Here’s a beginner’s guidebook to Data Synchronization

Introduction

This is the age of information explosion. Multiple sources are contributing immense amounts of data every moment. This data is invaluable if harnessed properly and exploited against a business competitive environment to bear fruits to the economy. However with the advent of the clouds which is an unlimited cauldron of an extensive array of data the need for guarding and a systematic coordination of the same with the previously existing database has become most important. That is because even minor data inaccuracy may lead to major losses in business and market reputation. The process of data management is complex and expensive. That is why Data Synchronization is a major tool today to business database management.

Data Synchronization is an ever on going procedure of managing data between multiple devices and updating the related changes automatically for constant consistency in the database.

The importance of Data Synchronization lies in the enormity of data contained in the clouds managing which is a challenge. Data Synchronization presents an ideal solution for big data. The data solutions offered by it today help avoid the hazard and monotony of work thus maintaining data harmony throughout.

Data Synchronization is important in various industries wherever data is used extensively. Health, hospitality, entertainment, retail, education and FMCG are some of the areas where effective data management is essential. Accurate and updated databases keep the business clear and clarified, saves human effort, economises on time, solves glitches, identifies faults and maintains goodwill. Data Science is closely related to Data Synchronization.

Understanding Data Synchronization

The different types of Data Synchronization:

Data synchronization is done in many ways. Some of them are Version Control, File Synchronization Tools, Distributed and Mirror. All of them have specific modus operandi. A quick run down of the processes and the types of data synchronization are as follows.

• • • File Synchronization: It is faster and more full proof. It is better than a manual process of updating. It is more used for home backups, external hard drives and updating portable data through flash drive. This method enables multiple places to work on the same data, is automatic and stops file piracy.

• • • Version Control: It provides synchronization solutions for those files which can be changed and worked on by more than one user at one time.

• • • Distributed File System: This technique is used when more than one file or file editions are to be operated on at a time on different devices. The devices must be interconnected for the file system to work. Some of these systems allow devices to get disconnected for some time if data reconciliation happens before synchronization.

• • • Mirror Computing: As the name suggests this technique gives a variety of sources an accurate copy of the same data. This is more handy for keeping a backup and also for sharing data from source to target.

The Process of Data Synchronization:

Data synchronization is done in many ways. By comparing the different processes a single way to data synchronization can be decided. Data analytics and business analytics are two important studies which are closely related to data synchronization.

• • • Triggering an update event: First the process catches a change in the database. That can be done in manyways. For example a flag on the data table or a script which keeps a tab on the last modified file date.

• • • Changes recognized and separated out: Synchronization does not mean complete replacement. Hence it is important to identify those particular places where the changes are made. That is achieved by data comparison, going through changelogs and finding flags with new values.

• • • Changes to other sources: Data mobility is done after identifying and segregating the changed data. That is done in any one of the two ways.
      • • Asynchronous: Moves changes as per a definite program. However there can be differences between programmed updates.
        • Synchronous: Here the synchronization happens after every change. Hence actual and timey updates are available.

      Data transfer may happen via a file transfer process. When synchronization uses ETL platforms it engineers automatic background updates without human help.

• • Incoming changes parsed: In case two data changes are not similar the inbound data goes through a transformation layer that includes data cleaning and harmonizing.
  • Changes done on present data: The changes to the data is done in one of the following ways.
    • • Transactional: Changes are done one after the other in the sequence of their occurance.
      • Snapshot: All the changes are done together for data uniformity.
      • Merge: Amalgamates changes once they happen on either sides without demarking either one as definitive.
  • Updates successful assured: The system checks, assures and finals the changes updation in many ways. One of the way is by sending a message. If the message doesn’t arrive the system either restarts the update or sends an error message.

Benefits of data synchronization

A proper implementation of data synchronization means improvement in many areas of business. Some of those areas include logistics and transportation, sales, order and supply, correct invoice, internal system management, cost correctness and maintenance of business goodwill. If data synchronization advantages and disadvantages are discussed there will be more plus points to it than minus points.

