Open a database on a remote server

[gcouture]

I have a database that's being used by sales agents on the road.
Whenever they have access to the internet they connect ( remote desktop
connection ) to our server here at the office and work online. They
also have an offline database installed on their laptop.
What I want to do is..
I want my agents to be able to work offline ( locally on their own
laptop ) and when they can get an internet connection, then somehow
transfer/upload their new reports into the main database on our server.

I thought I could do this with FTP but I read a bit about it and I
realized I can't.
I talked with another programmer and he said database replica could be
the answer but I dont want any data to be lost..

Please help ?
Thank you..

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

Remote desktop is really nice, and is 100% reliable in this case.

You can certainly use what is called replication, and it is designed to sync
off line data when you can connect.

Do note, you do need a reliable connection. Further, it can be slow.

So, replication is ideal when the sales people return tot he office, and
plug into a RELIABLE connection.

 

[gcouture]

Okay thanx, I guess now I gotta learn how its done.
What I'm afraid of is.. there is many agents working offline on their
own database. When 1 agent connects to the server to sync his data
with the server, if he hasn't loggged on the server for lets say.. 2
weeks; wont his "old" version overwrite the newest one on the server ?
Each agent has its own territory so 2 different agents wont modify the
same customer for example. But wont some data be lost ?

Please confirm.
Thanks a lot
Jean.

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

Okay thanx, I guess now I gotta learn how its done.
What I'm afraid of is.. there is many agents working offline on their
own database. When 1 agent connects to the server to sync his data
with the server, if he hasn't loggged on the server for lets say.. 2
weeks; wont his "old" version overwrite the newest one on the server ?
Each agent has its own territory so 2 different agents wont modify the
same customer for example. But wont some data be lost ?

Replication is just like when you sync you palm, or your mobile version
windows on a pda.

As long as two people don't modify the same record, then the updates are
handled by replication. (it is designed to do this). So, if user "A"
downloads the latest data,a and goes on the road for a week, and then
returns to the office, all new records added AT THE OFFICE will download
into his computer, and also ANY NEW records entered while on the road will
now appear in the main database on the office system. And, if you had user
A, and B on the road for a week, then after B syncs, then when user A syncs,
A would get B + office updates. If B were to sync again after A..then B
would eventually thus get all of A updates.

Note that users on the road can actually update any record in the
database..and when they come back to the office, those records are thus
updated. The problem occurs when two people update the same record, and thus
a collision occurs.

You need to read up on replication in the help. It is an advnaced database
feature designed to solve your exact problem.

 

[gcouture]

Dear Albert,

Thanx a lot that answers a lot of my questions.
One last question tho.. how do I connect the 2 databases together ?
is it done with the replica feature ?
I know I can set my connection with ( remote desktop connection ) to
make my local drives available but I cannot map them or anything. I
was wondering how I will be able to open both databases ( the local one
) and the one on the server ?

Thanks again.
Gene