DataSplice Offline Operation
Desktop enterprise applications operate in online mode. This means the application is connected directly to the database, pulling and collecting data as needed. User updates are applied immediately (depending on data access permissions)and the user receives immediate feedback about update success.
When enterprise data requires a mobile application, the system must work in an offline mode of operation. This calls for a handheld device to carry enough data in its local data storage to be capable of working "on its own" during periods of server disconnect. The application must also be able to synchronize any offline data changes with the server once back online.
Data Safety With DataSplice, "barriers to entry" are enforced in off-line mode. Field workers may only download the information to their handheld as dictated by their specific log-in permissions, supporting preservation of data for all modes of operation.
Controlling Connections
The DataSplice log-in function does not try to emulate online behavior when not online. DataSplice only performs operations that make sense for the current connection status, whether online or offline.
Typically DataSplice users "go online" at the start of a work period, and connect to the server via a networked docking cradle/wireless connection. After downloading the data they need for the day's work, users "go offline", disconnecting from the server.
Once the information is onboard the mobile computer, DataSplice can accept updates and store the data locally throughout the day without the need for a server connection. If a wireless connection is available, the user can go online to obtain new data records and commit stored changes. At the end of the work period, a fast server connection can be reestablished so that data is synchronized immediately in preparation for the next work period.
Offline vs. Psuedo Online
The DataSplice approach to off-line data management is the best alternative to other pseudo-online approaches quite common in the industry. Pseudo-online approaches require a server connection, and workers often waste valueable time trying to find one in the field. Workers must then rearrange the entire workflow process around finding an available network, or re-doing work lost due to a failed connection. If no connection is established, workers must then revisit an office or docking station for necessary data--negating the most important benefits of mobile computing altogether.
