Monday, May 05, 2008

How to Choose a Data Synchronization Technology – Offline & Collaboration

To quote from Microsoft's article:

Here at Microsoft there are a number of synchronization technologies that support offline and collaboration data solutions. The key technologies include:

  • Microsoft Sync Framework Core Runtime
  • Sync Services for ADO.NET
  • Merge Replication

Why does Microsoft offer multiple sync solutions? Well, we believe it is virtually impossible to create a single solution that will fit everyone's needs. For example, IT administrators may look for more of a packaged solution that is easy to install and administer. ISVs and developers may be interested in a more embeddable and customizable solution. Ultimately, multiple synchronization solutions give you more choices at the cost of adding increased confusion. Hopefully this summary will help narrow down the choice for you.

The synchronization technologies can be broken down by flexibility and the amount of code required. In general, more code is required to get a greater level of synchronization flexibility.