Client-Server Synchronization

[Ayobami]

Dear all,
Please I am working on the phase 2 project of a family planning program in Nigeria that is due to commence by November 2015. The phase 1 is city-wise but the phase 2 is the whole state. We are deliberating on using a cloud-based system in collecting our routine monitoring data. I want to suggest we use csentry client-server synchronization but I am yet to understand how it works so it becomes difficult for me to suggest to the whole team. For me I know that is the best way to go in term of cost-effectiveness.
All materials I can find on it do not seem to be helpful. Please I will be glad if someone can explain to me in" simple, clear, concise and practical terms" how to create a "working synchronization system" so that I can suggest it to the research monitoring and evaluation team. I will be glad to hear from you soonest.

[josh]

Take a look at the following document: https://www.census.gov/population/inter ... 20Help.pdf

[Ayobami]

Thank you very much Josh, I have been able to resolve the problem and also been able to fully internalize the synchronization process. The material you shared the link is one of those I have had before. What changed is my full understanding of how the client and sever directory should be formed/created. I got this from the trail of interactions between you(josh) and sjonabro: http://www.csprousers.org/forum/viewtop ... tion#p3634, who was having the same problem of synchronization at the time .

Thank you very much josh, you are the best.

[Ayobami]

Thank you josh, I am now able to synchronize files between dropbox and my tablets. I have also been able to auto synchronize(synchronization in logic). The challenge is during auto synchronization, only the pff and pen files auto-synchronize after each entry, the data(.dat) file does not. Please, how do I also make the data file in the dropbox gets updated automatically after every entry so I don't have to be doing it manually(that is my main aim of adopting an auto synchronization process)?

[josh]

Does the data file get synchronized when you do the sync outside logic using the same sync specification (.pnc) file? If so the issue could be that the data file is opened for writing by CSEntry and can't be synced. You could try using the queue option when calling sync. This will schedule the sync to happen once the data entry application is closed, i.e. when you return the application list screen.

[Ayobami]

Yes, the data file get synchronized outside logic(I mean I synchronize the datafile manually) using the sync specification (.pnc) file. I included the queue option in the original logic when only the pff and pen files synchronized. Is there anything else I can do to make the data file synchronize automatically ?

[josh]

If the same sync spec works outside logic (manually) then it should also work when you use the sync function with the queue option. The only reason it wouldn't would be if the sync specs were not actually the same.

[Ayobami]

The sync specs are the same josh. I can't just fathom out why the data is not automatically uploading. I have got to look at the logic, the sync file format. This is the logic in the sync file, if it maybe useful for you to help identify what the problem is

[Syncfile]
Version=CSpro 6.1
Description= NURHI Landscaping Survey

[Connection]
Type=Dropbox

[Sync]
ClientPath=/CAPI Version
CreateServerPath=/csentry/NURHI Landscaping file
CreateServerPath=/csentry/NURHI Landscaping file/%UID%
CreateServerPath=/csentry/NURHI Landscaping file/%UID%/%DateTime%
ServerPath=/csentry/NURHI Landscaping file/%UID%/%DateTime%
Put=DataFile.dat
Put=DataFile.dat.not

[josh]

I don't see anything obviously wrong with the sync spec. Have you looked at the synclog.txt file? You can find it in the CSEntry directory of the device.

[Ayobami]

Wow, Josh you are right. I looked through the synclog.txt. I discovered that when the sync function runs the sync file, it wanted to see a .dat file that has the same name as the .pff and .pen files e.g since the pff and pen files are NURHI Landscaping App.pff and NURHI Landscaping App.pen, it expected the datafile to be NURHI Landscaping App.dat not DataFile.dat. Don't know why, but that is what it is. I am yet to operationalise my findings though; I will get back to you as soon as I make all the necessary corrections with the outcome.