When the field user clicks the synchronize button on the laptop, the data is placed on the server and the server is notified that the field user is waiting for their data to be processed (as described above). At this time, the user will see a status of "Waiting to Process." Once the server recognizes that a laptop is waiting to process, the status will change to “Processing.”
During the “Processing” step, the server reviews all of the data that the user synchronized. There are 2 principle types of data imported during this process. The first type is data that already exists in the office, but was exported to the field and then edited. Because the system updates the modified date and time fields automatically each time a record is edited, the synchronization is able to recognize edited records. If the system finds records that already exist in Lucity but have since been edited in the field, those records will be updated in the office.
Note: During the synchronization, field edits will overwrite any in-office edits that occurred after data was sent to the field. If a record was deleted in-office and edited in the field, then during the synchronization the record will be added back into the office (if it is a main work order record, it will retain the original work order number assigned to it).
The second type of data that is synchronized is new data, including new work orders, or new child records that were added as sub-items (e.g. new tasks, resources, locations, assets) to existing work orders. New records are recognized by the system based on their creation date and time. If the creation date and time for a record is greater than when the record was sent to the field, the system will assume that the record needs to be added into the office system.
New work orders created in the field are assigned FWO numbers. The synchronization process renumbers these work orders using the standard format that is set up in the Work Options module in the office. All of the child records for these new work orders, and new child records for existing work orders are inserted into the server database.
Note: You cannot permanently delete sub-items (e.g. tasks, resources, assets) listed in a work order from out in the field. These items must be deleted from within the office. Only modifications made in the field that have not been sent back to the office via synchronization can be deleted from the field. The synchronization process is additive only.
After the data is imported to the server, a secondary process is called (GSXProc.exe) to update shared fields and fields with special functionality like cost totals, routing, planning, and all other actions that are typically done while users are in the office. While this is occurring, the status will read, “Processing – Final Calcs." Once this internal processing is done, the status is updated to “Complete." At this point, depending on the individual filters, each laptop will start downloading the updated data from the server. The LucitySynDB.exe process will continue to perform some final tasks that do not require the laptops to wait. This includes generating notifications. One at a time, additional GSXProc.exe processes are generated to handle each type of required notifications.
If the user chose to "Skip Processing," this does not halt the synchronization, it simply allows the laptop user to skip to this final step that allows them to disconnect from the server. The data that they originally synchronized will still be imported to the office.
Note: When you select Skip Processing, all of the new data that was imported to the field will not be available on your laptop until you synchronize again.