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About Synchronizing a Mobile Web Client

This section describes the processes for synchronizing a Mobile Web Client.

Routing and Merging

On the Siebel Remote server, the Transaction Router and Transaction Merger components continuously route and apply transactions for Mobile Web Clients. These two tasks process data asynchronously from the synchronization sessions in order to minimize the connection time between the Mobile Web Client and the Siebel Remote server.

• Transaction router. One or more transaction router tasks on the application server continuously route outgoing transactions (in the txnproc directory created by the Transaction Processor) to the Mobile Web Client's outbox folders.
• Transaction merger. One or more Transaction Merger tasks on the application server continuously merge incoming transactions from the Mobile Web Client's inbox directories to the server database and the Siebel File System.

Figure 6 shows the processes that occur when a Mobile Web Client is synchronized.

Figure 6.  Synchronizing a Mobile Web Client (Routing and Merging)

Synchronization Session

To synchronize an existing Mobile Web Client, the mobile user launches Siebel Remote, either from within the Siebel Mobile Web Client or in stand-alone mode. Siebel Remote executes the following steps:

• Connects. If specified by the user, Siebel Remote dials the modem to connect to the Siebel Remote server, using connection information from the Windows phone book. Once network connectivity is established, the Siebel Remote client connects to the Siebel Server. If the user is already connected through a LAN or WAN connection, then it merely performs a handshake to validate a network connection exists.
• Validates Mobile Web Client. The Synchronization Manager validates the Mobile Web Client's name against the list of valid users in the database server.

  The Synchronization Manager also verifies that the Mobile Web Client is connected to the correct Siebel Remote server. If this is not the case, the Synchronization Manager reconnects the Mobile Web Client to the appropriate Siebel Remote server and updates the client's local configuration information.

  Finally, if Siebel Remote authentication is enabled, the Synchronization Manager authenticates the Mobile Web Client's credentials.

• Check for correct version. The Synchronization Manager checks, against the server, that the Mobile Web Client is running with the most up-to-date version of the application. If not, it will prompt the user to download a new version of the application.
• Checks for database extract. The Synchronization Manager checks whether a database extract is pending for the Mobile Web Client. If not, the synchronization session continues. If there is a database extract pending, the synchronization client reinitializes the Mobile Web Client, using the same process described in About Initializing the Local Database. Then another synchronization session begins.
• Retrieves transactions and file attachments. The client retrieves transaction files—created by the Transaction Router—from the Mobile Web Client's outbox directory on the Siebel Remote server and stores the transaction files in the Mobile Web Client's local inbox directory. The client also retrieves requested, published, or broadcasted file attachments from the Siebel File Server.
• Sends transactions and file attachments. The Siebel Remote client extracts pending transactions from the local transaction log into transaction files, and sends the transaction files to the user's inbox directory on the Siebel Remote server.
• Applies changes to the server database. Transaction Merger applies the incoming transaction files from the Mobile Web Client's inbox directory on the server to the server database and Siebel File Server.
• Applies changes to the local database. The Siebel Remote client applies the incoming transaction files from the Mobile Web Client's inbox directory on the Mobile Web Client to the local database and applies retrieved file attachments to the local file system. The mobile user can use the Siebel client while the Siebel Remote client applies the changes to the local database.

  NOTE:  The timing for applying the incoming transactions depends on the options chosen. By default, the client begins applying transactions as soon as the first transaction file has been downloaded. However, you can use command line options or user synchronization options to direct the client to apply transactions only after downloading is complete, or to postpone applying transactions until another time. For more information about command line options, see Enabling the Stand-Alone Synchronizer. For more information about user synchronization options, see User Synchronization Options for Mobile Web Client.

• Disconnects. Siebel Remote then closes the connection with the Siebel Remote server. If the Siebel Remote client created the network connection automatically, it also disconnects the modem; otherwise, the mobile user can manually disconnect from the network at this point.
• Cleans up. This refers to those files (.dx) that were successfully applied during the previous synchronization session. The Siebel Remote client deletes the transaction files in the Mobile Web Client's local outbox directory that the Transaction Merger successfully applied to the database server during the previous synchronization session. On the Siebel Remote server, the Synchronization Manager deletes the transaction files in the Mobile Web Client's outbox directory that were successfully applied to the local database during the previous synchronization session.