Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Exposing the myth that is synchronization

There has been much talk about synchronization on the boards. Much of this has been about how to use it and whether it should be trusted. It even has its own Wiki section. Well, I can tell you, after extensive and exhaustsive testing on both a test environment and my server, it should not be. Here is what I discovered:

Most of us talking about it have pretty much figured out how to use it. It seemed to have a few kinks in its armor. For instance, trying to sync with a brand new database created many problems mainly because they didn't play well together. The server version (with all of the data) wanted databases that already contained the practice demographics, registration and complete uniformity. No matter how you worked with it, the database was an issue. So, one had to copy and paste the main dataase into the laptop. This made the most sense because now you have two identical folders with identical databases. Syncing is then much easier and basically error free. But...

this is only if you add data. This is only if you have a huge and important office meeting and inform everyone that he or she will lose his or her job if they don't add data. Delete data and you have a problem. Here's the scenario.

The provider takes the laptop to the nursing home or hospital. We will assume it is all synched and ready to go. You see a patient and prescribe a medication and inactivate two. On the next patient, you inactivate one and completely delete one that you don't want in the chart. You delete a problem in the problem list.

While you are away one of your partners inactivates two meds in a chart. Your receptionist takes a call and cancels one appointment next week and reschedules another. Oh well, they'll be back at the next sync.

So your biller deletes a code in the Quick Code section while you are gone. I hope it wasn't too important, because it will be back. Delete a user, inactivate them; and they will be rehired over the weekend when you bring the laptop in to sync.

But, the big problem is with the meds and problems, etc. Any inactivation will change back with sync. It may stay the same with importing only from the laptop, but it can get complicated. If you import from the computer with changes, they will change back. But, the main thing to remember is if something is blank, it will always be populated by the information from the other computer.

So, in the example above, if you discontinue Cefzil and you d/c a problem, when you sync, the Cefzil will be back and the problem will reappear. Even with the import only, you have to be very careful it is done the right direction or you will lose changes.

Not sure about everyone else, but I would just be too nervous.

========

With my curiosity piqued, I had to try SyncToy again. The irony with SyncToy is what is complicated at first: Synchronize, Echo, Contribute, etc. is confidence building after this. Because the descriptions which seemed hard to follow now make total sense. Descriptions like "Additions and changes along with renames and deletions will sync to both sides." This is just what you want. If you delete a medication or a problem or a ICD-9 code, that is the way you want the database, and you want it to remain that way when you sync. Besides, it is MUCH faster. You don't have to deal with all the complicated directions. Should still copy the server's AC folder to the laptop for the first time.

First off I would like to hear more about this SyncToy. Also at what point and what price will MS start charging us all for using it???

But here is another rub which plays back pretty hard to a completely other issues we keep knocking around, the one of support. Even if SyncToy is much better, safer, and has lots of control over the many good issues you have discovered and brought to light, Jon and AC didn't supply it or write it. So using it could quickly get any one of us into the "it's the other vendor's problem" situation and now we have no support for our possibly damaged database (teeth gritted here, wanting to go to the next logical statement here, but trying to give peace a chance). If there is one thing that I can't stand, it is the stuck between two or more vendors, none of which want to really take the thing by the horns and give the customer as assist. Help!

It's been free for at least three to four years now in multiple versions.

Hi everyone,

I would like to apologize if I was too sarcastic in the initial post. I guess it was the six hours of testing that got to me. I tried looking at every way possible. Please let me know your experiences. Maybe I was just not doing it correctly.

Paul,

Look at first post in Tips and Tricks.

Important thread. Any experimentation with Synctroy beta? Does Synctroy sync all imported items and the links from the database? Any bugs/issues? Anyone with field experience with Synchtroy? I have not tried synch of any sort for the fear of the worst. Was thinking of taking the plunge. Don't want to try and reinvent if anyone has gone through with it. Thank you.

Zak,

Again, I have been using SyncToy for three years now. Beta version is fine, but no reason not to stay with 2.0 for awhile. The best way to put it is it syncs EVERYTHING in the AC folder. There are five ways to sync, "contribute" being the safest.

As SyncToy makes the job of copying and pasting so much easier, you can always practice with it on another couple of folders and/or check the properites and make sure the total files, folders and MBs are the same.

And, to be fair, if you google file synchronization programs, you can choose for quite a few.