I have an app that was using Access that I'm converting to
Sql Server. In the office a replica was created on the
users local drive and would sync with the design master on
the network, when the users went off-site the app would
create a replica to a laptop which became a "server" that
they would connect to in a workgroup(users in the office
would not have access to this data db until they came
back) The design consists of a template db and a data db,
since users in the office do not have access to the data
db while the "deal" is out of the office I don't need to
replicate it(just attach/detach right?), but the template
db needs to be synced since users out of the office may
make changes to templates and those changes must be
replicated back to Sql Server in the office network. What
is the easiest and cheapest design I can use to accomplich
this with Sql Server? Do I just need Sql Server licenses
for the network server and the laptop server and use MSDE
(is it free?) on the users PC's, if so how would I
distribute MSDE to the users? What if they need to use
the DTS Wizard to import to the data db's will I need
licenses for every user?
Any Help with these issues would be greatly appreciated!!!
Thnaks

This seems to me to be a classic Merge Replication situation.

MSDE is free most of the time

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/msde/default.asp


You can detach/attach MSDE databases to a "Full" version of SQL Server

Licencing is always an area that is best left to your Microsoft reseller.
When you have an answer from them, sleep on it and phone them back the next
day as well and ask the same question.

You are probably looking at

1 * server installation licence.
Not sure where the laptop comes in but if it is a Server then you will need
another server install licence
Each MSDE instance will be a client so a CAL for each of those.

DTS is a client so will be covered by your Cals.

MSDE does not have the Wizard. You can use SQL Namespace and a bit of
programming but I would probably build a package on the server that feeds
the clients. I would parameterise it if necessary and just call that.



--

Allan Mitchell MCSE,MCDBA, (Microsoft SQL Server MVP)
www.allisonmitchell.com - Expert SQL Server Consultancy.
www.SQLDTS.com - The site for all your DTS needs.
I support PASS - the definitive, global community
for SQL Server professionals - http://www.sqlpass.org


"mike" <anonymous (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote

Allan,
When a user is off-site what version of the Server would
be cheapest given my situation?
1. If MSDE ia free most of the time why would I need CAL's
for those users, and does MSDE include EM?
2. What does a CAL allow me to install, can I install EM
on the users PC,if not I can redistribute SQL_NS and
DTSWiz.exe(which I tried and works) which is included in
the CAL right?
3. When I detach from Server I can attach to MSDE and vice
versa?
4. Can I replicate between MSDE and Server, if yes any
docs on this procedure?

5. Laptop Server will be used when they are off-site,
since they wont have access to the network. When they are
back I want to replicate back to network server, both
would be full servers, is this posssible(any info)?

1. MSDE is the cheapest option. If your MSDE installation is pumping back
to the "Full" version of SQL Server then it is a Client of that "Full"
version
2. EM = Client tools = note the use of the word client. DTS is a client.
3. Yes
4. Yes

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/do...examining.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...sderoadmap.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/latam/sql/t...0/MSDE2000.asp

5. So the laptops are the disconnected SQL Servers (Full) and the MSDE
boxes will replicate to them whilst away? When the laptops return they will
be synced to the FULL office version of SQL Server

I will say Yes although this may need to be thought about. You need to
merge back to the Full" version of SQL Server.


--

Allan Mitchell MCSE,MCDBA, (Microsoft SQL Server MVP)
www.allisonmitchell.com - Expert SQL Server Consultancy.
www.SQLDTS.com - The site for all your DTS needs.
I support PASS - the definitive, global community
for SQL Server professionals - http://www.sqlpass.org


"Mike" <anonymous (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote

Allan:
1. So if I understand you right a CAL includes MSDE which
includes EM, DTS, and other CLIENT tools, right?
5. Yes and No, laptop Servers are disconnected (Full) and
MSDE(also laptops in this case) will connect/access them
off site, back in the office the disconnected laptop
Servers(Full) will replicate to network Server(Full)any DB
design changes(in the template DB) and reattach the data
DB. Does this sound right to you, and would this work?
Once again thanks for all your help!!!

Licencing is one of those areas where even MS go slightly awry.

MSDE is not a CAL it is a seperate royalty free distributable engine.
MSDE requires a CAL to talk to its Big brother.
EM is a client, DTS is a client, QA is a client etc etc

Oh OK.

Do any updates happen at the FULL office version? This could get messy.

