may be used in conjunction with various hardware architectures herein described, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine able to read instructions from a machine-readable medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, according to example embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description that follows includes systems, methods, techniques, instruction sequences, and computing machine program products that embody illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of various embodiments. It will be evident, however, to those skilled in the art, that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In general, well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, and techniques are not necessarily shown in detail.

Often, users consume media content, and specifically videos, on their mobile device. Such media content is typically exchanged in chat sessions between users. Sometimes users log on and log off a server that maintains the contents of the chat sessions. In order to ensure that the latest chat messages, which were exchanged in the chat session while the user device has been disconnected from the server, are presented to the user, a user device synchronizes with the server. Typically, the data center that is used to storage the messages for the users' chat sessions is located in one or more geographical locations. Users who are located far away from that data center, such as in another state or country, experience large latencies when they try to retrieve the data with their devices. Also, transferring such content between a data center and user devices that are in various geographical locations, far away from each other, consumes a great deal of processing resources and network bandwidth, which makes data transfer sessions operate inefficiently. In addition, receiving such content from a data center that is far away from the user can take a long time, which further delays presenting the latest chat messages to the user and can end up frustrating the users.

The disclosed embodiments improve the efficiency of using the electronic device by providing a system that efficiently stores content on a storage device based on a location of a user device (client device). According to the disclosed system, multiple storage devices are distributed throughout the world, such as in multiple geographical locations. Messaging client application data, such as a conversation history, chat messages, profile information, and the like, is stored and maintained in a single storage device. The storage device in which such data is stored is selected based on a current or predicted location of a user device. Specifically, the disclosed embodiments, compute a plurality of distances between a geographical location associated the user device and the geographical regions of the plurality of storage devices. Based on the computed plurality of distances, a first storage device of the plurality of storage device that is in a geographical region that is closest to the geographical location associated with the user device is selected and the data associated with the messaging application implemented on the user device is stored in the selected storage location.

In this way, when the given user desires to retrieve content for the messaging application implemented on the user device, the user device of the given user receives the content, such as conversation history, messages, images, videos, profile information, and the like, faster and more efficiently and with a lower amount of latency. Namely, rather than the given user experiencing large latencies by receiving messages from a storage device, which is geographically far from the given user device because it is in a different geographical location, the user device can receive such messages from a closer storage device. This increases the efficiencies of the electronic device by reducing processing times and network bandwidth needed to accomplish a task and by reducing costs associated with moving data over large distances between storage devices and between storage devices and user devices.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example messaging system 100 for exchanging data (e.g., messages and associated content) over a network 106. The messaging system 100 includes multiple client devices 102, each of which hosts a number of applications, including a messaging client application 104 and a third-party application 105. Each messaging client application 104 is communicatively coupled to other instances of the messaging client application 104, the third-party application 105, and a messaging server system 108 via a network 106 (e.g., the Internet).

Accordingly, each messaging client application 104 and third-party application 105 is able to communicate and exchange data with another messaging client application 104 and third-party application(s) 105 and with the messaging server system 108 via the network 106. The data exchanged between messaging client applications 104, third-party applications 105, and the messaging server system 108 includes functions (e.g., commands to invoke functions) and payload data (e.g., text, audio, video, or other multimedia data). Any disclosed communications between the messaging client application 104 and the third-party application(s) 105 can be transmitted directly from the messaging client application 104 to the third-party application(s) 105 or indirectly (e.g., via one or more servers) from the messaging client application 104 to the third-party application(s) 105.

The third-party application(s) 105 and the messaging client application 104 are applications that include a set of functions that allow the client device 102 to access a message storage system 124. The third-party application 105 is an application that is separate and distinct from the messaging client application 104. The third-party application(s) 105 are downloaded and installed by the client device 102 separately from the messaging client application 104. In some implementations, the third-party application(s) 105 are downloaded and installed by the client device 102 before or after the messaging client application 104 is downloaded and installed. The third-party application 105 is an application that is provided by an entity or organization that is different from the entity or organization that provides the messaging client application 104. The third-party application 105 is an application that can be accessed by a client device 102 using separate login credentials than the messaging client application 104. Namely, the third-party application 105 can maintain a first user account and the messaging client application 104 can maintain a second user account. For example, the third-party application 105 can be a social networking application, a dating application, a ride or car sharing application, a shopping application, a trading application, a gaming application, an operating system application (e.g., a push notification application), or an imaging application.

The messaging server system 108 provides server-side functionality via the network 106 to a particular messaging client application 104. While certain functions of the messaging system 100 are described herein as being performed by either a messaging client application 104 or by the messaging server system 108, it will be appreciated that the location of certain functionality either within the messaging client application 104 or the messaging server system 108 is a design choice. For example, it may be technically preferable to initially deploy certain technology and functionality within the messaging server system 108, but to later migrate this technology and functionality to the messaging client application 104 where a client device 102 has a sufficient processing capacity.

The messaging server system 108 supports various services and operations that are provided to the messaging client application 104. Such operations include transmitting data to, receiving data from, and processing data generated by the messaging client application 104. This data may include message content, client device information, geolocation information, media annotation and overlays, virtual objects, message content persistence conditions, social network information, and live event information, as examples. Data exchanges within the messaging system 100 are invoked and controlled through functions available via user interfaces (UIs) of the messaging client application 104.

Turning now specifically to the messaging server system 108, an API server 110 is coupled to, and provides a programmatic interface to, an application server 112. The application server 112 is communicatively coupled to a database server 118, which facilitates access to a database 120 in which is stored data associated with messages processed by the application server 112.

Dealing specifically with the API server 110, this server 110 receives and transmits message data (e.g., commands and message payloads) between the client device 102 and the application server 112. Specifically, the API server 110 provides a set of interfaces (e.g., routines and protocols) that can be called or queried by the messaging client application 104 and the third-party application 105 in order to invoke functionality of the application server 112. The API server 110 exposes various functions supported by the application server 112, including account registration; login functionality; the sending of messages, via the application server 112, from a particular messaging client application 104 to another messaging client application 104 or third-party application 105; the sending of media files (e.g., images or video) from a messaging client application 104 to the messaging server application 114, and for possible access by another messaging client application 104 or third-party application 105; the setting of a collection of media data; the retrieval of such collections; the retrieval of a list of friends of a user of a client device 102; the retrieval of messages and content; the adding and deleting of friends to a social graph; the location of friends within a social graph; access to user conversation data; access to avatar information stored on messaging server system 108; and opening an application event (e.g., relating to the messaging client application 104).

The application server 112 hosts a number of applications and subsystems, including a messaging server application 114, an image processing system 116, a social network system 122, and the message storage system 124. The messaging server application 114 implements a number of message processing technologies and functions, particularly related to the aggregation and other processing of content (e.g., textual and multimedia content) included in messages received from multiple instances of the messaging client application 104. As will be described in further detail, the text and media content from multiple sources may be aggregated into collections of content (e.g., called stories or galleries). These collections are then made available, by the messaging server application 114, to the messaging client application 104. Other processor- and memory-intensive processing of data may also be performed server-side by the messaging server application 114, in view of the hardware requirements for such processing.

