[pycrypto] synchronisation 2 computers'databases

[James A. Donald]

Bill Broadley wrote:
 > So server A says:
 >   server B, send me all records updated since X
 >
 > Then server B says:
 >   server A, send me all records updated since X

But if something goes wrong - if B incorrectly thinks it
has an accurate account of A's records up to time Y, and
it does not, situation will never be corrected.

I suggest a patricia hash tree of transactions with the
time of update of the transaction creating or changing a
record being the high order part of the patricia key.
Then a small number of hashes near the root of the tree
will guarantee that the past of A's tree agrees with the
past of B's tree.  So A and B can guarantee that they
agree on a very large database by exchanging a very
small number of hashes - and if any discrepancy shows
up, can ask for hashes further from the root and closer
to the leaves, eventually leading to the discrepant
leaves of the tree.