Need help with setting up syncing

[gr8gonzo]

Okay, here's our current setup. We're running on an ACT 2000 (5.04) database that sits on one server and everyone connects directly to it via a mapped drive. We have well over 100 users defined in the database, and we add about 10 new users per month. Our database is huge, too. We just hit the 2 gig (in DBF file size) mark a week ago and had to archive some old contacts to keep it going (we have around 850 fields and now about 33,000 records).

Our database is getting to the point where it just can't take anymore - when everyone is on the system, it seems like almost all reports or lookups return no records. When only a few people are on the database, it seems to work just fine and dandy, though.

So I'm thinking that synchronization might be the best route to take here - maybe move 20 or so users to synchronization instead of logging into the database directly. We can probably do this with the shared folder synchronization. I've read up on it a bit, but I'm just not sure what steps to take. This is my main problem - if you can help me with some instructions, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Here's an extension of that question...

From what I understand, each user would have a copy of the database on their system, and updates get sent and received every so often.

Short question: Will syncing also include updates made to the ACT users list?

Longer question: Each contact "belongs" to a user in the database. Now let's say I add a new user to the central database, and that new user creates a new contact for himself. When Joe Blow syncs up and gets that new contact, will his database also be updated with the new user, or will his database only receive the contact and not be able to know who the contact belongs to?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

- Jonathan

 

[Dollie]

I think the first thing you need to do is set up a test database (create a copy of your existing one) and see what you think of the syncs. Test the syncs by creating new contacts on each end (computer housing the db and the "user" that will be syncing to it). Run this several times until you are satisfied with the results of it.

I found that administering the database was a full time job when I had 10 (yes, only 10) offsite users sending syncs via e-mail. We constantly had problems of contacts being written over, or being deleted, or reappearing, and many, many other miniscule things. I solved this problem by using Wired Contact for ACT! and putting our remote users online. All problems were virtually eliminated.

Also, you say you are archiving. Are you also running the actdiag regularly? I had to run it weekly when I was sync'ing because of almost constant corruption somewhere. I now run it monthly, not out of necessity but to just keep my maintenance on a regular schedule.

Users are synchronized as well as contacts, calendar, etc. If a new user is added, once all remote users are sync'ed they will see the new information.

Note that we have 5500 contacts, and a total of 40 users. We're not up to your capacity yet, but we are beginning to see a slowdown when large reports are being run.

Hope this helps!