How to mirror two geodatabases on the fly?

Question

I'm new to arcgis and its applications.

We have the full suite of arcgis solutions (arcgis server, desktop, arcgis sde)

We have a requirement...

1. geodatabase (A & B)
2. A & B reside on 2 different server but connected via LAN
3. A will be updated
4. B will be a replica of A

May I know what is the best solution to this issue? the geodatabase can be hosted on oracle DB, personal geodatabase or geodatabase file.

I know that arcgistools has the functions to replicate and sync but according to my friend. the synchronization has to been done manually. (creeate a script and execute it periodically.

Is there a way to mirror those 2 geodatabase on the fly?

Answer 1

Replicas and geodatabases

An ArcSDE geodatabase can host both child and parent replicas. This enables data to be replicated across multiple geodatabases

Full Official Documentation

http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#/Replicas_and_geodatabases/003n000000vp000000/

Answer 2

There is no way to mirror the databases "on the fly" using ArcGIS geodatabase replication. You could attempt something like this with DBMS replication but that is not a recommended practice. Best thing to do is set up a scheduled task to run the synchronization (via python script) as frequently as you need.

Understanding Distributed Data

The following facts compare geodatabase replication and DBMS replication:

• Geodatabase replication synchronizes changes from specific ArcSDE geodatabase versions. DBMS replication, when used with an ArcSDE geodatabase, applies changes across all versions in the geodatabase.
• Geodatabase replication supports all advanced geodatabase objects like topologies, relationships, and geometric networks. DBMS replication does not know how to properly replicate advanced geodatabase objects.

Answer 3

If you're looking for something simple, you could use Dropbox or Bittorrent Sync to mirror the databases on the fly. They both operate in realtime using Windows' file snapshot services, so changes get caught. You'll still want a traditional backup, but, if the scale of your project doesn't necessitate using your SDE option, these two can be elegantly simple. Otherwise, I think the other answers here give you your best options.