Siebel Remote and Replication Manager Administration Guide > Architecture of Siebel Remote > How Siebel Remote Synchronizes Local Databases >

Overview of How Siebel Remote Synchronizes Local Databases

Figure 5 illustrates how Siebel Remote synchronizes the data that a local database contains with the data that the server database contains.

Figure 5. How Routing and Merging Synchronizes a Remote Client

Explanation of Callouts

Siebel Remote does the following work to synchronize the remote client any time a user logs into an existing client:

1. Connect. Siebel Remote does one of the following:
   • If the remote client is connected to the Siebel Server through a LAN or WAN connection, then Siebel Remote does a handshake to validate that a network connection exists.
   • If the user specifies to use a modem, then Siebel Remote uses connection information from the Windows phone book to dial the modem. Siebel Remote establishes network connectivity, and then connects the remote client to the Siebel Server.
2. Validate the remote client and examine the version. Synchronization Manager does the following work:
   • Validates the remote client:
     • Validates the remote client name with the list of valid remote client names that exist in the server database.
     • Verifies that the remote client is connected to the correct Siebel Server. If it is not, then Synchronization Manager reconnects the remote client to the server, and then updates the local configuration information on the remote client.
     • If authentication for Siebel Remote is turned on, then the Synchronization Manager authenticates the remote client credentials.
   • Examines the version. Synchronization Manager uses data on the Siebel Server to make sure the remote client runs the current version of the Siebel application. If the remote client is not running the current version, then Synchronization Manager prompts the user to download a new version of the Siebel application.
3. Examine database extract. Synchronization Manager does the following work:
   • Determines if a database extract is pending for the remote client.
   • If a database extract is not pending, then the synchronization continues.
   • If a database extract is pending, then the Synchronization Client uses the process described in How Siebel Remote Initializes Local Databases to reinitialize the remote client. Siebel Remote starts another synchronization in this situation.
4. Get and send transactions and file attachments. The remote client does the following work:
   • Gets transactions and file attachments:
     • Gets transaction files that the Transaction Router creates. It creates these files from the outbox folder of the remote client that resides on the Siebel Server.
     • Stores the transaction files in the local inbox folder on the remote client.
     • Gets any file attachments from the Siebel File Server that the user requests, publishes, or broadcasts.
   • Sends transactions and file attachments:
     • Extracts pending transactions from the local transaction log to the transaction files.
     • Sends the transaction files to the user inbox folder that resides on the Siebel Server.
5. Apply modifications to the server database. The Transaction Merger applies the incoming transaction files from the user inbox folder that resides on the Siebel Server to the server database, and then applies retrieved file attachments to the Siebel File System.
6. Apply modifications to the local database. The remote client does the following work:
   • Applies the incoming transaction files from the inbox folder that resides on the remote client to the local database that resides on the remote client
   • Applies retrieved file attachments to the local file system that resides on the remote client

     The user can use the remote client while this client applies modifications to the local database.

     The timing for applying the incoming transactions depends on the options that you choose. The remote client begins applying transactions as soon as Siebel Remote downloads the first transaction file, by default. You can do the following to configure the remote client to apply transactions only after download finishes, or to postpone applying transactions until a later time:

   • Use command line options. For more information, see Using the Stand-Alone Synchronizer.
   • Use synchronization options. For more information, see Synchronizing the Remote Client.
7. Disconnect. Siebel Remote closes the connection with the Siebel Server, and then does one of the following depending on if the remote client created the network connection automatically:
   • Created connection automatically. It disconnects the modem.
   • Did not create connection automatically. The user can manually disconnect from the network.
8. Clean up on the remote client. The remote client deletes any transaction files that exist in the local outbox folder on the remote client. These are files that the Transaction Merger successfully applied to the server database during the previous synchronization.
9. Clean up on the server. The Synchronization Manager deletes any transaction files that exist in the outbox folder on the Siebel Server for the remote client that Siebel Remote successfully applied to the local database during the previous synchronization.

How Siebel Remote Minimizes Connect Time

The Transaction Router and Transaction Merger server components continuously route and apply transactions for remote clients. It does this work to minimize the connect time that occurs between the remote client and the Siebel Server. These server components process data asynchronously from the synchronization sessions. One or more Transaction Router tasks continuously do the following work:

• Route outgoing transactions to the outbox folders that reside on the remote client. These transactions reside in the docking\txnproc folder. The Transaction Processor creates these transactions.
• Merge incoming transactions from the inbox folders that reside on the remote client to the server database and the Siebel File System that reside on the Siebel Server.