synchronising two databases/tables

[bfamo]

Ok, here is my challenge.

We have an MS Access database at work where all our work is stored. However, some of us travel quite alot, and is therefore not able to have a direct link to the database. Its important to bring all the info in the database along on each trip and so far the employees have just had a copy of the database on their laptop, and updated the database at work manually whenever they return. This process can be quite time consuming.

This leads me to my question;
Is there an easy way to syncronize two local databases with each other?

This would be no problem if the employees could have internet access, in which case we could just link the tables directly.

thanks

 

[fneily]

Well, if you don't want to place it on the Internet, look at replication and synchronization. Tools - Replication - Create Replica. Tools -Replication - Syncronize Now.
You can find how to use these processes in an Access book, quite easy.

 

[PHV]

If you follow the Replication way you should be aware that all your AutoNumbers will be converted to random values.

 

[xbigblue]

Depending on how you will "connect" the main database and the remote databases, you may have an easy solution with replication or a very difficult one. If each laptop can be network connected to the main database at the work location, then the replication and synchronization should work well. If you must go "through" removable media to make the connection, then in my experience it is a nightmare. I designed a system that was required to use removable media, because the remote systems were always many miles away, and there was no networking capability. I spent enormous amounts of time attempting to resolve synchronization conflicts. The interface presented to the user when conflicts occur is not easy to understand, especially for end users. (This was for Access 2000, I'm not familiar with the replication interfaces in newer versions. I hope those conflict screens have been improved.) It did seem to me that replication introduced the opportunity for error that exceeded its value.

Regards,
Harry(xbigblue)