The application server 112 also includes an image processing system 116 that is dedicated to performing various image processing operations, typically with respect to images or video received within the payload of a message at the messaging server application 114. A portion of the image processing system 116 may also be implemented by the message storage system 124.

The social network system 122 supports various social networking functions and services and makes these functions and services available to the messaging server application 114. To this end, the social network system 122 maintains and accesses an entity graph within the database 120. Examples of functions and services supported by the social network system 122 include the identification of other users of the messaging system 100 with which a particular user has relationships or is “following” and also the identification of other entities and interests of a particular user. Such other users may be referred to as the user's friends. Social network system 122 may access location information associated with each of the user's friends to determine where they live or are currently located geographically. Social network system 122 may maintain a location profile for each of the user's friends indicating the geographical location where the user's friends live.

The application server 112 is communicatively coupled to a database server 118, which facilitates access to a database 120 in which is stored data associated with messages processed by the messaging server application 114. Database 120 may be a third-party database. For example, the application server 112 may be associated with a first entity, and the database 120 or a portion of the database 120 may be associated with and hosted by a second, different entity. In some implementations, database 120 stores user data that the first entity collects about various each of the users of a service provided by the first entity. For example, the user data includes user names, passwords, addresses, friends, activity information, preferences, videos or content consumed by the user, and so forth.

The message storage system 124 manages storage and transfer of messages exchanged in a communication session, conversations in which users are engaged, profile information, or any combination thereof including any other data that is used on the messaging client application 104. For example, the message storage system 124 establishes a communication session between a plurality of users (e.g., a chat session in which multiple chat messages are exchanged). The messaging client application 104 implemented on the client device 102 communicates with the message storage system 124 to receive messages transmitted as part of the communication session. Specifically, messages are sent from one user to another via the message storage system 124. The message storage system 124 keeps track of all the messages that are exchanged and sends updates to client device 102 that are connected to the message storage system 124. In some cases, the messages include messages exchanged between users. In some cases, the messages may be received from third-party applications and are directed to one or more users. The message storage system 124 determines a current or future location of a client device 102 and manages the storage of messaging application data for the messaging client application 104 implemented on the client device 102 based on the current or future location. In particular, the message storage system 124 selects a storage device from a collection of storage devices that is closest to the client device 102 in which to store the messaging application data for the client device 102.

Messaging system 100 includes a plurality of storage devices 130. Each storage devices 131 of the plurality of storage devices 130 may implement some or all of the functionality of application server 112. Each storage device 131 may be located in a different geographical location and is configured to store messaging application data for client devices 102. In some implementations, messaging application data is not duplicated across storage devices and is exclusively stored in one selected storage device. This enhances the level of data privacy and security for users of the messaging client application 104. Once a given storage device 131 is selected to store messaging application data, all of the messaging application data for a given user is stored in the selected storage device 131. For example, a first storage devices 131 may be located in a first geographical region (e.g., a first state in the United States of America). The first storage devices 131 is configured to store data for user devices which are currently located in the first geographical region (e.g., the first state in the United States of America) or which are predicted to be located in the first geographical region at a future time. A second storage devices 131 may be located in a second geographical region (e.g., a second state in the United States of America). The second storage devices 131 is configured to store data for user devices which are currently located or will be located in the second geographical region.

In some embodiments, a first one of the storage devices 130 is configured to forward or receive messages to/from another one of the storage devices 130 based on a determination that a geographical location of a client device 102 for which the first storage device 130 is storing data has changed or will be changed in the future. As an example, a client device 102 of a user (e.g., via an application on the device) may be located in a first geographical region. In response to determining that the client device 102 is located in the first geographical region, the message storage system 124 searches for and identifies the first storage device 131 that is closest in distance and proximity to the current location of the client device 102. The message storage system 124 automatically stores any content received by the client device 102 or directed to the client device 102 in the selected first storage device 131. For example, the user of the client device 102 updates profile information for the messaging client application 104 implemented on the client device 102. Such profile information is then stored in a profile for the user maintained by the first storage device 131. As another example, a second user may send a message to the first user. Such a message is routed to and stored in the first storage device 131 for subsequent retrieval by the client device 102. In some cases, all conversation history and content of the messaging client application 104 implemented by the client device 102 is stored on the first storage device 131.

In some cases, the message storage system 124 may periodically or continuously receive location information from the client device 102 of the user. The message storage system 124 may determine the location of the user based on the received location information. In some cases, the message storage system 124 predicts that the client device 102 is traveling to another location. For example, the message storage system 124 may determine that the client device 102 is traveling to another state or country based on a current motion or speed of the client device 102, an altitude of the client device 102, a conversation history of the client device 102, a path of the client device 102, or any combination thereof. Specifically, the message storage system 124 may determine that the user has planned a vacation to Paris by processing textual or images exchanged by the user in a conversation with another user. As another example, the message storage system 124 processes payment information or tickets purchased by the user to determine that a trip is planned by the user to another geographical region (e.g., Paris). The message storage system 124 may determine that the current time matches the planned time for the trip and that, based on the speed and altitude of the client device 102, that the client device is currently on a plane traveling to the destination (e.g., Paris). In response, the message storage system 124 predicts that the client device 102 will be at the destination in at a future time and responsively and automatically transfers the messaging application data for the client device 102 from the first storage device 131 to a second storage device 131 that is geographically located in the destination. In some cases, the transfer is performed while the user of the client device 102 is traveling to the destination (e.g., is on the plane) so that the data is readily available to be received by the client device 102 from the second storage device 131 when the user of the client device 102 arrives at the destination.

In some cases, the message storage system 124 presents a prompt or notification to the user to confirm that the user is travelling or is planning to travel to the predicted destination. The message storage system 124 conditionally performs the transfer to the second storage device 131 from the first storage device 131 based on an affirmative response received from the user to the prompt or notification indicating that the user is planning to travel to the predicted destination. The prompt or notification may request that the user input the length of time the user intends to spend at the destination. The message storage system 124 conditionally performs the transfer of the data from the first to the second storage device 131 if the length of time input by the user (or predicted by the message storage system 124) exceeds a specified threshold (e.g., two hours).

In some cases, the message storage system 124 generates a movement or geographical trajectory profile for the user of the client device 102. The trajectory profile indicates a history of geographical positions of the client device 102 and how long the client device 102 remained at each of the different geographical positions. Based on the trajectory profile, the message storage system 124 predictively and proactively moves or transfers messaging application data for the client device 102 from one storage device 131 to another storage device 131. In this way, the data for the client device 102 is available to be received by the client device 102 from the closest storage device 131 to the client device 102. In some cases, the data is only moved from a first storage device 131 to a second storage device 131 if the trajectory profile indicates that the client device 102 remained at the geographical region corresponding to the second storage device 131 for more than a threshold amount of time (e.g., more than 2 hours). If the trajectory profile indicates that the client device 102 remained or is predicted to remain at the next geographical location for less than the threshold amount of time, the data is not moved to the second storage device 131.

