Synchronising SQL Server 2005 mobile with SQL Server 2005 Express

[Paul Aspinall]

Hi
I have an application which runs on a desktop.
I want to synchronise the DB with a PDA app, which also uses SQL Server 2005
(mobile and express).

I believe that I will need to write my own synchronization application, in
order to update the data across the machines.
My questions are:
- Is there a way of picking up an event that will notify my application when
the PDA is connected to the desktop??
- How can I connect to the PDA DB from the Desktop application?? (ie. do I
just use a connection string from the Desktop machine, but which connects to
the PDA DB??)
- Once I have this connected, I presume I will be able to compare the
data on the desktop machine, against the data on the PDA, and update each
accordingly?

Any examples of this being done, or details of best practices for this would
be much appreciated

Thanks

 

[Ginny Caughey [MVP]]

Paul,

Before writing a single line of code, I'd look at the products here:

www.primeworks.pt

I don't know if he has support for SQL Mobile yet, but this would be the
very easiest approach and for a very reasonable price.

 

[Ruslan Trifonov]

As far as I understand you intend to put the locus control on the desktop
machine.
In other words you will have a running application on the desktop machine,
which should "sense" a connected PDA and eventually start a sync process,
right?
If this is not a kind of a requirement and there are not other forces, which
I do not know, you may evaluate other approaches as well, which may be more
beneficial in terms of development effort and even scalability.
What I am talking about is transferring locus control into the PDA- e.g.
writing PDA application which should "sense" connection and initiate the
sync process.
Some of the synchronization approaches you may use are: RDA, Merge
replication and even Xml Web Services if the 2 previous methods does not fit
your requirements...

 

[Darren Shaffer]

you cannot use RDA or merge replication between SQL Mobile and
SQL Express.
--
Darren Shaffer
..NET Compact Framework MVP
Principal Architect
Connected Innovation
www.connectedinnovation.com

 

[Marina]

In my opinion it should be the PDA initiating the sync and making a request
to the machine to get its data, not the other way around.

 

[Paul Aspinall]

Thanks to all that replied.

It looks like RDA, Merge Replication and Web services are all out (I don't
want to use IIS).

Does anyone know of an example of how to do this??
All pointers to articles / code samples / discussions welcomed.

Thanks

 

[W.G. Ryan - MVP]

Paul - with all due respect, you're effectively taking everything off the
table. Technically speaking, you don't *need* IIS to create or consume a
web service right?

I think the only two avenues left are transferring data through sockets or
writing to some file and moving it around. But that's such a pain in the
butt and there are a ton of issues here as well. Replication is tried and
tested over and over and is probably the most reliable way your going to
come across. Next is web services but you're going to have to roll your own
checks all over the place if you do this. I've done it and it's a real
pain. Not impossible, not even hard in real terms, but monotonous, boring
and painful.

Ok but to answer your question I need to know one more thing - are you
using ActiveSync ? Is that a possibility

 

[Paul Aspinall]

I'm trying to achieve something like Pocket Money...

It basically has a DB on the Desktop, and syncs with the PDA.
I want to write an app which has similar functionality. This should be
possible, I just need to know how...

IIS and SQL replication are not required in this scenario.

ActiveSync is a possibility, but... how?

Thanks