MobiLink Synchronization

with Microsoft SQL Server

and Adaptive Server
Anywhere in 30 Minutes

A whitepaper from iAnywhere Solutions, Inc.,

a subsidiary of Sybase, Inc.
Contents
Synchronizing Microsoft SQL Server with MobiLink 2

Introduction 2

Required Software 3

MobiLink Quick Start 3

Set up the Microsoft SQL Server consolidated database . . . . . . . . . . 3
Set up the remote Adaptive Server Anywhere database . . . . . . . . . . 3
Create scripts to upload and download data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Run MobiLink synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

MobiLink Synchronization to a Microsoft SQL Server Database in 30 Min-

utes 4
Set up the Microsoft SQL Server consolidated database . . . . . . . . . . 4
Set up the remote Adaptive Server Anywhere database . . . . . . . . . . 6
Starting the MobiLink synchronization server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Running the MobiLink synchronization client utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Legal Notice 11
Contact Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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 Copyright © 2004 iAnywhere Solutions, Inc.

Synchronizing Microsoft SQL Server with

MobiLink
This paper demonstrates how to synchronize data between a Microsoft SQL
Server consolidated database and Adaptive Server Anywhere remote databases.
It shows how to set up a simple synchronization from scratch using an SQL
Server sample database. A single remote database is set up in this paper.

Introduction
MobiLink enables synchronization between a central ODBC-compliant
consolidated database and many Adaptive Server Anywhere or UltraLite remote
databases. MobiLink synchronization is a component of SQL Anywhere Studio,
iAnywhere Solutions’ comprehensive package for mobile data management.
The following diagram shows the major parts of the synchronization system.

Adaptive Server
Consolidated Anywhere or UltraLite
database server MobiLink clients

Remote
network database
server
ASA

MobiLink
synchronization server
Remote
database

♦ consolidated database This database contains the central copy of all

information in the synchronization system.
♦ consolidated database server The server, or DBMS, that manages the
consolidated database. This server can be one of the following
ODBC-compliant databases: Adaptive Server Anywhere, Adaptive Server
Enterprise, Oracle, IBM DB2, or Microsoft SQL Server. In this tutorial the
consolidated database server is SQL Server.
♦ ODBC connection All communication between the MobiLink synchronization
server and the consolidated database occurs through an ODBC connection.
ODBC allows the synchronization server to utilize a variety of consolidated
database systems. In this tutorial, the ODBC connection is made with the SQL
Server ODBC driver.
♦ MobiLink synchronization server This server, dbmlsrv9, manages the

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synchronization process and provides the interface between all MobiLink

clients and the consolidated database server.
♦ network The connection between the MobiLink synchronization server and
the MobiLink client (dbmlsync or UltraLite) can use a number of network
protocols. This tutorial uses the TCP/IP protocol.
♦ MobiLink client The client can be installed on a handheld device such as a
Palm Pilot or Pocket PC, a server or desktop computer, or an embedded device
such as a cell phone or vending machine. Two types of clients are supported:
Adaptive Server Anywhere (used in this tutorial) and UltraLite. Either or both
may be used in a single MobiLink installation.

Required Software
♦ A full SQL Anywhere Studio 9.0.1 installation.
♦ A full installation of SQL Server 2000 including the Northwind sample
database.

MobiLink Quick Start

Following is an overview of the steps required to set up a Microsoft SQL Server
database for MobiLink synchronization. Each step is illustrated in detail later in
this paper.

Set up the Microsoft SQL Server consolidated database

1. Run a pre-defined SQL script (syncmss.sql) to prepare your Microsoft SQL
Server database to be a MobiLink consolidated database. This adds MobiLink
tables and stored procedures.
2. Define an ODBC data source for the Microsoft SQL Server database using the
SQL Server ODBC driver.

Set up the remote Adaptive Server Anywhere database

1. Create an Adaptive Server Anywhere database.
2. Migrate a subset of your Microsoft SQL Server schema to the Adaptive Server
Anywhere database, including any synchronized tables.
3. Create a remote synchronization publication, synchronization user, and
synchronization subscription.

Create scripts to upload and download data

MobiLink uses synchronization scripts to provide flexibility in the rules you use to
synchronize data. The scripts define:

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♦ How data uploaded from the remote database is to be applied to the

consolidated database.
♦ What data should be downloaded from the consolidated database.
These scripts may be individual statements or stored procedure calls stored in
your consolidated database. For simple cases you can instruct the MobiLink
synchronization server to generate scripts automatically at runtime using a
command-line option.

Run MobiLink synchronization

♦ Start the MobiLink synchronization server (dbmlsrv9).
This enables the MobiLink server to listen for client synchronization requests.
♦ Run the MobiLink synchronization client utility (dbmlsync) to initiate a
synchronization session.

MobiLink Synchronization to a Microsoft

SQL Server Database in 30 Minutes
The previous section sketched the steps necessary to set up synchronization.
This section walks through all these steps in detail.