In some embodiments, the message storage system 124 stores the data for a given client device 102 in a storage device 131 based on a location of a virtual private network (VPN) server rather than the location of the given client device 102. Specifically, the message storage system 124 may determine that the client device 102 connects to the messaging application server 112 via a VPN connection. In such cases, the message storage system 124 determines a location of the VPN server for the VPN connection and identifies a storage device 131 from the storage devices 130 that is closest in proximity and distance to the VPN server. In some implementations, the message storage system 124 determines that the client device 102 connects to the message storage system 124 via a VPN connection by determining that the current location reported by the messaging client application 104 implemented by the client device 102 (or determined by triangulating a position of the client device 102) does not match the location associated with a source address in one or more packets of information exchanged with the client device 102.

In some cases, the message storage system 124 analyzes a source address specified in one or more packets of information (e.g., IP packets) received from the messaging application 104 implemented on the client device 102. The message storage system 124 compares the source address to a list of source addresses that are associated with VPN servers. If the message storage system 124 determines that the source address matches one of the sources addresses in the list, the message storage system 124 determines that the client device 102 is connecting to the server 112 through a VPN server. In this case, the message storage system 124 stores the data for the client device 102 on a storage device 131 that is closest to the VPN server rather than the storage device 131 that is closest to the geographical location of the client device 102.

In some cases, the data for the client device 102 may initially be stored on a first storage device 131 that is in a first geographical region closest to the geographical location of the client device 102. At some time in the future, the message storage system 124 determines that the client device 102 connected to the server 112 via a VPN server more than a threshold number of times (e.g., more than 20 times) in a given interval (e.g., one week). In response, the message storage system 124 identifies the geographical location of the VPN server used by the client device 102 to connect to the server 112. The message storage system 124 then identifies a second storage device 131 that is in a geographical region closer to the geographical location of the VPN server than the geographical region of the first storage device 131 in which the data for the client device 102 is currently stored. The message storage system 124 then initiates transfer of the data for the client device 102 from the first storage device 131 to the second storage device 131.

In some embodiments, the message storage system 124 determines that the client device 102 connects to the server 112 directly during a first set of periods and connects to the server 112 indirectly via the VPN server during a second set of periods. In such cases, the message storage system 124 maintains storage of the data for the client device 102 on a first storage device 131 that is located in a first geographical region closest to the geographical position of the client device 102 during the first set of periods. Then, the message storage system 124 transfers the data from the first storage device 131 to a second storage device 131 that is in a second geographical region that is closest to the geographical location of the VPN server during the second set of periods. The message storage system 124 continues moving the data between the first and second storage devices 131 according to the patterns of connection or locations of the client device 102 during the first and second sets of periods.

In some embodiments, the message storage system 124 selectively transfers some but not all of the data from a first storage device 131 to a second storage device 131. Specifically, the message storage system 124 may determine that a first portion of the data that is stored on the first storage device 131 is transient data (e.g., data that will automatically be deleted in a given period of time, such as 24 hours) and that a second remaining portion of the data is persistent. The message storage system 124 may determine a need to transfer the data from the first storage device 131 to the second storage device 131 (e.g., because the client device for which the data is stored is predicted to travel to another destination). In this case, the message storage system 124 transfers all of the data except the first portion of the data that is determined to be transient. In particular, the message storage system 124 transfers the second portion of data but not the first portion of the data from the first storage device 131 to the second storage device 131. This reduces the amount of data that is exchanged and reduces the amount of bandwidth that is consumed at least by not transferring the first portion of the data.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram 200 illustrating data, which may be stored in the database 120 of the messaging server system 108, according to certain example embodiments. While the content of the database 120 is shown to comprise a number of tables, it will be appreciated that the data could be stored in other types of data structures (e.g., as an object-oriented database).

The database 120 includes message data stored within a message table 214. An entity table 202 stores entity data, including an entity graph 204. Entities for which records are maintained within the entity table 202 may include individuals, corporate entities, organizations, objects, places, events, and so forth. Regardless of type, any entity regarding which the messaging server system 108 stores data may be a recognized entity. Each entity is provided with a unique identifier, as well as an entity type identifier (not shown).

The entity graph 204 stores information regarding relationships and associations between entities. Such relationships may be social, professional (e.g., work at a common corporation or organization), interest-based, or activity-based, merely for example.

Message table 214 may store a collection of conversations between a user and one or more friends or entities. Message table 214 may include various attributes of each conversation, such as the list of participants, the size of the conversation (e.g., number of users and/or number of messages), the chat color of the conversation, a unique identifier for the conversation, and any other conversation related feature(s).

The database 120 also stores annotation data, in the example form of filters, in an annotation table 212. Database 120 also stores annotated content received in the annotation table 212. Filters for which data is stored within the annotation table 212 are associated with and applied to videos (for which data is stored in a video table 210) and/or images (for which data is stored in an image table 208). Filters, in one example, are overlays that are displayed as overlaid on an image or video during presentation to a recipient user. Filters may be of various types, including user-selected filters from a gallery of filters presented to a sending user by the messaging client application 104 when the sending user is composing a message. Other types of filters include geolocation filters (also known as geo-filters), which may be presented to a sending user based on geographic location. For example, geolocation filters specific to a neighborhood or special location may be presented within a UI by the messaging client application 104, based on geolocation information determined by a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit of the client device 102. Another type of filter is a data filter, which may be selectively presented to a sending user by the messaging client application 104, based on other inputs or information gathered by the client device 102 during the message creation process. Examples of data filters include current temperature at a specific location, a current speed at which a sending user is traveling, battery life for a client device 102, or the current time.

Other annotation data that may be stored within the image table 208 is so-called “lens” data. A “lens” may be a real-time special effect and sound that may be added to an image or a video.

As mentioned above, the video table 210 stores video data which, in one embodiment, is associated with messages for which records are maintained within the message table 214. Similarly, the image table 208 stores image data associated with messages for which message data is stored in the entity table 202. The entity table 202 may associate various annotations from the annotation table 212 with various images and videos stored in the image table 208 and the video table 210.

A story table 206 stores data regarding collections of messages and associated image, video, or audio data, which are compiled into a collection (e.g., a story or a gallery). The creation of a particular collection may be initiated by a particular user (e.g., each user for which a record is maintained in the entity table 202). A user may create a “personal story” in the form of a collection of content that has been created and sent/broadcast by that user. To this end, the UI of the messaging client application 104 may include an icon that is user-selectable to enable a sending user to add specific content to his or her personal story.

