Keeping Mobile Data Synchronized

Question

I'd like a simple method to keep a SQL CE database (on Windows Mobile or CE) synchronized to SQL Server Express. My understanding is that SQL Express does not have replication which is what would normally be used. Are there any other ways to accomplish this?

I'm working in C# with .Net 2.0.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Microsoft Sync Framework

Answer 2

Years ago I wrote an application for mobile repairmen to do invoicing at the customer's site, that ran on a PocketPC. ActiveSync automatically synced data from a main DB on a desktop machine (SQL Express) when you docked the PocketPC. ActiveSync added fields to each of my tables to support syncing the DB, and handled the syncing itself - so it did not need to rely on replication.

All in all, ActiveSync's DB syncing capability was actually very slick, and easy to use. The short answer is: you don't need replication if you sync through ActiveSync.

Hope that helps, Eric

Answer 3

SQL CE does support replication (you can can subscribe to a replication publisher (I am yet to get that even work OTOH)).

As said, MS Sync Framework, but that really does not do well on complex stuff.