advice needed on synchronization of data

Hi
I need some advice on the best approach to solve the following problem:-
One important note: The data in the table is self referencing (hierarchical)
1. There will be a server running SQL server 2000 enterprise edition and
serveral lap tops that will be running MSDE
2. The laptops will be docked and querying against the server DB.
3. At some point the laptops will be undocked from the server and will be
taken out into the field.
- First the user will select certain records and then undock the laptop
- At this point the laptops MSDE DB is wiped and the selected records
will be inserted (parent and child records)
- The laptop is now running in undocked mode and queries will happen
against the local MSDE
4. Some time in the future the laptops will then be docked back to the
server
- Any new records in MSDE will be put into the server DB (parent and
child records)
- Any deleted records will be removed from the server DB (parent and
child records)
- Any updates will happen on the server DB (note that there may be some
user intervention to allow for choice of whether the update should happen or
not)
- Now the laptop will be docked and querying against the server DB
What is the best approach to solve this problem?
There is third party software such as
http://www.red-gate.com/sql/summary.htm
which looks promising has any one used such tools successfully for this
model?
Any help will be very much appreciatedHi
This sounds like merge replication could be an option, you may want to read
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...b;en-us;Q324992
Note the licencing issue:
"MSDE 2000 does not require any licensing when you use it in a stand-alone
mode, but when you use it as part of a replication topology that involves
regular SQL Server editions, if the server is in Per Seat mode as opposed to
a Per Processor mode, each MSDE 2000 Subscriber must have a client-access
license (CAL)."
John
"Richard Wilde" wrote:

> Hi
> I need some advice on the best approach to solve the following problem:-
> One important note: The data in the table is self referencing (hierarchica
l)
> 1. There will be a server running SQL server 2000 enterprise edition and
> serveral lap tops that will be running MSDE
> 2. The laptops will be docked and querying against the server DB.
> 3. At some point the laptops will be undocked from the server and will be
> taken out into the field.
> - First the user will select certain records and then undock the lapto
p
> - At this point the laptops MSDE DB is wiped and the selected records
> will be inserted (parent and child records)
> - The laptop is now running in undocked mode and queries will happen
> against the local MSDE
> 4. Some time in the future the laptops will then be docked back to the
> server
> - Any new records in MSDE will be put into the server DB (parent and
> child records)
> - Any deleted records will be removed from the server DB (parent and
> child records)
> - Any updates will happen on the server DB (note that there may be som
e
> user intervention to allow for choice of whether the update should happen
or
> not)
> - Now the laptop will be docked and querying against the server DB
> What is the best approach to solve this problem?
> There is third party software such as
> http://www.red-gate.com/sql/summary.htm
> which looks promising has any one used such tools successfully for this
> model?
> Any help will be very much appreciated
>
>
>|||Thanks for that esp. for the licence issue
Has anyone out there used such tools as the one below to achieve similar
results?