A collection may also constitute a “live story,” which is a collection of content from multiple users that is created manually, automatically, or using a combination of manual and automatic techniques. For example, a “live story” may constitute a curated stream of user-submitted content from various locations and events. Users whose client devices 102 have location services enabled and are at a common location event at a particular time may, for example, be presented with an option, via a UI of the messaging client application 104, to contribute content to a particular live story. The live story may be identified to the user by the messaging client application 104 based on his or her location. The end result is a “live story” told from a community perspective.

A further type of content collection is known as a “location story,” which enables a user whose client device 102 is located within a specific geographic location (e.g., on a college or university campus) to contribute to a particular collection. In some embodiments, a contribution to a location story may require a second degree of authentication to verify that the end user belongs to a specific organization or other entity (e.g., is a student on the university campus).

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a message 300, according to some embodiments, generated by a messaging client application 104 for communication to a further messaging client application 104 or the messaging server application 114. The content of a particular message 300 is used to populate the message table 214 stored within the database 120, accessible by the messaging server application 114. Similarly, the content of a message 300 is stored in memory as “in-transit” or “in-flight” data of the client device 102 or the application server 112. The message 300 is shown to include the following components:

• • A message identifier 302: a unique identifier that identifies the message 300.
  • A message text payload 304: text, to be generated by a user via a UI of the client device 102 and that is included in the message 300.
  • A message image payload 306: image data, captured by a camera component of a client device 102 or retrieved from memory of a client device 102, and that is included in the message 300.
  • A message video payload 308: video data, captured by a camera component or retrieved from a memory component of the client device 102 and that is included in the message 300.
  • A message audio payload 310: audio data, captured by a microphone or retrieved from the memory component of the client device 102, and that is included in the message 300.
  • Message annotations 312: annotation data (e.g., filters, stickers, or other enhancements) that represents annotations to be applied to message image payload 306, message video payload 308, or message audio payload 310 of the message 300.
  • A message duration parameter 314: parameter value indicating, in seconds, the amount of time for which content of the message (e.g., the message image payload 306, message video payload 308, message audio payload 310) is to be presented or made accessible to a user via the messaging client application 104.
  • A message geolocation parameter 316: geolocation data (e.g., latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates) associated with the content payload of the message. Multiple message geolocation parameter 316 values may be included in the payload, with each of these parameter values being associated with respect to content items included in the content (e.g., a specific image within the message image payload 306, or a specific video in the message video payload 308).
  • A message story identifier 318: identifier value identifying one or more content collections (e.g., “stories”) with which a particular content item in the message image payload 306 of the message 300 is associated. For example, multiple images within the message image payload 306 may each be associated with multiple content collections using identifier values.
  • A message tag 320: each message 300 may be tagged with multiple tags, each of which is indicative of the subject matter of content included in the message payload. For example, where a particular image included in the message image payload 306 depicts an animal (e.g., a lion), a tag value may be included within the message tag 320 that is indicative of the relevant animal. Tag values may be generated manually, based on user input, or may be automatically generated using, for example, image recognition.
  • A message sender identifier 322: an identifier (e.g., a messaging system identifier, email address, or device identifier) indicative of a user of the client device 102 on which the message 300 was generated and from which the message 300 was sent.
  • A message receiver identifier 324: an identifier (e.g., a messaging system identifier, email address, or device identifier) indicative of user(s) of the client device 102 to which the message 300 is addressed. In the case of a conversation between multiple users, the identifier may indicate each user involved in the conversation.

The contents (e.g., values) of the various components of message 300 may be pointers to locations in tables within which content data values are stored. For example, an image value in the message image payload 306 may be a pointer to (or address of) a location within an image table 208. Similarly, values within the message video payload 308 may point to data stored within a video table 210, values stored within the message annotations 312 may point to data stored in an annotation table 212, values stored within the message story identifier 318 may point to data stored in a story table 206, and values stored within the message sender identifier 322 and the message receiver identifier 324 may point to user records stored within an entity table 202.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example message storage system 124, according to example embodiments. Message storage system 124 includes a communication session module 414, a storage device selection module 416, and a message transmission module 418. The communication session module 414 enables users to engage in a communication session to exchange messages with each other. In some cases, the communication session includes a group of three or more users in which case any message sent by one user is viewable by the other two users in the group. In some cases, the communication session includes only two users where one user sends messages to another user and vice versa.

After initiating a communication session using the communication session module 414, messages are transferred between users of the communication session using the communication session module 414. The communication session module 414 stores the messages along with various information indicating the recipient, the communication session identifier, a sequence number, an identifier of the sender, and a timestamp representing when the message was received in a storage device 131 selected by the storage device selection module 416.

The communication session module 414 communicates with the storage device selection module 416 to identify a geographical region associated with the recipient. The storage device selection module 416 may determine that the user is associated with a first geographical region and provide the identification of the first geographical region to the communication session module 414. The storage device selection module 416 searches a list of storage devices 130 and their respective geographical regions for a storage device 131 that is closest in proximity and distance to the first geographical region. The communication session module 414 stores messages directed to the recipient and information received from the recipient in the first storage device 131.

The storage device selection module 416 may dynamically track a position or geographical location of a client device 102. The storage device selection module 416 generates a movement or location vector for the client device 102. The storage device selection module 416 transfers data (e.g., conversation history or messages received from or directed to the client device 102) from a first storage device 131 to a second storage device 131 based on the movement or location vector.

In some cases, the storage device selection module 416 predictively moves the data by predicting where the client device 102 will be at a future time and for how long the client device 102 will be at that location. For example, the storage device selection module 416 determines that the client device 102 will move from a first position to a second position (e.g., a destination) that is closer to a geographical location of a second storage device 131. The storage device selection module 416 predicts that the client device 102 will remain at the second position for a threshold amount of time (e.g., more than 2 hours) and in response, the storage device selection module 416 moves the data stored for the client device 102 from the first storage device 131 to the second storage device 131. In moving the data, the data is deleted from the first storage device 131 and added to the second storage device 131. The storage device selection module 416 may store an identifier of the second storage device 131 in a profile or in association with the client device 102.

In some cases, the storage device selection module 416 selects storage device 131 in which to store data for a client device 102 based on a VPN server that the client device 102 uses to connect to server 112. Namely, rather than selecting a storage device 131 that is in a geographical region that is closest to the geographical position of the client device 102, the storage device selection module 416 selects a storage device 131 that is in a geographical region that is closest to the geographical position of the VPN server through which the client device 102 connects to the server 112. In some cases, the storage device selection module 416 dynamically changes and moves data from one storage device to another as a function of a position of the client device 102 or a function of whether the client device 102 connects to the server 112 via a VPN server.

