[AccessD] Multiple Users Question - Replicated Database

Another alternative is to forget about autonumber PKs and instead use a
system of offsets, one per tablet. It would something like this:

- each tablet is assigned an offset of, say, 100,000 (or a million if you
plan on lots of inspections).
- initial record on each tablet will be Offset + 1
- each subsequent record will be Max(pk) + 1

The result will be PKs from 100,001 to 199,999 from tablet pc #1, 200,001 to
299,999 from table pc #2, etc.

Most of us use a table called sysCompany or somesuch which always contains
one record, that we use for system parameters. Add a column called Offset to
that table, or just create a new table called Offset and store the offset
value on each tablet's copy.

Oracle, incidentally, uses a scheme like this, called Sequences. Back in the
old days of MS-SQL they did something similar for replication schemes. Now,
of course, they use GUIDs for this purpose. Since this was sent to AccessD,
I'd guess that GUIDs are not going to work for you. You can create GUIDs in
Access, but using them is much more cumbersome than in SQL.

hth,
Arthur

On 9/13/07, Charlotte Foust <cfoust at infostatsystems.com> wrote:
>
> Master copy?  You mean of the data or of the UI?  If you have a combined
> database replicated, you're looking at trouble, not matter how you
> handle it.  I hope you don't mean the *Design Master* because nobody
> EVER works directly with that one.
>
> Charlotte Foust
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Julie Reardon
> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 10:58 AM
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Multiple Users Question - Replicated Database
>
> Hmmmmmm.  I may have just figured it out.  I can have them create the
> inspections on the master copy on the server, where I assign a unique
> inspection id, then download those inspections to the tablet pc.  That
> way, there won't be any duplicates.
>
> Julie Reardon
> PRO-SOFT of NY, Inc.
> 44 Public Square, Suite 5
> Watertown, NY  13601
> Phone:  315.785.0319
> Fax:  315.785.0323
> NYS IT Contract#CMT026A
> NYS Certified Woman-Owned Business
> www.pro-soft.net
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Julie Reardon
> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 1:45 PM
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: [AccessD] Multiple Users Question - Replicated Database
>
> Hi,
>
> I am kind of stuck on an issue and wondered if anyone has done this.
>
> My housing inspection software is being used locally and is working
> great.
>
> However, when I wrote the software, they were only using one tablet pc
> and replicating with the master copy on the server.
>
> Now they want to send multiple inspectors out there with tablet pc's.
>
> My problem is that when they create an inspection, I assign a unique
> inspection id.  That id follows the record through the inspection
> process, and then onto the Work Order that is created when there are
> repairs needed.
>
> If I have multiple inspectors with tablet pc's, I can't create the
> unique inspection id (automatically increments by one) when the
> inspection is created on the tablet pc, because I won't know which id
> each of the tablet pc's are using until the users synch with the copy on
> the server.
>
> Multiple inspectors means duplicate inspection id's.
>
> Is this making sense?
>
> I need a way to create a temporary inspection id that is unique and then
> when the inspector synchs with the server, a permanent id is assigned to
> the record.
>
> Anyone run into this?
>
> Is this the way to go about doing this?
>
> I'm not necessarily looking for code, just some opinions.
>
> Julie Reardon
> PRO-SOFT of NY, Inc.
> 44 Public Square, Suite 5
> Watertown, NY  13601
> Phone:  315.785.0319
> Fax:  315.785.0323
> NYS IT Contract#CMT026A
> NYS Certified Woman-Owned Business
> www.pro-soft.net
>
>
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