ODE97: Failed Internet Synchronization Leaves Files on Server

• Microsoft Office 97 Developer Edition Tools

SUMMARY

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

When you configure Microsoft Replication Manager for Internet synchronization, the seventh screen of the Configure Microsoft Replication Manager Wizard asks you to provide the alias of an FTP folder. If an Internet synchronization fails, a message file is left in this shared FTP folder. For example, this can occur if the communications link between the server and the remote computer fails. The format of a message file name is rep<xxxx>.msg.

To prevent files that are no longer needed from accumulating on the server, you should periodically delete any old message files from the shared FTP folder. Even if you happen to delete a message file that has not yet been processed by the Synchronizer, the missing message is re-sent the next time you synchronize the replicas.

MORE INFORMATION

A failed Internet synchronization also leaves temporary files with names that are in the format Jet<xxx>.tmp on the server. If you are using Microsoft Internet Information Server, however, these files may not be placed in the Temp folder because the TEMP environment variable is typically a user variable; the FTP service only recognizes system environment variables. Therefore, Jet<xxx>.tmp files may accumulate in the server's System Root directory (the folder in which Microsoft Windows NT is installed) after a failed internet synchronization. You can safely delete these files regardless of where you find them.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

This example assumes that you have set up your Internet or intranet server for replication and that you have configured Microsoft Replication Manager for Internet synchronization. For information about setting up Internet or intranet replication, search the Microsoft Replication Manager Help Index for "Internet, synchronizing replicas" and display the topic, "Setting Up an Internet or Intranet Server for Replication."

This example demonstrates the accumulation of message files by temporarily stopping the WWW Service on your server.

1. Start Microsoft Access 97 and create a new database on your Internet server.

2. Create a new table with one field.

3. Save the table as tblTable1 and close it.

4. Convert the database to a Design Master.

5. Manage the Design Master with Microsoft Replication Manager 3.5; this assigns an Internet address to the Design Master.

6. In Windows Explorer, copy the Design Master to a shared FTP folder that is accessible over the Internet.

7. On a remote computer, download the file that you copied to the shared FTP folder in step 6.

8. Open the replica on the remote computer.

9. Open tblTable1 and add a record. Close the table.

10. On the Tools menu, point to Replication and click Synchronize Now.

11. In the Synchronize Now dialog box, select a member of the replica set on the Internet and click OK.

12. In the Synchronize Database dialog box, click Synchronize.

13. When you receive the message that synchronization was completed successfully, click Yes.

14. At the server, start Windows Explorer and open the FTP folder that you designated to receive message files. Note that there are no messages remaining in this folder because the Synchronizer has already processed the data exchange.

15. Stop the WWW Service. The folder that you specified as the location for the Synchronizer when you configured Microsoft Replication Manager is now unavailable to the remote computer. However, the FTP folder that you designated to receive message files is still available to the remote computer.

16. In the replica on the remote computer, try to synchronize again with a member of the replica set on the Internet. When you receive the message, "Internal internet failure," click OK.

17. On the server, open the FTP folder that you designated to receive messages; note that it contains a file whose name is in the format rep<xxxx>.msg.

18. Start the WWW Service on the server.

19. In the replica on the remote computer, try to Synchronize again; when you receive the message that the synchronization was completed successfully, click Yes.

20. On the server, open the FTP folder that you designated to receive messages. Note that, although the replica set has been synchronized, the file rep<xxxx>.msg is still present in the folder.

REFERENCES

For more information about Internet or intranet synchronization, search the Microsoft Replication Manager Help Index for "Internet, synchronizing replicas" and display the topic "Setting Up an Internet or Intranet Server for Replication."