Synchronizing 2 databases

[JoeA2006]

I have developed an application with a front end and back end. Now users
want to be able to use the database on laptops when they are out of the
office. Now I am creating a stand alone file from the split database, with
the most recent data.Since there are security policies which do not allow
users to access there desktop remotely, I am trying to figure out a way to
manage the two databases so they are in Sync. The only thing I can do is re
link the front end to the updated tables from the stand alone version. Is
there a sensible way to manage this?

 

[Barry Gilbert]

Look in Access help for information about replication. This is designed to do
what you're looking for.

Barry

 

[Tim Ferguson]

Now users
want to be able to use the database on laptops when they are out of the
office.

Sounds like a job for Database Replication. It's in the help files and
oodles of instructions on the Microsoft KB web site.

HTH

Tim F

 

[JoeA2006]

Since the database is split, should the portable copy be split or combined,
then how would that synch with the master, and do I create a replica of both
front and backend or just the backend?

 

[Tim Ferguson]

Since the database is split, should the portable copy be split or
combined, then how would that synch with the master, and do I create a
replica of both front and backend or just the backend?

Should be just the data -- the front end(s) shouldn't much care whether
they are talking to a replication copy or an ordinary md?.

There is an m.p.access.replication newsgroup if you run into specific
replication problems.

Best wishes


Tim F

 

[Woody Longmire]

Hi,

My name is Woody Longmire.

I set up a synchronization between my desktop database and my flash drive.

When I try to make changes to the design of tables forms, etc., I get an
area message saying that I can not make changes to the design to a replica,
only to the master.

How do I get switched between the master and the replica.?

Regards,

Woody

 

[David W. Fenton]

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I set up a synchronization between my desktop database and my
flash drive.

BZZZT. That breaks replication, because the flash drive can be
plugged into any PC, and each time it's opened on a new PC, Jet sees
it as a completely new replica.

See question 5 in the Jet Replication Wiki FAQ:

http://dfenton.com/DFA/Replication/index.php?title=FAQ

When I try to make changes to the design of tables forms, etc., I
get an area message saying that I can not make changes to the
design to a replica, only to the master.

This is correct -- you can only make design changes to the Design
Master. Only data changes (i.e., data stored in tables) are allowed
in a replica. This is by design, in fact, it's a necessity for
replication to be able to work at all.

How do I get switched between the master and the replica.?

First off, you have a significant design error -- you have not split
your application. All multi-user apps and all replicated apps should
be split into a back end, with nothing in it but the data tables,
and a front end with everything else (forms, reports, queries,
modules, macros). The front end will have links to the back end
tables, which as far as the front end is concerned are identical to
tables stored in the front end.

Second, Jet replication is not suitable for anything but pure Jet
objects (tables/queries), and eventually leads to corruption of
Access objects (forms/reports/macros/modules). That risk aside,
there is no justification for replicating a front end, anyway, even
though it might seem like it would be a good way to push out
updates. See the first item in this article:

http://dfenton.com/DFA/Replication/index.php?title=Replication_Myths

Last of all, before going any further with your project, you would
do well to review all the documentation for replication listed here:

http://dfenton.com/DFA/Replication/index.php?title=Resources

And also:

http://dfenton.com/DFA/Replication/index.php?title=Best_Practices

Once your application is split, any updates to the front end can be
propagated to other users by simply having them copy the new front
end over top of the old one.