Note:
Some examples in this tutorial are presented with Sybase Central. Sybase
Central is a database management tool that provides Adaptive Server Anywhere
database settings, properties, and utilities in a graphical user interface. It relies
heavily on the use of wizards. However, Sybase Central, Interactive SQL, and
the command line may be used interchangeably.

Set up the Microsoft SQL Server consolidated database

This tutorial uses Northwind, a sample database commonly used for Microsoft
SQL Server demonstrations and training.

Installing MobiLink system tables in the Microsoft SQL Server database

MobiLink comes with a script called syncmss.sql located in the MobiLink\setup
subdirectory of your SQL Anywhere installation. syncmss.sql is a file containing
SQL statements to prepare Microsoft SQL Server databases for use as MobiLink
consolidated databases. It creates a series of system tables and procedures
prefaced with ML_. MobiLink works with these tables and stored procedures
during the synchronization process.

❖ To install MobiLink system tables

1. Open SQL Server Query Analyzer.

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Choose Start ➤ Programs ➤ Microsoft SQL Server ➤ Query Analyser.

2. Select the Northwind sample database.
From the DB dropdown menu in the toolbar, choose Northwind.

3. Execute the SQL script.

♦ Open syncmss.sql:
From the File menu, choose Open. Now select syncmss.sql, located in the
MobiLink\setup subdirectory of your SQL Anywhere installation.
♦ Press F5 to execute the Query.

Define an ODBC data source for the consolidated database

Use the Microsoft SQL Server ODBC driver to define an ODBC data source for
the Northwind sample database.

❖ To define an ODBC data source for the consolidated database

1. Start the ODBC Administrator:
Fromt the Start menu, choose Programs ➤ SQL Anywhere 9 ➤ Adaptive
Server Anywhere ➤ ODBC Administrator.
The ODBC Data Source Administrator appears.

2. On the User DSN tab, click Add.

The Create New Data Source dialog appears.
3. Select SQL Server and click Finish.
The Microsoft SQL Server DSN Configuration wizard appears.
4. Enter sqlserver_consolidated as the Name of the data source. Click Next to
continue.
5. On the next page, select the appropriate authentication mode for your SQL
connection. Click Next to continue.

6. Select Northwind as the default database. Remove check marks from the
following:
♦ Use ANSI quoted identifiers.
♦ Use ANSI nulls, paddings and warnings.
7. Accept the remaining default settings and click Finish.

Synchronization scripts
In this tutorial, you do not manually add synchronization scripts. When you start
the MobiLink synchronization server with special command-line options, default
scripts are automatically generated. You can use these scripts as a starting point
for generating your own scripts.
Setup for the Microsoft SQL Server consolidated database is now complete.

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Set up the remote Adaptive Server Anywhere database

MobiLink is designed for synchronization involving a consolidated database
server and a large number of mobile databases. In this section, you create a
single remote database, migrate a selected portion of the consolidated schema,
and create a synchronization publication, user, and subscription.
One way to create an Adaptive Server Anywhere database is to use the dbinit
command-line utility. For this tutorial, we will call the remote database remote1.

❖ To create and start a new Adaptive Server Anywhere remote database

1. At a command prompt, navigate to the directory where you would like to create
the database.
2. Type the following command to create the database:
dbinit remote1.db

3. Now, to start the database, type:

dbeng9 remote1.db

Migrating a subset of the Northwind database Microsoft SQL Server schema

Migrating a subset of the Northwind schema involves:

♦ Connecting to the remote database.
♦ Creating a remote server and external login.
♦ Using the Sybase Central Data Migration wizard.

❖ To migrate a subset of your Microsoft SQL Server schema to the Adaptive

Server Anywhere database
1. Start Sybase Central.
From the Start menu, choose Programs ➤ SQL Anywhere 9 ➤ Sybase Central.
2. Connect to the remote database:
♦ Select Adaptive Server Anywhere 9 in the left pane of Sybase Central.
♦ From the File menu choose Connect.
The Connect dialog appears.
♦ On the Identification tab, enter DBA as the User ID and SQL as the
password. On the Database tab, enter remote1 as the server name.
♦ Click OK to connect.
3. Create a remote server and external login:
♦ Start the Remote Server Creation wizard.
In the left pane, select the Remote Servers folder. From the File menu
choose New ➤ Remote Server.
The Remote Server Creation wizard starts.

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♦ Name the remote server my_sqlserver. Click Next to continue.

♦ Choose Microsoft SQL Server as the type of server.
♦ On the next page of the wizard, enter sqlserver_consolidated in the
connection information section.
♦ On the final page of the wizard, choose Create an External Login. Enter the
Login name and Password to connect to your Microsoft SQL Server instance.
♦ Click Finish to exit the Remote Server Creation wizard.

4. Migrate the Microsoft SQL Server schema:

♦ In the left pane, select the Adaptive Server Anywhere 9 plug-in. In the right
pane, select the Utilities tab and double-click Migrate Database:

The Data Migration wizard starts.

