BridgeMaster is designed to work in tandem with a national central server for both membership maintenance and scoring consistency. It plays an important role to clubs as a full backup for all data and as a tool to obtain technical assistance with difficult movements or problem events.

Synchronisation is attempted only when internet access is available and occurs when the application first starts or from buttons in specific windows.

During each process, the application first looks on the server for changes, downloads those and then uploads your local changes.This happens whether you initiate the synchronisation or the application does. In the event that something has changed on both sides, the server always wins and local changes will be overwritten. You will be warned of this if it occurs but the possibility should be rare.

Let us review the synchronisation options;

When the application first starts it checks for internet access. If it isn't available you simply proceed as normal. If a connection is available the following events take place for full synchronisation.

a. The ABF membership table is checked for updates. This includes new members, Master Point updates and membership status.This ensures you are always dealing with the most up to date National membership list.

b. Any changes you have made to your club members are then uploaded. Address and phone number information will not be available to other clubs.

c. The national club data is synchronised and as with members, any changes you have made to your club's details are then uploaded for redistribution to other clubs.

d. Movement descriptions and system tables are then updated from the server and new local movements are loaded back for storage.

e. Event data is then synchronised. This can be two-way. If events have been Master Pointed, your local event data will be overwritten from the server. It is therefore important that once you have completed an event for Master Pointing that you wait for an update before changing an event. Be aware that even the smallest change to an event may force it to be re Master Pointed.

Note that full synchronisation can also be initiated from the treeview under the File Maintenance option.