Syncing with Existing External Database

[tford]

When accessing an existing external database, there are certain limitations withing AwareIM functionality. This post is not intended to document those limitations, but instead describe how to create records in an AwareIM automatic database that connect to the records in the existing external database & thereby extend the functionality of AwareIM's power.

The purpose of this BSV was to connect to a Kentico Content Management system that manages our website & make it easier for users to update certain information in the database that doesn't have the easiest to use UI within Kentico. In our case, syncing with the Kentico database nightly to create cross-reference records was sufficient. The timing of a Sync could be adapted to the user's scenario.

The BSV also gives the ability to update certain info within the Kentico database .. once again because AwareIM provides a better UI for these records than Kentico.

Background info:
- Games is the name of the Kentico BO
- GameAssignments is the name of the AwareIM cross reference instances that also contact info not in the Kentico database.

Two steps to creating GameAssignments instances nightly for each new Games instance:

1) Z_1_Build_GameAssignments_1
FIND Games WHERE Games.EventDate>SystemSettings.Game_Sync_After IN BATCHES OF 1
Z_1_Build_GameAssignments_2

1) Z_1_Build_GameAssignments_2
SystemSettings.Game_ID_HOLD=Games.GamesID

If COUNT GameAssignments WHERE (GameAssignments.GamesID_in_KenticoNbr=SystemSettings.Game_ID_HOLD)=0 AND Games.EventDate>=SystemSettings.Game_Sync_After Then
FIND Team WHERE Team.SportCode=Games.Sport AND Team.LevelSC=Games.Level
CREATE GameAssignments WITH GameAssignments.Game=Games,GameAssignments.Team=Team,GameAssignments.Role_Article=Team.Default_Article,GameAssignments.Role_Photographer=Team.Default_Photographer,GameAssignments.Role_ScoreAbstract=Team.Default_Score_Abstract
SEND OutgoingEmail_Game_Assignment_Sync_Add

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The GameAssignments BO instances then provide a cross reference to each instance of the existing external Games BO. Screen shot below shows the link to the Game instance (highlighted in purple) in a Peer relationship. It also shows a few of the shortcuts to Games attributes (highlighted in yellow) that allow complete sorting, filtering, etc of the Games info via this GameAssignment BO.

Game assignments.jpg (55.71 KiB) Viewed 8293 times

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This is a pretty complicated process. What I have not described here is the updating of Games (the external table) via AwareIM.

[BenHayat]

For External DB, I'll wait for next version where Aware team will bring more features in.

[tford]

For External DB, I'll wait for next version where Aware team will bring more features in.

That will be a welcome addition indeed. It will certainly make it much easier to fully use the power of AwareIM in those scenarios.

[BenHayat]

For External DB, I'll wait for next version where Aware team will bring more features in.

That will be a welcome addition indeed. It will certainly make it much easier to fully use the power of AwareIM in those scenarios.

I don't have any specs on next version, but it would be great for Aware to look at an external DB's schema and give us the ability to use it just like we were using Aware DB. This allows data transfer, syncing and direct read/write.