SyncEXPERT

Right on the heels of our launch of Microsoft Sync Framework v1, we have just posted our first CTP for Microsoft Sync Framework for Devices. As of right now, you can download this CTP for Windows Mobile from the Microsoft Download Center.  As we have shown in previous webcasts and conference demos, this is great for enabling synchronization from devices to data stores such as SQL Server Data Services or even corporate web services.  Perhaps even to write an offline SmugMug application for synchronizing your device photos with your SmugMug account.

Not to be confused with the previous CTP release of Sync Services for ADO.NET for Devices (a component of the Sync Framework) that is specifically meant for synchronizing an ADO.NET enabled server database with a SQL Server Compact device database, this CTP release of Sync Framework for Devices includes the Core Sync Framework runtime that gives the ability to exchange information with any data store or file system on the device, and not just SQL Server Compact databases.

This release contains only the core sync engine you would find in “synchronization.msi” in the PC release. Other features such as the metadata store and file sync provider are not included: some of the omitted features don’t necessarily make sense on devices, others will appear in a future CTP. We are looking for feedback on which are which. In particular, we want to know: what are your scenarios for using the different aspects of the Sync Framework on a device?

We also decided to produce the CTP for a limited platform set: Windows Mobile 5 and 6 for ARM processors. Supporting this subset allows us to give a CTP usable by a very large percentage of mobile developers while still limiting the test matrix for this first CTP. We expect to expand the supported devices and platforms for RTM and we are considering the scope of that as we go forward.

So what exactly is in this release?

Microsoft Sync Framework core runtime

• Managed (.NET Compact Framework) and unmanaged/native (ARM)
• Supported platforms are Windows Mobile 5 and 6 (ARM processors only in CTP1)

Installer with Visual Studio integration

• Support for adding a reference to the Sync Framework in a mobile project using Visual Studio 2008

As always, we look forward to your feedback on the Sync Framework Forum.

Liam

I am happy to announce the general availability of Sync Framework v1 and Sync Services for ADO.NET v2.  As of today you can download the Sync Framework SDK in 11 languages including Chinese (Hong Kong), Chinese (Simplified), English, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish for AMD64, IA64 and x86 processors from the Sync Framework Download Center.

What is Sync Framework?

Imagine being able to build a solution that seamlessly exchanges contact information between Outlook, a database contact management application, your mobile device and your service based contact management system.  Or how about a mobile device that connects with other devices to exchange pictures and videos.  How about being able to take data from any of your enterprise databases, file or enterprise systems and make it available offline for users to modify and sync back up to the enterprise.  All of these capabilities are possible with the Sync Framework and best of all, it is free on Windows platforms and licensable on non-Windows platforms!

Just a few examples of companies that are already using the Sync Framework include:

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“Gee Mike, how can I become as wise about data connectivity as you?”

The above question is proof that although a question may be easy to ask, the answer may not be simple (nor the questioner sane in this case). My professional career started without even cursory knowledge of what a driver was, how relational databases worked, or even how to program in something more modern than FORTRAN (not dating myself as much as hinting that my college career was somewhat atypical for someone in my position). Since that time I have become “sufficiently proficient” in the subject of data connectivity to get myself into trouble, but not quite good enough to get myself out - sort of an anti-Macgyver in that regard.

Anyway, the purpose of this post is to share with you the secret of how I managed to acquire the thimbleful of lore that I have to date: listening to people smarter than myself. Thankfully for me, I haven’t had to look far for overqualified individuals at my place of employment - it’s like looking for a tall tree in a forest of redwoods. The great news is that these resident geniuses are actually more interested in going forth and helping others who grapple with the weighty questions involving data connectivity than they are in trying to give me the “Dick and Jane” version of every new concept that comes along.

You can meet these Superstars of Standards-Based Database Access APIs at DataDirect’s Architect Tutorials at one of the following dates and locations:

Thursday, October 4th | St. Louis, MO - Hilton Frontenac
Thursday, October 11th | Toronto, ON - Westin Harbour Castle
Tuesday, October 16th | Irvine, CA - Hyatt Regency

This year’s theme is, “Successful Strategies for SOA Enablement & Data Connectivity,” which sounds much more useful and technical than “See Spot Program ‘Hello World’ In FORTRAN”. If my personal recommendation amounts to anything - attend and don’t forget to bring a warm thinking cap.