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One Possible Solution ~Gus Chukikonyoni 3.Oct.03 04:12 AM a Web browser General 6.0.1 CF3All Platforms
Steve,
From what I can interpret about your project, let me make a suggestion.
First of all, if you can, avoid moving or synchonizing data. This always introduces a set of issues and some uncertainty. So, if you can work with the data, keeping it on SQL, and provide your Customer Service people with a tool to fetch and update the data directly on the SQL database, you'll avoid a lot of issues. The question is how.
It seems to me, this might be perfect for DECS Realtime. Let me explain how.
First of all, you make a DECS connection document to the SQL server and table with a Username and password that gives sufficient access to the data. If you're running Domino on a Windows machine, you can make an ODBC DSN to the SQL table. You may need to install the SQL ODBC driver first, not sure which version you are using. We do this at work, except we use a SOCS to get through the firewall. This in general is the hardest main, getting through the network restriction to access the external database from the Domino server. Once done, you create a Domino Database with a form that has all the fields you need to fetch. You setup a DECS activity, mapping the key fields and data fields to monitor the Open and the Update activities for the form. (You only need Update if you actually want to write back some data to the SQL server.) Now you'll need to use Lotusscript or Formula language to create a new document with this form, saving it with the key field(s), then reopen the form to the user. It is when the form reopens that the DECS Open event kicks in and retrieves the matching record(s) from the SQL server. At this point you can edit the record, if necessary and when you save it, the DECS Update activity (if turned on) fires and it updates the SQL record in realtime. We do this now with an inventory application, but connecting to a DB2 database.
If you can use DECS realtime, you'll have a reliable system, with little coding and no data sync issues to worry about.
Oh and DECS works with a browser client too, since its the server that's doing the work. You'll just need to put your code that saves and reopens the document in an Agent and put it in the WebQuerySave event.
There is an excellent Webcast about using DECS with SQL. I'll see if its still up and post the URL for you.
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