Synchronizing connected replicas

This topic applies to ArcGIS for Desktop Standard and ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced only.

Use the Synchronize wizard to synchronize changes between replicas.

For one-way and two-way replication, the filters and relationship class rules that were applied at creation are also applied to determine what changes to synchronize. Changes outside the filters and relationship class rules are not synchronized. The description tab in the replica properties dialog box lists the filters and relationship class rules. Replica properties can be accessed through the replica manager.

Tip:

You can also use the Synchronize Changes geoprocessing tool. See Synchronize Changes for more information.

There are two ways to open the wizard: through the Distributed Geodatabase toolbar or through the context menu in the Catalog tree.

• To open the Synchronize wizard from the toolbar, first open the Distributed Geodatabase toolbar in ArcMap if it is not already open. Click Customize, point to Toolbars, and click Distributed Geodatabase. To activate the Synchronize wizard, click the Synchronize button on the Distributed Geodatabase toolbar.

  Note:

  The Synchronize wizard supports both local and remote geodatabases. Remote geodatabases are accessed in ArcMap through map services that have the geodata access capability enabled.

• To open the Synchronize wizard from the Catalog tree, right-click the geodatabase or the geodata service with which you want to synchronize, point to Distributed Geodatabase, then click Synchronize Changes.

Steps:

1. On the first panel of the Synchronize wizard, choose the replica that you want to synchronize.

   Once selected, the connection information for geodatabase 2 is automatically filled in if stored with the replica. To add this information to a replica, open replica properties in the replica manager and set the relative replica connection in the advanced tab. If a user name and password are not stored you will be prompted for the user name and password during synchronization.

   This wizard supports synchronizations using local or remote geodatabases. Remote geodatabases are accessed through geodata services published in ArcGIS for Server. The connection information for a remote geodatabase cannot be stored with a replica. To synchronize with a remote geodatabase, you must browse to the geodata service.

2. Browse for the local or remote geodatabase containing that replica.
   Tip:

   If the connection information for the relative replica is stored with the replica, it appears automatically, and you do not need to browse.
3. For two-way replicas, choose the direction in which you would like to send changes.

   For checkout replicas, the only option available is to send changes from the child replica to parent replica.

   For one-way replicas, the only option available is to send changes from the parent replica to the child replica, or if it's a child-to-parent replica.

4. Click Next.
5. For checkout replicas, there is an option to reconcile and post with the parent version upon synchronization. For two-way and one-way replicas, this is always checked on.
6. Next, choose to define conflicts By Object or By Attribute.

   Defining conflicts by object detects conflicts by row, while defining them by attribute detects conflicts by column.

7. Choose how you want conflicts resolved.
   • Manual—With this policy, if a conflict occurs, the reconcile operation is aborted and the replica is marked as in conflict. This gives you an opportunity to perform the reconcile afterwards either manually or by running some custom reconcile code. Once the reconcile is applied and the changes posted to the replica version, the replica is no longer in conflict. While the relica is in confilict it can continue to receive changes but cannot send changes.
   • In favor of the geodatabase1—In this case, the edits in geodatabase1 are automatically used over the edits in geodatabase2 if there is a conflict. Since the conflicts are resolved automatically, the replica is never in a conflict state after synchronizing with this policy.
   • In favor of the geodatabase2—In this case, the edits in geodatabase2 is automatically used over the edits in geodatabase1 if there is a conflict. Since the conflicts are resolved automatically, the replica is never in a conflict state after synchronizing with this policy.
8. Click Finish.

Note:

The import phase of the synchronization process occurs within a transaction. The second phase of a synchronization includes a reconcile, which also occurs in a transaction. Resources needed, such as undo space or logical log files, will vary with the amount of changes to be synchronized. If the import phase completes but the reconcile phase returns an error, the replica will appear as if in conflict and you can later go in and complete the reconcile manually.