In some cases, the storage device selection module 416 determines that a given client device 102 has not yet been assigned a storage device 131 (e.g., because the client device 102 is a newly registered user with the server 112). In such circumstances, the storage device selection module 416 automatically selects a pre-designated default storage device 131 or selects a random storage device 131 in which to store data for the client device 102. After a specified interval (e.g., after one week) of monitoring geographical locations of the client device 102 and developing a trajectory vector for the client device 102, the storage device selection module 416 identifies a new storage device 131 in which to store data for the client device 102 that is closest in distance to the monitored geographical locations of the client device 102. The storage device selection module 416 causes the data stored in the pre-designated default storage device 131 to be moved to the new storage device 131 based on the monitored geographical locations of the client device 102.

The message transmission module 418 receives a request from the client device 102 to obtain data (e.g., messaging client application 104 data). The message transmission module 418 may access a storage device identifier that is stored in association with the client device 102. The storage device identifier may identify the specific storage device 131 from the plurality of storage devices 130 in which the data for the client device 102 is stored. Specifically, the client device 102 communicates with a centralized storage device in server 112 to identify itself to the centralized storage device. The client device 102 may provide to the message transmission module 418 an identifier of the client device 102 and may receive from the message transmission module 418 an identifier of the storage device 131 in which data for the client device 102 is stored. The message transmission module 418 then retrieves the identified storage device 131 to obtain data for the client device 102 and provide the data to the client device 102. In some cases, the message transmission module 418 provides the identifier or address of the storage device 131 associated with the client device 102 and the client device 102 directly communicates with the identified storage device 131 to obtain messaging application data.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating example operations of the message storage system 124 in performing process 500, according to example embodiments. The process 500 may be embodied in computer-readable instructions for execution by one or more processors such that the operations of the process 500 may be performed in part or in whole by the functional components of the messaging server system 108, client device 102, and/or third-party application 105; accordingly, the process 500 is described below by way of example with reference thereto. However, in other embodiments, at least some of the operations of the process 500 may be deployed on various other hardware configurations. The process 500 is therefore not intended to be limited to the messaging server system 108 and can be implemented in whole, or in part, by any other component. Some or all of the operations of process 500 can be in parallel, out of order, or entirely omitted.

At operation 501, a computing device (e.g., message storage system 124) determines a geographical location associated with a client device. For example, the message storage system 124 obtains a geographical position of the client device 102, a future geographical position of the client device 102, or a geographical position of a VPN server through which the client device 102 connects with the server 112.

At operation 502, the computing device identifies a plurality of storage devices located in different geographical regions. For example, the message storage system 124 obtains a list of storage devices 130 and retrieves the geographical regions associated with each of the storage devices 130.

At operation 503, the computing device computes a plurality of distances between the geographical location associated the client device and the geographical regions of the plurality of storage devices. For example, the message storage system 124 measures a difference between the geographical region of each of the storage devices 130 and the determined geographical position of the client device 102, the future geographical position of the client device 102, or the geographical position of the VPN server through which the client device 102 connects with the server 112.

At operation 504, the computing device selects, based on the computed plurality of distances, a first storage device of the plurality of storage device that is in a geographical region that is closest to the geographical location associated with the client device. For example, the message storage system 124 identifies the shortest or smallest of the computed differences and selects the storage device 131 that is associated with the geographical region for which the computed difference was the smallest. This is the storage device 131 that is closest to the geographical location associated with the client device 102. Namely, this is the storage device 131 that is in a geographical region that is closest to the geographical position of the client device 102, the future geographical position of the client device 102, or the geographical position of the VPN server through which the client device 102 connects with the server 112.

At operation 505 the computing device stores, on the first storage device, data associated with a messaging application implemented on the client device. For example, the message storage system 124 stores a conversation history, profile information, messages sent to or received from the client device 102, or the like in the storage device 131 that is determined to be closest to the geographical position of the client device 102, the future geographical position of the client device 102, or the geographical position of the VPN server through which the client device 102 connects with the server 112.

FIG. 6 illustrates a graphical user interface, according to example embodiments. The message storage system 124 may cause a graphical user interface to be presented on a messaging client application 104 implemented on the client device 102. The graphical user interface includes a display of messages that are part of a communication session between multiple users (e.g., John, Mark and Jennifer). The graphical user interface is presented to a given user (e.g., Jennifer). In some cases, once the given user logs in to retrieve the messages that are part of the communication session (e.g., at 9:41 AM), the message storage system 124 provides messages to the client device 102 from the storage device 131 associated with the client device 102 of the given user. The message storage system 124 determines the current location of the client device 102 and stores the messages in a first storage device 131 that is in a first geographical region that is closest to the current location of the client device 102 than other geographical regions of other storage devices 130.

In some cases, the message storage system 124 predicts, based on movement of the client device 102, a trajectory of the client device 102, a current altitude, conversation history, and so forth that the user of the client device 102 is engaged in a trip to a destination that is in a second geographical region different from the first geographical region. In response, a notification 610 is presented to the given user in the graphical user interface indicating that the message storage system 124 predicts that the user is traveling to a destination (e.g., Paris) away from the user's current location (e.g., New York). The notification 610 may request confirmation from the user that the user is actually taking this trip. The notification 610 may also request that the user confirm that the user plans to spend more than a specified threshold (e.g., one hour) at the destination.

In response to receiving confirmation from the user that the user is taking this trip and is planning to stay for longer than the specified threshold, the message storage system 124 automatically moves the data for the user from the first storage device 131 to a second storage device 131 that is in a second geographical region closer to the destination than the geographical region of the first storage device 131. In response to receiving input from the user indicating that the user is not taking this trip or is not planning to stay for longer than the specified threshold, the message storage system 124 retains the data for the user on the first storage device 131 and prevents moving the data to the second storage device 131. In some cases, the message storage system 124 performs the movement of the data while the user is in transit (e.g., while the client device 102 is determined to be moving faster than a specified speed, such as an airplane speed, or is determined to be at an altitude higher than a threshold) so that the data is readily available on the second storage device 131 when the user arrives at the destination.

FIG. 7 illustrates a graphical user interface 710 for receiving new messages, according to example embodiments. The message storage system 124 may cause a graphical user interface 710 to be presented on a messaging client application 104. The graphical user interface 710 includes a display of messages that are part of a communication session between multiple users (e.g., John, Mark and Jennifer). The graphical user interface 710 is presented to a given user 714 (e.g., Jennifer). In some cases, once the given user 714 logs in to retrieve messages after arriving at the destination (e.g., Paris), the client device 102 of the user retrieves the messages that are part of the conversation from the second storage device 131 instead of the first storage device 131.

In one example, a notification 720 is presented to the given user 714 in the graphical user interface 710 indicating that the conversation will be ready to receive from the local storage device at the destination.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example software architecture 806, which may be used in conjunction with various hardware architectures herein described. FIG. 8 is a non-limiting example of a software architecture and it will be appreciated that many other architectures may be implemented to facilitate the functionality described herein. The software architecture 806 may execute on hardware such as machine 900 of FIG. 9 that includes, among other things, processors 904, memory 914, and input/output (I/O) components 918. A representative hardware layer 852 is illustrated and can represent, for example, the machine 900 of FIG. 9. The representative hardware layer 852 includes a processing unit 854 having associated executable instructions 804. Executable instructions 804 represent the executable instructions of the software architecture 806, including implementation of the methods, components, and so forth described herein. The hardware layer 852 also includes memory and/or storage modules memory/storage 856, which also have executable instructions 804. The hardware layer 852 may also comprise other hardware 858.