• Improved data accuracy and consistency across multiple systems: Tallying data across different sources to ensure its correctness and consistency makes the valuable business information error free and uniform across the official system. The useful data can be used by the employees on the apps. Waiting for data access can be avoided if one is aware of its availability.

• Enhanced efficiency and productivity in data management: Needless to say data being the lifeblood of a business organization professional data synchronization ensures flawless business operation based on that data. Data synchronization means maintaining, updating and coordinating databases. A well sorted data management system accords bigger work productivity to the human resource.

• Facilitation of real-time data sharing and collaboration: Real time data synchronizing helps sales and finance personnel to work more fruitfully. It further solves product issues and customer complains quickly.

• Prevention of data conflicts and errors: Data synchronization helps avoid contradictory data and its associated confusions. Because of data uniformity, mistakes due to contrasting information can be avoided. That adds greater value to service. Here de-centralized data is available without depending on time taking, complicated and expensive data bases. Additionally, data request is answered in lesser time with the help of a local server.

Challenges and solutions in data synchronization

Data synchronization is essential for business information clarity and there are various tools to achieve that. However like all business processes this is also not above obstacles. Some of the common challenges of data synchronization are as follows.

• Safety: Business functioning has changed now a days. These are the days of remote working with mobile devices. In this scenario protecting data against virtual pilferage is a pressing challenge. Data synchronizing rules have to abide by data security standards otherwise risking business disruption, loss of reputation etc.

• Data Standard: An uninterrupted sync solution is important to maintain data accuracy. But that is not easy to get. Businesses often get under system disruption due to sync system failures.

• Data complicacy and compatibility: Data synchronization is necessary due to a plethora of data which businesses must compile. The voluminous data poses enormous complications. Firms find it difficult to synchronize a constant supply of latest data in an old and existing system.

• Real time update: Real time data syncing is a business system need no doubt but when it is nonfunctioning sync solutions are almost worthless due to that.

• Performance: Data synchronization works with compiling, updating and cleaning huge volumes of data which is directly related to system capacity. Over exploiting the system strength often leads to mechanical disruption at the top hour of work.

• Maintenance: The synchronizing system needs appropriate technical caretaking the absence of which causes malfunctioning of the same.

Solutions

• Data backup and recovery: In case there is a loss of data during data synchronization an active database backup and recovery system is imortant. Synchronised data must always be stored in a safe system aided with recovery mechanisms.

• Auditing: Keeping a check on the data synchronization process helps recognize the hurdles in the system, know the anomalies and give alerts in case of differences.

• Data transformation and mapping tools: Both the devices allow easy data assembling and management between disagreeing data bases. The above mentioned tools support translating data modules and assuring data compatibility.

Conclusion

Despite all the challenges data synchronization remains the most important tool for simplifying the challenging task of information assembling. Data accuracy, worker’s efficiency, easy access to updated data and data base uniformity are some of the essential benefits of data synchronization. Data Analytics and Business Analytics which are closely related to data synchronization. A data specialist must know both to optimize business decisions. A career in big data is as paying as 9 to 25 LPA in India.

FAQ

• How does data synchronization ensure accuracy?,
  A. Data synchronization ensures the assembled data is uniform and constantly updated across different devices.

• What are the common methods of data synchronization?,
  A. Version Control, File Synchronization Tools, Distributed File System and Mirror Computing are some of the methods of data synchronization.

• What challenges are associated with data synchronization?,
  A. Problems of maintaining data safety, standards and compatibility along with real time updation complications are some of the challenges.

• What are the security risks involved in data synchronization?,
  A. Owing to remote working standards and work across multiple digital devices data synchronization has to follow corporate security rules otherwise risk data leakage.

• How does cloud-based synchronisation work for different networks?
  A. Cloud synchronization allows different digital devices to automatically synchronize local data in a clarified way with a web oriented, in-the-cloud service to the user in real time.