♦ Select remote1 as the destination database.
♦ On the next page, select my_sqlserver as the remote server. Click Next to
continue.
♦ Choose Customers and Employees as the only tables to migrate.

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♦ On the final page of the wizard, clear the Migrate the data option:

♦ Click Finish.
The migration of the Microsoft SQL Server schema is now complete.

❖ To create a remote synchronization publication, synchronization user, and

synchronization subscription
1. Start Interactive SQL:
♦ In the left pane of Sybase Central, select the remote1 database. From the
File menu choose Open Interactive SQL.
The Connect dialog appears.
2. Enter synchronization information:
♦ Execute the following commands in Interactive SQL:

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CREATE PUBLICATION sample_pub (TABLE Customers, TABLE Employees);

CREATE SYNCHRONIZATION USER ml_user1;
CREATE SYNCHRONIZATION SUBSCRIPTION TO sample_pub FOR ml_user1 TYPE TCPIP
ADDRESS ’host=localhost’ OPTION scriptversion=’ver1’;

Now you have prepared the remote and consolidated databases and can begin
with the synchronization process.

Starting the MobiLink synchronization server

❖ To run the MobiLink synchronization server (dbmlsrv9)

1. At a command prompt, type the following on a single line:
dbmlsrv9 -c "dsn=sqlserver_consolidated" -o serverOut.txt -v+ -dl -za -zu+
-x tcpip

Note: MobiLink technology also allows you to obfuscate command-line options

in a command file. Consult MobiLink documentation about the dbfhide utility for
more information.
The following table describes each option used with the dbmlsrv9 utility. The
options -o, -v, and -dl provide debugging and troubleshooting information.
Using these logging options is appropriate in a development environment. For
performance reasons, -v and -dl are typically not used in production.

Option Description

-c Precedes the connection string.

-o Specifies the message log file serverOut.txt.

-v+ The -v option specifies what information is logged. Using -v+ sets
maximum verbose logging.

-dl Displays all log messages on screen.

-za Turns automated scripting ON. The -za option is typically used to
generate scripts as a starting point for writing your own scripts.
Scripts are generated the first time that a remote synchronizes. If the
given script version already exists, -za has no effect.

-zu+ Adds new users automatically.

-x Sets the communications protocol and parameters for MobiLink

clients.
A dialog appears to indicate the MobiLink synchronization server is ready to
handle requests:

Running the MobiLink synchronization client utility

The dbmlsync utility initiates MobiLink synchronization for Adaptive Server
Anywhere remote databases.

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❖ To start the synchronization client

1. At a command prompt, type the following on a single line:
dbmlsync -c "eng=remote1;uid=dba;pwd=sql" -o rem1.txt -v+
-e "SendColumnNames=on"

Below is a description of each option:

Option Description

-c Precedes the connection string.

-o Specifies the message log file rem1.txt.

-v The -v option specifies what information is logged. Using -v+ sets

maximum verbose logging.

-e The -e option specifies extended options. In this case it is used

to send column names to the MobiLink synchronization server (re-
quired for automatic scripting). The SendColumnNames parameter
is typically used together with the -za or -ze option on the MobiLink
synchronization server for automatically generating synchronization
scripts.

Once you have started the MobiLink synchronization client, an output screen
appears indicating that the MobiLink synchronization succeeded. The data in the
Microsoft SQL Server tables now appears in your Adaptive Server Anywhere
database.
You can check that synchronization has succeeded by checking row values in the
remote database.

❖ To check row values on the remote database

1. Open Sybase Central and connect to the remote1 database using the Adaptive
Server Anywhere 9 plug-in (if not already connected).
2. Open the Tables folder and choose the Employees Table. On the right pane,
select the Data tab.
Data downloaded from the Microsoft SQL Server consolidated database
appears:

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Legal Notice
Copyright © 2004 iAnywhere Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. Sybase, the
Sybase logo, iAnywhere Solutions, the iAnywhere Solutions logo, Adaptive
Server, MobiLink, and SQL Anywhere are trademarks of Sybase, Inc. or its
subsidiaries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
The information, advice, recommendations, software, documentation, data,
services, logos, trademarks, artwork, text, pictures, and other materials
(collectively, “Materials”) contained in this document are owned by Sybase, Inc.
and/or its suppliers and are protected by copyright and trademark laws and
international treaties. Any such Materials may also be the subject of other
intellectual property rights of Sybase and/or its suppliers all of which rights are
reserved by Sybase and its suppliers.
Nothing in the Materials shall be construed as conferring any license in any
Sybase intellectual property or modifying any existing license agreement.
The Materials are provided “AS IS”, without warranties of any kind. SYBASE
EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
RELATING TO THE MATERIALS, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY
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Contact Us
iAnywhere Solutions Worldwide Headquarters One Sybase Drive, Dublin,
CA, 94568 USA
Phone 1-800-801-2069 (in US and Canada)
Fax 1-519-747-4971
World Wide Web http://www.ianywhere.com
E-mail contact.us@ianywhere.com

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