In the example architecture of FIG. 8, the software architecture 806 may be conceptualized as a stack of layers where each layer provides particular functionality. For example, the software architecture 806 may include layers such as an operating system 802, libraries 820, frameworks/middleware 818, applications 816, and a presentation layer 814. Operationally, the applications 816 and/or other components within the layers may invoke API calls 808 through the software stack and receive messages 812 in response to the API calls 808. The layers illustrated are representative in nature and not all software architectures have all layers. For example, some mobile or special purpose operating systems may not provide a frameworks/middleware 818, while others may provide such a layer. Other software architectures may include additional or different layers.

The operating system 802 may manage hardware resources and provide common services. The operating system 802 may include, for example, a kernel 822, services 824, and drivers 826. The kernel 822 may act as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the other software layers. For example, the kernel 822 may be responsible for memory management, processor management (e.g., scheduling), component management, networking, security settings, and so on. The services 824 may provide other common services for the other software layers. The drivers 826 are responsible for controlling or interfacing with the underlying hardware. For instance, the drivers 826 include display drivers, camera drivers, Bluetooth® drivers, flash memory drivers, serial communication drivers (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) drivers), Wi-Fi® drivers, audio drivers, power management drivers, and so forth depending on the hardware configuration.

The libraries 820 provide a common infrastructure that is used by the applications 816 and/or other components and/or layers. The libraries 820 provide functionality that allows other software components to perform tasks in an easier fashion than to interface directly with the underlying operating system 802 functionality (e.g., kernel 822, services 824 and/or drivers 826). The libraries 820 may include system libraries 844 (e.g., C standard library) that may provide functions such as memory allocation functions, string manipulation functions, mathematical functions, and the like. In addition, the libraries 820 may include API libraries 846 such as media libraries (e.g., libraries to support presentation and manipulation of various media format such as MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG), graphics libraries (e.g., an OpenGL framework that may be used to render two-dimensional and three-dimensional in a graphic content on a display), database libraries (e.g., SQLite that may provide various relational database functions), web libraries (e.g., WebKit that may provide web browsing functionality), and the like. The libraries 820 may also include a wide variety of other libraries 848 to provide many other APIs to the applications 816 and other software components/modules.

The frameworks/middleware 818 (also sometimes referred to as middleware) provide a higher-level common infrastructure that may be used by the applications 816 and/or other software components/modules. For example, the frameworks/middleware 818 may provide various graphical user interface functions, high-level resource management, high-level location services, and so forth. The frameworks/middleware 818 may provide a broad spectrum of other APIs that may be utilized by the applications 816 and/or other software components/modules, some of which may be specific to a particular operating system 802 or platform.

The applications 816 include built-in applications 838 and/or third-party applications 840. Examples of representative built-in applications 838 may include, but are not limited to, a contacts application, a browser application, a book reader application, a location application, a media application, a messaging application, and/or a game application. Third-party applications 840 may include an application developed using the ANDROID™ or IOS™ software development kit (SDK) by an entity other than the vendor of the particular platform, and may be mobile software running on a mobile operating system such as IOS™, ANDROID™, WINDOWS® Phone, or other mobile operating systems. The third-party applications 840 may invoke the API calls 808 provided by the mobile operating system (such as operating system 802) to facilitate functionality described herein.

The applications 816 may use built-in operating system functions (e.g., kernel 822, services 824, and/or drivers 826), libraries 820, and frameworks/middleware 818 to create UIs to interact with users of the system. Alternatively, or additionally, in some systems, interactions with a user may occur through a presentation layer, such as presentation layer 814. In these systems, the application/component “logic” can be separated from the aspects of the application/component that interact with a user.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine 900, according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions from a machine-readable medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. Specifically, FIG. 9 shows a diagrammatic representation of the machine 900 in the example form of a computer system, within which instructions 910 (e.g., software, a program, an application, an applet, an app, or other executable code) for causing the machine 900 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed. As such, the instructions 910 may be used to implement modules or components described herein. The instructions 910 transform the general, non-programmed machine 900 into a particular machine 900 programmed to carry out the described and illustrated functions in the manner described. In alternative embodiments, the machine 900 operates as a standalone device or may be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 900 may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine 900 may comprise, but not be limited to, a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an entertainment media system, a cellular telephone, a smart phone, a mobile device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), a smart home device (e.g., a smart appliance), other smart devices, a web appliance, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, or any machine capable of executing the instructions 910, sequentially or otherwise, that specify actions to be taken by machine 900. Further, while only a single machine 900 is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include a collection of machines that individually or jointly execute the instructions 910 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The machine 900 may include processors 904, memory/storage 906, and I/O components 918, which may be configured to communicate with each other such as via a bus 902. In an example embodiment, the processors 904 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) may include, for example, a processor 908 and a processor 912 that may execute the instructions 910. The term “processor” is intended to include multi-core processors 904 that may comprise two or more independent processors (sometimes referred to as “cores”) that may execute instructions 910 contemporaneously. Although FIG. 9 shows multiple processors 904, the machine 900 may include a single processor 908 with a single core, a single processor 908 with multiple cores (e.g., a multi-core processor), multiple processors 908, 912 with a single core, multiple processors 908, 912 with multiple cores, or any combination thereof.

The memory/storage 906 may include a memory 914, such as a main memory, or other memory storage, and a storage unit 916, both accessible to the processors 904 such as via the bus 902. The storage unit 916 and memory 914 store the instructions 910 embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 910 may also reside, completely or partially, within the memory 914, within the storage unit 916, within at least one of the processors 904 (e.g., within the processor's cache memory), or any suitable combination thereof, during execution thereof by the machine 900. Accordingly, the memory 914, the storage unit 916, and the memory of processors 904 are examples of machine-readable media.

The I/O components 918 may include a wide variety of components to receive input, provide output, produce output, transmit information, exchange information, capture measurements, and so on. The specific I/O components 918 that are included in a particular machine 900 will depend on the type of machine. For example, portable machines such as mobile phones will likely include a touch input device or other such input mechanisms, while a headless server machine will likely not include such a touch input device. It will be appreciated that the I/O components 918 may include many other components that are not shown in FIG. 9. The I/O components 918 are grouped according to functionality merely for simplifying the following discussion and the grouping is in no way limiting. In various example embodiments, the I/O components 918 may include output components 926 and input components 928. The output components 926 may include visual components (e.g., a display such as a plasma display panel (PDP), a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a projector, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), acoustic components (e.g., speakers), haptic components (e.g., a vibratory motor, resistance mechanisms), other signal generators, and so forth. The input components 928 may include alphanumeric input components (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen configured to receive alphanumeric input, a photo-optical keyboard, or other alphanumeric input components), point-based input components (e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a motion sensor, or other pointing instrument), tactile input components (e.g., a physical button, a touch screen that provides location and/or force of touches or touch gestures, or other tactile input components), audio input components (e.g., a microphone), and the like.

