Concerned about Real Time Stock network activity.

[NormanRouxel]

Need a bit of reassurance (probably from Actinic).

When does the real time stock control initiate network activity?

I'm thinking of scenarios where I'm sent a snapshot to tinker with.

I don't want it to go off and do anything to someones live site while I'm playing with it.

Obviously I don't intend to click the Update or Refresh buttons but need to be sure that there's nothing else going on in the background.

[leehack]

Great question, +1 for me too.

[Darren B]

well mine test keeps erroring so cant tell exactly what its suppose to be doing.

It looks like a problem with a V9 snapshot imported. I have few things not working.

But i never gave it a thought about working on a snapshot elsewere, could balls everything up if your not carefull?

[TraceyHand]

presumably then the first thing you'd need to do, on receipt of someone else's snapshot, is disable order processing?? (something I do anyway as I've hit the 'download orders' button in the past, by accident!)
So..question..does disabling order processing also cut the stock link/updates?
If not...what would? (that would be suitable for this scenario)

[leehack]

I change network settings immediately, i too have fallen foul a few years ago.

[jont]

I change network settings immediately, i too have fallen foul a few years ago.

Just started a wish list with this as it is the first thing I do when importing an ACD

[brucet]

I'm pleased to say we have already thought about those areas. I won't get cocky and guarantee we've thought of everything, but I think we have them fairly well covered :-)

Firstly, there is a mutual exclusivity between stock synchronisation and other actions that it might interfere with. So for example, you cannot import a snapshot or a csv file while sync is in progress; and vice versa - stock sync will not kick in during an import.

Secondly, if you import a snapshot, change network settings or drop in a database, automatic stock sync will be suspended and a message displayed. So you can't accidentally download your clients latest orders to your PC...

Thirdly, auto sync will not start until after the first site upload. This is to avoid the errors that would be triggered by trying to sync to an empty site.

Btw automatic sync does run in the background, so you can carry on with normal desktop tasks while it operates, and the performance overhead is minimal.

[NormanRouxel]

Bruce,

Super. That sounds safe enough.

Only thing that seems risky would be to install a clients site by copying in the entire site folder. I presume that Actinic woudn't see this as a relevant change.

[brucet]

Only thing that seems risky would be to install a clients site by copying in the entire site folder. I presume that Actinic woudn't see this as a relevant change.

I think it would, actually. It compares (AFAIR) the network settings and stock file against hashes from the original, which are stored in Sites.ini. So as long as the Sites.ini file is unchanged, it should recognise that the site is different.

It's possible that it might produce occasional false positives, eg following a crash; but the warning message is worded to enable these to be recognised and dealt with accordingly. We thought it was better to err on the side of caution...