Windows Offline Files

[Guest]

I have a question concern using Windows Offline files with Windows
XP in network workgroup.
Our question : As a user with offline files works in a
network we run against the problem to that subfolders which another user
have been maked
are not automatic become synchronised.
Subfolders the that user himself produces, however, automatic synchronised.
This problem encounters we at many more users who in a network with work with
Offline folders.
Also on many more internet sites people run against this problem.
See links
http://www.developersdex.com/asp/message.asp?p=2912&r=4272879 (see point 2)

We use as a matter of fact Windows XP SP2 with all last updates van
Microsoft.
This functionality has simply not yet built in or is perhaps
update for our problem?
Thanks

 

[Guest]

Was waiting to see if one of the gurus commented but no, so here's my
understianding...

Working with offline files (or a 'briefcase') is fine with your own
computer, or your home folder on a server. Doing so on a workgroup-area of a
server is risky. The reason has nothing to do with computers per se, but with
basic logistics, namely that if two copies of a file are both updated then
'synchronized' only one can win , so data will be lost.

On a computer, offline files are synchronised by comparing dates. BUT - if
two copies of the same file have been updated, then the one with the later
date will 'win' and the information in the other will be over-written. As far
as I know, the system isn't intelligent enough to realise that if _both_
copies have changed dates, then this indicates a problem.

The same risk, incidentally, applies to people with roaming-profiles who
log-on at more than one computer at the same time.

The proper way to handle this kind of requirement is with a
document-checkout system. In this case, the system 'knows' that the document
is under-revision and will warn anyone who tries to create a 'version fork'
of it.