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How can I make the synchronization to download different records based on user id? Now i pass the user id as an authentication parameter ("user_id" = {ml a.1} )but when the logged in user on the mobile device is changed the {ml s.last_table_download} is not changed according to the user and does not download all the records for the current user |
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You must be using timestamp-based downloads as well as subset by user. When the user changes, you want all the rows for the new user, but currently get just those changed since the last sync. One way to solve this is to add another authentication parameter to indicate a user change and add a modify_last_download_timestamp event that returns '1900-01-01 00:00' if the authentication parameter is true, and otherwise returns just the passed-in timestamp. If you also want to remove the previous user data from the remote but not from the consolidated, you can temporary stop synchronizing deletes. FYI, we call this type of requirement the "territory realignment" problem. Graham Thank you for the answer. Can you give me an example how the modify_last_download_timestamp script in sybase central should look like? Should it be a select statement, update a value or just set a parameter? i found only samples with a stored procedure about that
(12 Feb '13, 17:47)
katalun4o
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The Results section of the documentation says:
That documentation (which I also linked in my answer) gives a SQL example. As Russ pointed out, you haven't mentioned what type of consolidated database, so the exact SQL syntax you need may be different. If you are using a synchronization model in the MobiLink plug-in for Sybase Central, then you just put the CALL statement in the Events editor, and (assuming a SQL Anywhere consolidated) add the stored procedure using the SQL Anywhere plug-in for Sybase Central.
(12 Feb '13, 18:00)
Graham Hurst
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According to katalun4o's description, I would not call that "territory realignment", i.e. it's not the shift from one "user-data partition" to another one; it's just that the device may be used by one of several users each day. So, in case the number of co-users is limited, and the mobile application may itself restrict the data access to the "data of the current user", one might also use an ordinary timestamp-based sync to upload/download data of all "possible" users in one go, i.e. do not try to sync only for the current user.
(13 Feb '13, 07:00)
Volker Barth
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" i.e. do not try to sync only for the current user." So you suggest to download the data for all the users?
(13 Feb '13, 07:38)
katalun4o
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Not really, simply as I don't know the situation well enough, i.e. is it feasible and allowed to do so (size of sync data, time needed, number of "possible users per device" compared to "all users", privacy of data per user, ...)? I'm just trying to make the point that (from my understanding) you are basically are in a situation similar to one where a office desktop syncs with a headquarter, and the office desktop may be shared among multiple users. In such a situation, one would usually sync data for all relevant users and would rely on the app security to decide whether a particular user can access other users's data... It's also the question whether data entered (but not already uploaded) on the device by user1 must be uploaded if user2 takes over the device. IMHO, a log-based sync would always upload "fresh" data from user1, too, so there is no explicit "user-specific" upload usually. And if there is no user-specific upload, why bother with a user-specific download (in contrast to a device-specific download)? As stated, that's just my limited understanding of the situation - handle with care, as they say:)
(13 Feb '13, 08:02)
Volker Barth
I forgot to say that the remote database is on android mobile phones, that are working with 3G network and I want to download only the records for the currently logged in user, because there may be 20 different users and i don't need the data for all of them on the device..
(13 Feb '13, 08:19)
katalun4o
As I read it, when the user changed katalun4o wanted all of the new user's rows to be downloaded. As you point out, if all remote devices are used by the same set of users and the device has sufficient storage, it might be more efficient to sync the rows for all the users of that remote, and just have the application filter for the current user. That would save network bandwidth and reduce sync times after switching user.
(13 Feb '13, 13:56)
Graham Hurst
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We'll need more information to get started. What version of MobiLink are you using? What consolidated database type are you synchronizing against? If your version of MobiLink server supports named parameters, you will need to reference at least two of them: {ml s.username} and {ml s.last_table_download}. With these you create a download_cursor as follows, assuming you have the username directly in the table (you can join to another table if you need to but I'll leave that as an exercise): select pk, c1, c2 from my_table where username = {ml s.username} and last_modified >= {ml s.last_table_download}
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This is how I finally did it :) Thanks for the help to Graham and Volker. I created a new table - UsersLastSync with 2 columns - UserID and LastSync(Datetime) After that in mobilink i override 2 events - end_publication and modify_last_download_timestamp. After every download i write in that table the user and the last download date and before each download i get the last_download_date from that table end_publication: if {ml s.publication_name} = 'myPublicationName' begin if exists (select * from UsersLastSync where userid = {ml a.1}) begin UPDATE UsersLastSync SET LastSync = {ml s.last_publication_download} WHERE UserID = {ml a.1} end else INSERT INTO UsersLastSync (UserID, LastSync) VALUES ({ml a.1}, {ml s.last_publication_download}) end modify_last_download_timestamp: exec ModifyDownloadTimestamp {ml s.last_download},{ml a.1} and the procedure ModifyDownloadTimestamp: ALTER PROCEDURE ModifyDownloadTimestamp @download_timestamp DATETIME OUTPUT, @UserID numeric(18,0) AS BEGIN select @download_timestamp = lastsync from userslastsync where userid = @UserID if @download_timestamp is null begin SET @download_timestamp = '1900-01-01' end END I think your As you have it, I think each sync will download the rows modfied since two syncs ago instead of just those modified since the last sync.
(13 Feb '13, 19:17)
Graham Hurst
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BTW, your solution could end up with all user's rows on the device. It will at least have all the rows for each user that has used the device, up to the time that each last synchronized. So your application will have to filter by user anyway.
(13 Feb '13, 19:34)
Graham Hurst
Yes you are correct, It should be in begin_publication event. My application filters by user so it is not a problem.
(14 Feb '13, 08:27)
katalun4o
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Just to understand: Is the device used by several users during a period of time (i.e. they share the device), or is only one user using (aka "owning") the device, and now and then it will be passed over to a new owner?
The same device is used by several users. It is about drivers that deliver packages, and every day the same device could be given to different driver. Now it works fine if the application is installed for the 1st time and works with one user, but when the user is changed it becomes synchronizing using the last download date from the previous user. I am trying to do it as Graham said using modify_last_download_timestamp event in Mobilink(SybaseCentral). I tried writing a stored procedure as it is said in the documentation but i got errors
CREATE PROCEDURE ModifyDownloadTimestamp @download_timestamp DATETIME OUTPUT, @user_name VARCHAR( 128 ) AS BEGIN SELECT @download_timestamp = '1999-01-01' END
and in mobilink
modify_last_download_timestamp exec dbo.ModifyDownloadTimestamp {ml s.last_table_download}, 'sa'
What type of consolidated database are you using?
It looks like you followed the documentation example for SA, ASE or MSS. Since you are using named parameters, you don't need the user parameter, and this was the logic I was suggesting (untested):
Assuming your remotes set authentication parameter 2 to
'true'for just the first sync after changing user, your modify_last_download_timestamp script would be:'exec ModifyDownloadTimestamp {ml s.last_download, a.2}'