How to Manage Remote Database Sync Sets in Act!

Sync sets are created in the Publishing (Parent) database. A remote database sync set defines the Act! synchronization Users and contact records that you wish to be included when a remote database syncs. A sync set can be limited to one remote user and one contact or can include all users and all contact records in your Act! database. A single sync set can be used for more than one remote database.

NOTE: If you are using Act! Premium for Web or Act! Cloud, the steps to access this option are slightly different. Please refer to the below article:

How to create a remote database through Act! Premium (access via web) or Act! Cloud
Answer ID: How to create a remote database through Act! Premium (access via web) or Act! Cloud

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Important Note: If you are synchronizing a database, ensure that all remote sync users are using the same version and build of Act!. You can verify your installed version number by clicking About Act! from the Help menu. The version number is displayed in the upper-right corner.

Note: The Publisher (or Parent) database refers to the main database. Act! uses a Publisher - Subscriber relationship. The Subscriber (or Remote) database will initiate all synchronization. Remote databases can only be created from and synchronize with their Parent database. A Sync Set can only be created and/or managed from the Parent (Publisher) database.

You can determine whether you are in the Publisher (Parent) or the Subscriber (Remote) database by following the steps below:

1. Click the Help menu, and then click About Act! The About Act! dialog box appears.
2. Click the Database Information button, the Database Information dialog box appears.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the Database Settings Information window. If the Sync Enabled value is True, Sync Role will display either Publisher or Subscriber.

Create a New Sync Set:

1. Launch Act!
2. Open the Publishing database.
3. Click the Tools menu, then go to Synchronize Database and click Synchronization Panel. The Synchronization - Select a Synchronization Task dialog box appears.
4. Click Manage Sync Set from the menu on the left. The Synchronization - Create, Copy, Edit, or Delete Sync Sets dialog box appears.
5. From the Sync Set Tasks box, click Create New Sync Set. The Synchronization - Enter Sync Set Name and Description dialog box appears.
6. Sync Set name: Type in a unique name for your Sync Set.
7. Description (Optional): This field is optional and allows you to provide more detailed information about your Sync Set.
8. Click Next. The Synchronization - Select Users dialog box appears.
9. In the Synchronization - Select Users dialog you will choose the Users you would like to synchronize this Sync Set with.
   • Enable the All current and future users of this database to sync with all the users of this database.
   • Enable the Selected users option to choose which users of this database you would like to synchronize with. To select a user click on the user name in the left pane, and then click the single arrow to the right. Repeat until all the users you wish to synchronize with appear in the right pane. When you have finished making your selections, click Next. The Synchronization - Select Contacts dialog box appears
10. This dialog box allows you to define the contacts that are synchronized with this Sync Set:
    • Enable the Synchronize all available contacts to synchronize all of your Contacts with all the users of this Sync Set (see subheading below).
    • Enable the Define Sync Set criteria to create an Advance Query that will define your criteria. This is how the Publishing database will determine which contact records to synchronize with the remote users (see subheading below).
    • Total number of available contacts: displays how many contact records are available to synchronize from this database.

Synchronize all available contacts:

1. Enable the Synchronize all available contacts option, and then click Next. The Synchronization - Sync Set Confirmation dialog box appears.
2. You may click Back to edit your Sync Set or Finish to complete it. The Synchronization - Create, Copy, Edit, or Delete Sync Sets dialog box reappears.
3. Click Home. The Synchronization - Select a Synchronization Task dialog box reappears.
   

Define Sync Set Criteria:

NOTE: Advanced Queries are used to define which contact records are contained in your Sync Set. For more information on advanced queries, please see the article below:

How to create, use, and edit an advanced query in Act!
Answer ID: How to create, use, and edit an advanced query in Act!

1. Enable the Define Sync Set criteria option, and then click Next. The Synchronization - Create or Edit Sync Set Criteria dialog box appears.
2. From the Sync Set Criteria Tasks box, click Create Criteria. The Sync Set Criteria dialog box appears.
3. This dialog box allows you to define an Advanced Query that will create a Lookup of contacts to be synchronized in this Sync Set. See the article linked above for more information on creating an Advanced Query.
4. Once you have defined your criteria, click OK to add this query to the Sync Set. The Synchronization - Create or Edit Sync Set Criteria dialog box reappears.
5. Click Next. The Synchronization - Sync Set Confirmation dialog box appears.
6. You may click Back to edit your Sync Set or Finish to complete it. The Synchronization - Create, Copy, Edit, or Delete Sync Sets dialog box reappears.
7. Click Home. The Synchronization - Select a Synchronization Task dialog box reappears.

Edit Sync Set:

1. Launch Act!
2. Open the Publishing database.
3. Click the Tools menu, then go to Synchronize Database and click Synchronization Panel. The Synchronization - Select a Synchronization Task dialog box appears.
4. Click Manage Sync Set. The Synchronization - Create, Copy, Edit, or Delete Sync Sets dialog box appears.
5. Click to highlight the Sync Set you would like to edit, and then click Edit Sync Set. The Synchronization - Enter Sync Set Name and Description dialog box appears.
6. You may add or change the description of this Sync Set. Click Cancel to reverse all changes, Finish to save and exit your changes, or Next to continue with the wizard. The Synchronization - Select Users dialog box appears.
7. You may change the Users you synchronize with. User names listed in the right pane are the synchronization Users. Click Cancel to reverse all changes, Finish to save and exit your changes, or Next to continue with the wizard. The Synchronization - Select Contacts dialog box appears.
8. You may change the contacts that you synchronize with. Click Cancel to reverse all changes, Finish to save and exit your changes, or Next to continue with the wizard. If you have enabled the Synchronize all available contacts option, the Synchronization - Sync Set Confirmation dialog box appears. If you have enabled the Define Sync Set criteria option, the Synchronization - Create or Edit Sync Set Criteria dialog box appears. Click the desired Sync Set Name, and then click Edit Criteria. Make the needed changes, and then click Next, the Synchronization - Sync Set Confirmation dialog box appears.
9. You may click Back to edit your Sync Set or Finish to complete it. The Synchronization - Create, Copy, Edit, or Delete Sync Sets dialog box reappears.

Delete Sync Set:

1. Launch Act!
2. Open the Publishing database.
3. Click the Tools menu, then go to Synchronize Database and click Synchronization Panel. The Synchronization - Select a Synchronization Task dialog box appears.
4. Click Manage Sync Set from the Synchronization - Select a Synchronization Task. The Synchronization - Create, Copy, Edit, or Delete Sync Sets dialog box appears.
5. Click to highlight the Sync Set Name you would like to delete, and then click Delete Sync Set. The Delete Sync Set dialog box appears.
6. Click Yes to confirm that you wish to delete the Sync Set.

Copy Sync Set:

Copy Sync Set allows you to make a copy of any current Sync Set you have. This can speed the process of creating new Sync Sets.

1. Launch Act!
2. Open the Publishing database.
3. Click the Tools menu, then go to Synchronize Database and click Synchronization Panel. The Synchronization - Select a Synchronization Task dialog box appears.
4. Click Manage Sync Set from the Synchronization - Select a Synchronization Task. The Synchronization - Create, Copy, Edit, or Delete Sync Sets dialog box appears.
5. Click to highlight the Sync Set you would like to copy, and then click Copy Sync Set. The Synchronization - Enter Sync Set Name and Description dialog box appears.
6. This Sync Set will be named Copy of the original Sync Set. Walk through the wizard and make the needed changes to complete your new Sync Set.