POOM replication on WM5

Posted by: Sue Loh

I just recently learned that EDB, the database engine that is used for most of the POOM (calendar/contacts/etc) data on WM5, does not expose a replication layer to application developers.  The CEDB engine which was previously used for POOM in WM2003 exposed a "bit-based replication" API, including functions like CeGetReplChangeBitsEx.  So any developers who previously built applications and sync solutions based on the old replication API are now missing similar functionality on WM5.

I was working with a customer who was trying to figure out how to get his WM2003 synchronization tool to work on WM5, and we brought his needs to the attention of the POOM team.  I guess they did not previously expect any ISVs to want to plug in to POOM replication.  So hopefully now that they are aware that people are doing this, they can get around to creating a layer for exposing replication functionality.

In the meantime, their suggestion for replicating POOM data on WM5 is to have a process listening for database notifications, storing the change-tracking data itself.  The process would have to be continually running, so as to not miss any changes.  It could essentially build its own "repl change bits" database based on change notifications, from which to do synchronization.  Yet another little project I'd do if I had random time on my hands -- or that I can hope the community would build.

Oh one other detail.  I hear that for technical reasons, the "last modified" field in POOM does not get updated on WM5.  So don't expect that to be a way out.