In further example embodiments, the I/O components 918 may include biometric components 939, motion components 934, environmental components 936, or position components 938 among a wide array of other components. For example, the biometric components 939 may include components to detect expressions (e.g., hand expressions, facial expressions, vocal expressions, body gestures, or eye tracking), measure biosignals (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, perspiration, or brain waves), identify a person (e.g., voice identification, retinal identification, facial identification, fingerprint identification, or electroencephalogram based identification), and the like. The motion components 934 may include acceleration sensor components (e.g., accelerometer), gravitation sensor components, rotation sensor components (e.g., gyroscope), and so forth. The environmental components 936 may include, for example, illumination sensor components (e.g., photometer), temperature sensor components (e.g., one or more thermometer that detect ambient temperature), humidity sensor components, pressure sensor components (e.g., barometer), acoustic sensor components (e.g., one or more microphones that detect background noise), proximity sensor components (e.g., infrared sensors that detect nearby objects), gas sensors (e.g., gas detection sensors to detection concentrations of hazardous gases for safety or to measure pollutants in the atmosphere), or other components that may provide indications, measurements, or signals corresponding to a surrounding physical environment. The position components 938 may include location sensor components (e.g., a GPS receiver component), altitude sensor components (e.g., altimeters or barometers that detect air pressure from which altitude may be derived), orientation sensor components (e.g., magnetometers), and the like.

Communication may be implemented using a wide variety of technologies. The I/O components 918 may include communication components 940 operable to couple the machine 900 to a network 937 or devices 929 via coupling 924 and coupling 922, respectively. For example, the communication components 940 may include a network interface component or other suitable device to interface with the network 937. In further examples, communication components 940 may include wired communication components, wireless communication components, cellular communication components, near field communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components, and other communication components to provide communication via other modalities. The devices 929 may be another machine 900 or any of a wide variety of peripheral devices (e.g., a peripheral device coupled via a USB).

Moreover, the communication components 940 may detect identifiers or include components operable to detect identifiers. For example, the communication components 940 may include radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader components, NFC smart tag detection components, optical reader components (e.g., an optical sensor to detect one-dimensional bar codes such as Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code, multi-dimensional bar codes such as Quick Response (QR) code, Aztec code, Data Matrix, Dataglyph, MaxiCode, PDF417, Ultra Code, UCC RSS-2D bar code, and other optical codes), or acoustic detection components (e.g., microphones to identify tagged audio signals). In addition, a variety of information may be derived via the communication components 940, such as location via Internet Protocol (IP) geolocation, location via Wi-Fi® signal triangulation, location via detecting a NFC beacon signal that may indicate a particular location, and so forth.

Glossary

“CARRIER SIGNAL,” in this context, refers to any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying transitory or non-transitory instructions 910 for execution by the machine 900, and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible medium to facilitate communication of such instructions 910. Instructions 910 may be transmitted or received over the network 106 using a transitory or non-transitory transmission medium via a network interface device and using any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols.

“CLIENT DEVICE,” in this context, refers to any machine 900 that interfaces to a communications network 106 to obtain resources from one or more server systems or other client devices 102. A client device 102 may be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, desktop computer, laptop, PDAs, smart phones, tablets, ultra books, netbooks, laptops, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, game consoles, set-top boxes, or any other communication device that a user may use to access a network 106.

“COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK,” in this context, refers to one or more portions of a network 106 that may be an ad hoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), the Internet, a portion of the Internet, a portion of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a plain old telephone service (POTS) network, a cellular telephone network, a wireless network, a Wi-Fi® network, another type of network, or a combination of two or more such networks. For example, a network 106 or a portion of a network may include a wireless or cellular network and the coupling may be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) connection, a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) connection, or other type of cellular or wireless coupling. In this example, the coupling may implement any of a variety of types of data transfer technology, such as Single Carrier Radio Transmission Technology (1×RTT), Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology, third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) including 3G, fourth generation wireless (4G) networks, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, others defined by various standard setting organizations, other long range protocols, or other data transfer technology.

“EPHEMERAL MESSAGE,” in this context, refers to a message 300 that is accessible for a time-limited duration. An ephemeral message may be a text, an image, a video, and the like. The access time for the ephemeral message may be set by the message sender. Alternatively, the access time may be a default setting or a setting specified by the recipient. Regardless of the setting technique, the message 300 is transitory.

“MACHINE-READABLE MEDIUM,” in this context, refers to a component, device, or other tangible media able to store instructions 910 and data temporarily or permanently and may include, but is not limited to, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), buffer memory, flash memory, optical media, magnetic media, cache memory, other types of storage (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and/or any suitable combination thereof. The term “machine-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, or associated caches and servers) able to store instructions 910. The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium, or combination of multiple media, that is capable of storing instructions 910 (e.g., code) for execution by a machine 900, such that the instructions 910, when executed by one or more processors 904 of the machine 900, cause the machine 900 to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein. Accordingly, a “machine-readable medium” refers to a single storage apparatus or device, as well as “cloud-based” storage systems or storage networks that include multiple storage apparatus or devices. The term “machine-readable medium” excludes signals per se.

“COMPONENT,” in this context, refers to a device, physical entity, or logic having boundaries defined by function or subroutine calls, branch points, APIs, or other technologies that provide for the partitioning or modularization of particular processing or control functions. Components may be combined via their interfaces with other components to carry out a machine process. A component may be a packaged functional hardware unit designed for use with other components and a part of a program that usually performs a particular function of related functions. Components may constitute either software components (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readable medium) or hardware components. A “hardware component” is a tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain physical manner. In various example embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone computer system, a client computer system, or a server computer system) or one or more hardware components of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may be configured by software (e.g., an application or application portion) as a hardware component that operates to perform certain operations as described herein.

A hardware component may also be implemented mechanically, electronically, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, a hardware component may include dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured to perform certain operations. A hardware component may be a special-purpose processor, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an ASIC. A hardware component may also include programmable logic or circuitry that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. For example, a hardware component may include software executed by a general-purpose processor 908 or other programmable processor. Once configured by such software, hardware components become specific machines (or specific components of a machine 900) uniquely tailored to perform the configured functions and are no longer general-purpose processors 908. It will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware component mechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and time considerations. Accordingly, the phrase “hardware component” (or “hardware-implemented component”) should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein. Considering embodiments in which hardware components are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware components need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where a hardware component comprises a general-purpose processor 908 configured by software to become a special-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor 908 may be configured as respectively different special-purpose processors (e.g., comprising different hardware components) at different times. Software accordingly configures a particular processor 908 or processors 904, for example, to constitute a particular hardware component at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardware component at a different instance of time.