You have n laptops synching with an "Offsite server". When this returns to
the office it syncs to the "Office Server"

Are you intending to push changes back down to the MSDE clients again or is
it all uphill.

If it is all uphill then yep

Sync offsite and then sp_detach_db and sp_attach_db to the office version.

Make life as easy as you can for yourself.




--

Allan Mitchell MCSE,MCDBA, (Microsoft SQL Server MVP)
www.allisonmitchell.com - Expert SQL Server Consultancy.
www.SQLDTS.com - The site for all your DTS needs.
I support PASS - the definitive, global community
for SQL Server professionals - http://www.sqlpass.org


"Mike" <anonymous (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote

Updates wont happen in the office to the template being used offsite(to simplify, templates are associated with a deal, when a deal is taken off-site users in the office can't access the deal db which will be detached and attached to laptop server, they can access the template db but wont be able to make any changes to the template records associated with the deal that is off-site) so when back in the office any template changes off-site will repl. to office templ. server for that deal only
The next time users go off-site I will just do a Snapshot repl. of Template DB and detach/attach the Deal X DB to the laptop server(they are seperate DB's, the laptop server will have a Deal DB attached and a replicated Template DB) I don't think I even need the laptop server to have the FULL SQL Server just MSDE, since less than 5 users go offsiteat a time. When they return, the Deal X DB will be reattached to Office FULL Server and the Template DB will be synced with Office FULL Server. I think this is the simplest approach. Occasionally a user will want to work at home, for this I will need to install MSDE on all user PC's which they will use only in this scenario, and I think the same repl. design should work(users in the office will not have access to the Deal X DB the user took home and wont make any changes to the templates associated with this deal on the Template Db in the office, as I mentioned in the first paragraph). I think a Pull Subscription fits this design, do you agree

Thanks for all you help and patience with this matter!!

----- Allan Mitchell wrote: ----

Licencing is one of those areas where even MS go slightly awry

MSDE is not a CAL it is a seperate royalty free distributable engine
MSDE requires a CAL to talk to its Big brother
EM is a client, DTS is a client, QA is a client etc et

Oh OK

Do any updates happen at the FULL office version? This could get messy

You have n laptops synching with an "Offsite server". When this returns t
the office it syncs to the "Office Server

Are you intending to push changes back down to the MSDE clients again or i
it all uphill

If it is all uphill then ye

Sync offsite and then sp_detach_db and sp_attach_db to the office version

Make life as easy as you can for yourself




--

Allan Mitchell MCSE,MCDBA, (Microsoft SQL Server MVP
www.allisonmitchell.com - Expert SQL Server Consultancy
www.SQLDTS.com - The site for all your DTS needs
I support PASS - the definitive, global communit
for SQL Server professionals - http://www.sqlpass.or


"Mike" <anonymous (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote in messag
news:066a01c3d959$f613b7f0$a301280a (AT) phx (DOT) gbl..

|So the template DB is Read only for those already entered but the users can
enter new rows.
You need to check which versions of SQL Server support which version of
Replication.

If the above scenario is true then you can

Transfer the databases when the users leave the office. When they reattach
you can either use Merge Replication or you could use DTS to take those rows
which have a PK identity that is not held on the office database.



--

Allan Mitchell MCSE,MCDBA, (Microsoft SQL Server MVP)
www.allisonmitchell.com - Expert SQL Server Consultancy.
www.SQLDTS.com - The site for all your DTS needs.
I support PASS - the definitive, global community
for SQL Server professionals - http://www.sqlpass.org


"Mike" <anonymous (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote

off-site users in the office can't access the deal db which will be detached
and attached to laptop server, they can access the template db but wont be
able to make any changes to the template records associated with the deal
that is off-site) so when back in the office any template changes off-site
will repl. to office templ. server for that deal only!
seperate DB's, the laptop server will have a Deal DB attached and a
replicated Template DB) I don't think I even need the laptop server to have
the FULL SQL Server just MSDE, since less than 5 users go offsiteat a time.
When they return, the Deal X DB will be reattached to Office FULL Server and
the Template DB will be synced with Office FULL Server. I think this is the
simplest approach. Occasionally a user will want to work at home, for this
I will need to install MSDE on all user PC's which they will use only in
this scenario, and I think the same repl. design should work(users in the
office will not have access to the Deal X DB the user took home and wont
make any changes to the templates associated with this deal on the Template
Db in the office, as I mentioned in the first paragraph). I think a Pull
Subscription fits this design, do you agree?