Chapter 23. Mobile data strategies
In recent months, there have been many headlines decrying the loss of thousands and millions of sensitive data records on disks, laptops, and portable media. This is a concern to many users of Windows Mobile and handheld devices. If my phone is lost or stolen, how safe is the data contained within it? If I lose network connectivity, what happens to my data? In this chapter, we’ll discuss how to solve the data issues that arise from carrying a device that must store its data locally and operate independently of any network connectivity.
Microsoft has recognized this need and has provided a number of strategies for the mobile developer to use in solving the disconnected data problem: two older techniques and one recent addition are available to the mobile developer. This chapter will focus mainly on the recent release of the Microsoft Sync Framework (MSF) and how it applies to mobile development and synchronization of data between the .NET Compact Framework (.NET CF) and SQL Server.
Much information exists on older technologies, such as remote data access (RDA) and merge replication (MR), and is readily available via an internet search. The following books provide excellent coverage of these topics:
- Rob Tiffany’s Windows Mobile Data Synchronization with SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server Compact 3.1, Hood Canal Press, 2007.
- Andy Wigley, Daniel Moth, and Peter Foot’s Mobile Development Handbook, Microsoft Press, 2007.