Hardware components can provide information to, and receive information from, other hardware components. Accordingly, the described hardware components may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiple hardware components exist contemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) between or among two or more of the hardware components. In embodiments in which multiple hardware components are configured or instantiated at different times, communications between such hardware components may be achieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiple hardware components have access. For example, one hardware component may perform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled. A further hardware component may then, at a later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output.

Hardware components may also initiate communications with input or output devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection of information). The various operations of example methods described herein may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors 904 that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanently configured, such processors 904 may constitute processor-implemented components that operate to perform one or more operations or functions described herein. As used herein, “processor-implemented component” refers to a hardware component implemented using one or more processors 904. Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partially processor-implemented, with a particular processor 908 or processors 904 being an example of hardware. For example, at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors 904 or processor-implemented components. Moreover, the one or more processors 904 may also operate to support performance of the relevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a “software as a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of the operations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples of machines 900 including processors 904), with these operations being accessible via a network 106 (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., an API). The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the processors, not only residing within a single machine 900, but deployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments, the processors 904 or processor-implemented components may be located in a single geographic location (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment, or a server farm). In other example embodiments, the processors 904 or processor-implemented components may be distributed across a number of geographic locations.

“PROCESSOR,” in this context, refers to any circuit or virtual circuit (a physical circuit emulated by logic executing on an actual processor 908) that manipulates data values according to control signals (e.g., “commands,” “op codes,” “machine code,” etc.) and which produces corresponding output signals that are applied to operate a machine 900. A processor 908 may, for example, be a CPU, a RISC processor, a CISC processor, a GPU, a DSP, an ASIC, a RFIC or any combination thereof. A processor 908 may further be a multi-core processor having two or more independent processors 904 (sometimes referred to as “cores”) that may execute instructions 910 contemporaneously.

“TIMESTAMP,” in this context, refers to a sequence of characters or encoded information identifying when a certain event occurred, for example giving date and time of day, sometimes accurate to a small fraction of a second.

Changes and modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. These and other changes or modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure, as expressed in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: identifying, by a server, a plurality of storage devices located in different geographical regions;computing, by the server, a plurality of distances comprising a distance between a geographical location associated with a client device and each of the geographical regions of each of the plurality of storage devices;determining that the client device is not associated with any of the plurality of storage devices;automatically selecting an individual storage device of the plurality of storage devices in which to store data; andafter a threshold period of time during which a trajectory profile is generated, moving the data from the individual storage device to a first storage device that is selected using the trajectory profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating the trajectory profile from a history of geographical positions of the client device and duration of time that the client device remained at each of the geographical positions; andbased on the trajectory profile, determining the geographical location associated with the client device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: presenting a notification to a user of the client device to confirm the geographical location; andin response to receiving input that confirms the geographical location, storing, by the server on the first storage device, data associated with an interaction application implemented on the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical location comprises a predicted future location of the client device, further comprising predicting the future location based on a combination of a current motion, velocity, altitude and path of the client device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: determining that the client device is currently engaged in travel to a destination, the determination being made based on a determination that the current motion of the client device is greater than a specified speed or that the altitude of the client device is higher than a threshold; andsetting the destination as the predicted future location of the client device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the data is stored on a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices, and further comprising moving the data from the second storage device to the first storage device before the client device reaches the predicted future location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that a collection of the data comprises transient data that will be automatically deleted in a given period of time;responsive to determining that the collection of the data includes the transient data, moving a first portion of the data from a second storage device to the first storage device, the first portion of the data excluding the transient data; andretaining the transient data on the second storage device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: automatically selecting a random storage device or default storage device of the plurality of storage devices in which to store the data as the individual storage device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the client device accesses the server through a virtual private network (VPN) a specified number of times over a specified interval; andbased upon determining that the client device accesses the server through the VPN the specified number of times over the specified interval, setting as the geographical location associated with the client device a location of a VPN server of the VPN.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the client device accesses the server through the VPN comprises: detecting a mismatch between a current physical location of the client device and location information specified in packets exchanged between the client device and the server.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: determining the current physical location based on GPS coordinates received from an application implemented on the client device or based on triangulating the current physical location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the client device accesses the server through the VPN comprises determining that a source address in a packet of information exchanged with the client device matches an address associated with a VPN provider.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the location of the VPN server of the VPN is set as the geographical location instead of a current physical location of the client device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the client device is currently engaged in travel to a destination that is a threshold distance away from the geographical location associated with the client device, the determination being made based on movement information indicating that the client device is moving faster than a specified speed or is at an altitude of the client device is higher than a threshold;predicting an amount of time the client device will stay at the destination; andin response to determining that the amount of time is less than a threshold, retaining the data at the first storage device instead of moving the data to a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices, the geographical region of the second storage device being closer to the destination than the geographical region of the first storage device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the client device is currently engaged in travel to a destination that is a threshold distance away from the geographical location associated with the client device;predicting an amount of time the client device will stay at the destination; andin response to determining that the amount of time is more than a threshold, moving the data from the first storage device to a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices, the geographical region of the second storage device being closer to the destination than the geographical region of the first storage device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising: periodically updating the geographical location associated with the client device; andrepeating the selecting and storing each time the geographical location is updated.

17. A system comprising: a processor configured to perform operations comprising:identifying, by a server, a plurality of storage devices located in different geographical regions;computing, by the server, a plurality of distances comprising a distance between a geographical location associated with a client device and each of the geographical regions of each of the plurality of storage devices;determining that the client device is not associated with any of the plurality of storage devices;automatically selecting an individual storage device of the plurality of storage devices in which to store data; andafter a threshold period of time during which a trajectory profile is generated, moving the data from the individual storage device to a first storage device that is selected using the trajectory profile.

18. The system of claim 17, the operations comprising: generating the trajectory profile comprising a history of geographical positions of the client device and duration of time that the client device remained at each of the geographical positions; andbased on the trajectory profile, determining the geographical location associated with the client device.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that includes instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising: identifying, by a server, a plurality of storage devices located in different geographical regions;computing, by the server, a plurality of distances comprising a distance between a geographical location associated with a client device and each of the geographical regions of each of the plurality of storage devices;determining that the client device is not associated with any of the plurality of storage devices;automatically selecting an individual storage device of the plurality of storage device in which to store data; andafter a threshold period of time during which a trajectory profile is generated, moving the data from the individual storage device to a first storage device that is selected using the trajectory profile.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, the operations comprising: generating the trajectory profile from a history of geographical positions of the client device and duration of time that the client device remained at each of the geographical positions; andbased on the trajectory profile, determining the geographical location associated with the client device.