RDA with SQL Express

[Chuck Hecht]

Hello,
I am looking at solutions other than XML based files for a project I am
working on. I have data on a server that is in a foxpro database. I need to
get a smaller version of that database on to a pda. With foxpro on the
server and SQL serverce on the device I am looking for the perfect 3rd party
tool and I think I have found it in either SQL\e (SQL Server Everywhere) or
SQL/x (SQL Server Express). My issue is if I dump the data from the foxpro
database to either SQL\e or SQL/x can I do RDA to the moblie device?
If I understand SQL/e will be able to exist on a desktop and a mobile device
and have the same file structure as SQL ServerCe (filemane.sdf) if this is
true will this be able to function like Access (*.mdb) and pocket access
(*.cdb) does now with active sync?
Thanks

Chuck

 

[Simon Hart]

I have never used SQL Server Everywhere but you can do RDA with SQL Server
Express from a SQL Server CE server running on your device. You can also
have the same database structure on the device as you would do on the SQL
Server on the desktop, although there are some limitations with SQL Server
CE.

I don't understand what you mean "function like Access (*.mdb)". Note Pocket
Access is a dying database technology which I don't *think* is supported on
WM 5.

Regards
Simon.

 

[Ginny Caughey [MVP]]

Chuck,

SQL Server Everywhere can only be a RDA client, which is also the case for
SQL Mobile. On the server side, you could use SQL Server or SQL Express for
RDA with with SQL Everywhere or SQL Mobile. So the answer to your first
question is yes, you can do RDA between SQL/x and the mobile device.

The answer to your second question is also yes - you could use Activesync to
transfer SQL Everywhere data between the destkop and device. It is a very
performant and powerful database and might meet your needs well if you can
wait until the release around the end of this year. This is actually even
better than the Access scenario by the way, since it is exactly the same
file that works on both platforms and no conversion is required. One thing
to be aware of though is that SQL Server Everywhere is intended for
stand-alone apps. Even though it supports multiple concurrent connections,
it's not intended to act as a server to multiple desktop clients, which I
gather is how the Foxpro data is being used, and SQL Express or SQL Server
would be a better choice for that.

For your DBF data have you also considered using the Codebase product from
Sequiter Software (http://www.codebase.com/)? You could use it with Foxpro
files directly on the device and use Activesync to transfer them.