The administrator must enable synchronization on the main database before performing the other synchronization tasks. Once synchronization is enabled, the other synchronization tasks, such as managing Sync Sets and creating remote databases, become available.

You define a Sync Set to indicate which data in the main database to share with each remote database. You may synchronize all of the data in your main database with remote databases, or you can define query criteria to describe the set of contact records that you want to share with those remote databases. When you create a Sync Set, you specify the name of the Sync Set, the users who can access contact records, and the contact records they can access which will be synchronized between the main database and the remote database for which the Sync Set is being created.

For more information see, Understanding Sync Sets.

Once a Sync Set is defined, you must create a remote database for your users to access. When you create a remote database, you select the Sync Set to include in the database.

When the remote database is created, you must deliver it to your users so that they can begin using it. ACT! Premium for Web creates a file with an .rdb extension. You deliver this file to your users by placing it in a shared folder or FTP site, or copying it onto a disk. A user at the remote location must then unpack and restore the remote database.

A main database must be set to listen for communications to receive the synchronization data from a remote database(s). You use the Accept Incoming Syncs command to turn on synchronization for the main database. Remote databases cannot synchronize to a main database if the Sync Server is not turned on.

The Internet synchronization set up requires a computer with Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) v5.0.2 or higher, and ASP.NET (if using Windows 2003) installed. The IIS computer should be located outside the firewall. See Setting up Internet synchronization.

The ACT! Network synchronization service is a separately installed executable that allows you to monitor an ACT! main database accepting incoming synchronizations from remote databases. See Setting up the ACT! Network synchronization service.

When you receive a remote database, you must unpack and restore the file before using it.

Once you install your remote database, you can begin synchronizing data. Only a user of a remote database can initialize synchronization. Synchronization requires an active network or Internet connection.

You can set up a synchronization schedule to automatically synchronize to the main database daily, weekly, monthly, or at other times. A synchronization schedule ensures that the remote database and the main database synchronize on a regular basis.

To receive more contact records from the main database, use the Subscription List to add them to your database. You can only do this if you have permission to access the contact record. For example, you cannot add private or limited contact records to which you do not have access.