One Offline File, Multiple users - Possible??? 1

[Labone]

Hi Guys,

Question: Is it possible to have one Offline Folder sitting on a Network Server and allow that folder to be accessed by more than one user working offline.

I have two Sales guys who work with laptops and are perhaps in the office on average one day per week. I have information that I would like them both to access and update via Offline Files and synchronisation, would this work and how does the data stay concurrent?

Will synchronisation screw up if Sales2 has been on and updated the folder since Sales1 last Synchronized?

Also what would happen if they both tried to access/update at the same time?

Any answers on whether this is possible and how to set it up would be appreciated.

Regards,

Labone.

 

[zaznet]

It is possible to allow both to make the same file "offline". It would be best if they did not both make changes to the offline file then try to synchronise the file with two changes. If I understand the system correctly the newest of the two files would win out.

User1 goes online, updates filename.txt and goes offline.

User2 goes online, syncrhonises, goes offline and changes filename.txt.

User1 changes offline fileaname.txt, then goes online and synchronises again.

User2 goes online and syncrhonises ends up with the new file from User1 and loses his changes.

Of course if User2 sets his clock into 2005 he'll probably always win

This is why offline files dose not support database file types. Too much room for data loss. It's best for files marked offline by a single user "owner", for files that are not updated frequnetly or that are updated by a central person/system.

Now if both users try to synchronise (write updates) at the same time, it should result in an access denied for the second user trying to access the file. Synchronising with only reading the new file won't be a problem.

Nathan aka: zaz (zaznet)
zaz@zaz.net

http://www.zaz.net/

 

[Labone]

Thanks Zaznet,

That has cleared things up for me.

Where would we be without Tek-Tips?