Synchronising With the Main Database

You may synchronise by selecting Synchronise from the File menu. This will display the Synchronisation wizard showing the Method page.

This page lets you choose between synchronising directly, synchronising via a command or synchronising via e-mail. If you are in the office and have access to the main database, over the network, then you should select the Synchronising Directly option. If you are away from the office but have access to the main database over a dial up network, then you should choose the Synchronising by Command option. If you are away from the office and have access to Internet mail via the OfficeTalk Internet Service, then you may select the Synchronising via E-mail option. Select the appropriate radio button and press Next.

If you choose Synchronising via E-mail and you have not set up your Internet Mail Service in the offline database, then OfficeTalk will inform you of this and will ask you if you wish to set up the service now.

Press Yes and follow the instructions for setting up the Internet Mail Service as described in Configuring the Internet Mail service .

When the Internet Mail Service is set up, the Email page is shown.

Enter the e-mail address used by any of the mail gateway computers logged on to the main OfficeTalk database and press Next. In order for the main database to send back its changes to update your offline database, it needs to know a Return Address to which it can send synchronisation data. If you have not previously specified a return address, OfficeTalk will prompt you to specify one now

:

Press Yes. OfficeTalk will display the Command Return Address dialog box. Enter your e-mail address that you use while away from the office.

Note: OfficeTalk will suggest a return address based on information that you provided in the Internet Mail Service property sheet.

If you have chosen to synchronise directly or synchronise by command, the page shown after the Method page is the Dial-up Service page. This page lets you specify whether or not OfficeTalk should use dial up networking in order to connect to the main database.

If you have access to the main database over the network then leave the check box un-checked. If you are genuinely working remote and need to use dial up networking in order to see the main database, then check the check box and select the appropriate dial up service. Press Next.

If you have chosen to synchronise directly or synchronise by command, the page shown after the Dial-up Service page is the Direction page.

This page lets you choose whether to update the main database from changes made to this offline database or whether to update this offline database from changes made to the main database, or both. Select the appropriate radio button and press Finish.

If you have chosen to synchronise directly, OfficeTalk will connect directly to the main database and will perform the synchronisation.

If you have chosen to synchronise via e-mail, OfficeTalk will generate a command which will get sent the next time you connect to the Internet in order to send and receive Internet mail. If you have chosen to update this workgroup from the main database, then when your command has been processed by the gateway computer on the main database, you will, some time later, receive a command, via e-mail, which OfficeTalk will automatically interpret as the synchronisation data from the main database.

If you have chosen to synchronise by command, OfficeTalk will connect directly to the main database and will transfer a single command to the database. This command will contain all the information that the main database needs to update itself with your changes. The command also contains a request to receive changes made to the main database. This command will be processed the next time that one of the machines, connected to the main database, runs the Command Processor. You will receive changes made to the main database the next time you synchronise.