sync DB (1 Viewer)

[Dick7Access]

I have my Gmail account, and my google calendar sync over two laptops.

Is it possible to sync my main DB over both laptops

If so can you recommend a link for a good tutorial to do this. Every thing I googled does everything but.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Normally, you wouldn't sync databases, you would share - but if either laptop is not connected to your home network, that would become an issue. Sadly, Access has not had an intrinsic synchronization function in some years, at least a few versions worth. You can still do it, but you have to build in something to link from one DB to the other and look for discrepancies. Basically, you have to "roll your own" sync routines. You and I have talked about how you take one of your laptops when you go out in the field with your ministry, so I have some appreciation of how you work, and I don't have a ready answer for you.

Now, IF the two DBs are initially the same, AND if one of the two DBs is totally static/unused while you are away, it would be possible to just replace the one you didn't use with the one you did use. BUT if both are in use and can diverge from each other, you will have to figure out what changes occurred in each one so you can do a reconciliation.

 

[Gasman]

Probably better to make one the master Dick.
Copy it to your laptop when you go on your travels, and copy back when you return.
I do that with my community car excel workbook. The phone version is master until I copy back to my laptop, then that is the master, until I copy to the phone for the next week.

 

[Dick7Access]

Thanks both of you

 

[Pat Hartman]

Building something after the fact will be quite difficult. Building something that works the way you work from day one, is doable. For example, when you are on the road, would you be updating only the records for the clients you are visiting? If so, that will make sync'ing easier. Also, if you log all changes including old/new values, you can use those records to do the sync and you'll know immediately if conflicting changes have been made. Also, keeping a timestamp on every record helps. So, by simply comparing the timestamps, you can tell if a record has been changed. You still can't just arbitrarily choose the "newest" update because multiple updates might have been made to the same row.

 

[Dick7Access]

Thanks