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Looking for a way to sync data

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    #1

    Looking for a way to sync data

    Hi all,
    I am looking for an easy way for one user to sync data with another user with out the use of a network. They will be sending the data to each other via cd(for reasons I won't go into here).
    I can do a backup but when I restore it overwrites all the data and doesn't sync it. Is there a way that you can take the zip backup file and add it without overwriting existing data. If you have an idea of how this can be done or if you know of an easier better method for syncing data please let me know. The database users are not going to be connected by internet or other network.
    Thanks,
    Walter
    Tags: None
    #2
    Originally posted by beach_bar
    Hi all,
    I am looking for an easy way for one user to sync data with another user with out the use of a network. They will be sending the data to each other via cd(for reasons I won't go into here).
    I can do a backup but when I restore it overwrites all the data and doesn't sync it. Is there a way that you can take the zip backup file and add it without overwriting existing data. If you have an idea of how this can be done or if you know of an easier better method for syncing data please let me know. The database users are not going to be connected by internet or other network.
    Thanks,
    Walter
    There is no way to sync your data.

    Suppose both users make changes to the same record changing the spelling of a last name for someone. When you attempted to sync the data, how would you decide which change to apply?
    There can be only one.

    Comment

      #3
      Walter,

      I think automatic synchronization would be very difficult and always imperfect. Depending upon the app you could come close, but there would always be the potential for edits at one location being overwritten by edits at the other.

      Consider this scenario.

      Assume each record includes fields for the time and date of last revision.
      Assume that one location has the "official" copy of the table.
      Changes made at the remote location would be date and time stamped.
      The date time stamp in each remote table record could be compared to the date time stamp in the "official" table. Entries with the most recent date time stamp could be stored in the "official" table, earlier entries for the same record discarded. Periodically, the "official" table would be copied back to the remote location.

      This would never be perfect. Edits at the "official" table could easily be overwritten by later edits at the remote, and vice versa. Nevertheless, if you included an audit trail at the location of the "official" table you'd be able to backtrack if an error occurred. The problem becomes how to "know" if an error occurred.

      Not easy. Not perfect. Error prone. Complex custom scripts will be needed.

      If an automatic solution is not needed the remote location's table could be compared with the "official" table, and the two people could personally discuss any edits that each made to the same record.

      -- tom

      Comment

        #4
        Walter

        Alpha is based on dbf tables which do not offer a native synchronization. I believe there are 3rd party solutions that claim to be able to do this.

        Otherwise, tools such as MS SQL, MySQL, and others offer this type of sophistication. You may want to direct your research to those to get answers on what is possible and practical.

        Most solutions still require a conflict resolution or tracking of those conflicts.....

        Later releases of Alpha talk about have more data sources to build on and synchronization is one of the reasons to have that. Please don't ask for a timetable. We'd all love one.....
        Al Buchholz
        Bookwood Systems, LTD
        Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

        Occam's Razor - KISS
        Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
        Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
        When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
        "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
        Albert Einstein

        http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

        Comment

          #5
          Walter, a bunch of assumptions have been made here in trying to answer your question. Could you be a bit more detailed in the scenerio? For example, maybe everyone would be working on different assignments, and each record would have its own unique ID, so there would be no problem determing which record was the "master" since they are all unique.
          Steve Wood
          See my profile on IADN

          Comment

            #6
            Tom has a good point that even date stamping will not prevent the possibility of errors once the data has been updated in both directions. They would be better off sending lists of the data each added and letting them re-enter it into their own copies. Sending a daily or weekly fax instead of a CD. Then all you need to do, is write them a few reports ;p
            Last edited by MoGrace; 05-21-2006, 05:42 PM.
            Robin

            Discernment is not needed in things that differ, but in those things that appear to be the same. - Miles Sanford

            Comment

              #7
              Walter,

              A agree with Steve, that assumptions are being made that might be in error. What has not been clarified is whether this is only two users involved, or more, and whether this represents users engaged in serial data changes (one then another) or whether these users are working on the data in parallel (simultaneously). If the data is being amended serially (one person's additions and then the others), then what you seek might be achievable. Or, whether the users amending existing records, or just adding new/additional records. If data is only being added, and existing records are not being changed, then 'updating' could be achievable. And depending upon the complexity of your data, and the number of users, schemes for even parallel processes can be devised, if and only if, the complexity is low, the number of existing record amendments is quite few, and the users are very few. If not these, then the feedback that Tom, Stan, and Al shared are the hard truth to your question.

              Mike W
              Mike W
              __________________________
              "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

              Comment

                #8
                Hi all,
                Thanks for your replies. I have found a solution, I think. I decided to use a composite key for each table, one of the fields for the composite key being a user id. In this way I can make sure that no two records have the same composite key. Also, each person will be entering in data about a different area in the country so there is little risk of having users entering redundant data. If anyone sees a possible issue with this that I should look out for and missed please let me know. As for now it seems like it is working, however I have just started my testing. I will however, need to handle cascading deletes in code as alpha five V6 does not allow cascading changes and deletes with composite keys.
                Thanks again to all of you,
                Walter

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