I have a little project that I would like some input on.
I want to build some mobile units (laptops) and have them store the data they collect (user entered) locally on their harddrive.
When they are done, I would like them to be able to upload the data they have collected as soon as they get back to the office (or find some other wireless hotspot) to the main database.
Since there are about 3 laptops on the road I don't want them to overwrite each others information when it get's upload (they will add, edit and delete certain entries).
I have in mind that the laptops have both, the LocalDB and the GlobalDB on the harddrive. When they need information about a certain "jobsite" they can pull it up from the GlobalDB and then edit it (saving it into the LocalDB). The LocalDB will simply store the "changes" that have been made.
When they are done at the end of the day, they upload the changes and a script on the main site will convert the changes to actual records in the GlobalDB. After than, it downloads the new GlobalDB onto the Laptop.
It seems a bit complicated, and when we hit around 400 "jobsites" it would have to download roughly 1.6 megs of data everytime to get the new GlobalDB. And should it ever grow to more (we would like that) you can guess that the time to update would grow substancially.
Ok, I hope the above made sense.
Thanks already.