Siebel CRM Desktop for IBM Notes Administration Guide > Controlling Synchronization > Resolving Synchronization Conflicts >

Overview of Synchronization Conflicts

Auto Resolver is a Siebel CRM Desktop feature that allows you to configure CRM Desktop to automatically resolve a synchronization conflict instead of allowing the user to manually resolve this conflict. One of the following synchronization conflicts might occur when Siebel CRM Desktop synchronizes local data with data from the Siebel Server:

• Duplicating a record
• Simultaneously updating a record on the client and on the server
• Updating a record on the client and deleting this record on the server
• Updating a record on the server and deleting this record on the client

Consider the following items:

• Activity processing. Assume a user receives an event that CRM Desktop automatically shares. The user then downloads the same event from the Siebel Server during a synchronization. This situation might cause a duplication conflict, which is a type of conflict where two separate records include exactly the same information. You can configure the Auto Resolver so that CRM Desktop uses the record from the client database or from the Siebel Server database as the primary record, and then uses the data in this primary record to update the data in the nonprimary record.
• Data update. Assume a user updates a date in a field on the client, and that the Siebel Server updates this same date on the server. In this situation, an update conflict occurs during synchronization between the client and server databases.

This topic uses the following terms:

• remote identifies the Siebel Server.
• local identifies the client.

It is recommended that you configure autoresolve for each individual field, and only when necessary. It is recommended that you do not configure Siebel CRM Desktop to resolve all conflicts. Sometimes the client will include the correct value and sometimes the Siebel Server will include the correct value. Using autoresolve might result in Siebel CRM Desktop maintaining an incorrect value. If the client or server might include the correct value, then it is recommended that you allow the user to choose the correct value.

How the Auto Resolver Resolves Conflicts

The Auto Resolver Manager (ar_manager) includes a function that it assigns when an on_conflict event occurs. If this event occurs, then the synchronizer indicates the conflict and then provides information about this conflict. This conflict information might include the following items:

• Local object Id
• Remote object Id
• Set of local fields
• Set of remote fields
• Conflict type as a duplication conflict or a general conflict
• And so on

The Auto Resolver does the following work to resolve a conflict:

1. Examines the first rule that the autoresolver.js file contains.
2. If the rule that it examines in Step 1:
   • Is applicable for the conflict. The Auto Resolver attempts to apply this rule to this conflict. If this rule:
     • Resolves the conflict. The Auto Resolver determines if another conflict exists. If it finds another conflict, then it repeats Step 1 and Step 2 until it processes all conflicts. If it does not find another conflict, then it quits this process.
     • Does not resolve the conflict. The Auto Resolver examines the next rule that the autoresolver.js file contains. It continues to process these rules sequentially in the order that they occur in the autoresolver.js file until it resolves the conflict or until it processes all rules.
   • Is not applicable for the conflict. The Auto Resolver examines the next rule that the autoresolver.js file contains.
3. If the Auto Resolver applies all rules but the conflict remains, then this conflict remains unresolved, and the Auto Resolver displays it in the Check Issues tab of the Control Panel dialog box of the CRM Desktop add-in.