Conflicts Setup

When a table is downloaded to a device that will be used offline disconnected from the main database, the downloaded table is a copy of the table in the main database. Also, at the moment that the table is downloaded, the system takes a "snapshot" of the table and stores this for future comparisons. Thus, three versions of the table exist:

• The version that exists out in the field on the device. This table is dynamic and users can make changes to it.
• The version that resides in the main database. This table is dynamic and users can make changes to it.
• The version that is a "snapshot" of the table at the time of downloading to the field device. While stored in the main database, this version is static and cannot change. It is termed the "check-out" version.

At the moment of downloading, all three versions are identical. Over time, the dynamic versions can become different from each other, and both dynamic versions can each become different than the static, check-out version.
When the field user returns to the office and uploads the tables from the remote computing device, the system places the tables in a buffer in the main database. These tables are termed the "check-in" tables. The system then makes the following comparisons on a record-by-record basis:

• Does the record in the check-in version of the table exist in the main database?
• Does the record in the check-in version of the table match the current version of the record in the main database?
• Does the record in the check-out version of the table match the current version of the record in the main database?

The following table shows which of these results from the comparisons are a conflict.

The Conflicts Setup window allows you to configure how the system should handle conflicts. It also allows you to configure whether approval is needed when resolving conflicts. The Conflicts window contains two tabs: Resolution Setup and Approval Setup.