Requirements | Server | Client | Sync Guide

Client Setup

The Pocket PC side of FinchSync acts as client. The client manages the synchronization process. It is responsible for detecting changes, conflict solving and exchanging of new, changed, removed items.

Software Installation

The client-application is written in C# and provided as cab-install package. The provided CAB runs on all Pocket PC processors as long as the .NET Compact Framework is installed. (See requirements how to setup the .NET framework.)

It takes just three steps to install the client application on your Pocket PC:

1. Download the cab-installer package 'FinchSync.cab' from the download area.
2. Transfer the cab-file to your Pocket PC using ActiveSync (only on Windows systems), a wireless connection like WLAN or Bluetooth or storage cards like Compact Flash.
3. Click on the cab-file to start the setup process. (The cab file will be removed.)

Note: There might be a message like 'The application being installed may not work properly because It was written for an earlier version of Windows Mobile.'  This message can be ignored.

Another way to install the client is to use the Pocket Internet Explorer. If your Pocket PC is connected with the internet, visit the special Pocket PC download area at: www.finchsync.com/ppc

Just click on the link to the CAB-file to start the download and setup process.

That's all. Open 'Programs' from the start-menu on the Pocket PC and select FinchSync to start the application:

Picture: FinchSync main window on Pocket PC.

Configuration

Managing Sync-Servers

The client can connect to many different sync-servers to exchange information and synchronize events, tasks or contacts. To add or remove sync-servers, select 'Config/Server' from the menu:

Picture: Managing sync servers.

The dialog lists all configured sync-servers to which the PocketPC can connect.

Adding a new Sync Server

• Press 'Add' button to open the server config dialog.

Picture: Sync server configuration.

• Enter a name to identity the server ony our PocketPC (only characters and numbers allowed). Choose any name you like, but it must be unique on your Pocket PC serverlist and can not be changed after the server is added.
• The Alias name should be left blank in most cases. If you sync items with more than one server, all items are kept separate on your PocketPC. An item from server A will not move to server B if you synchronize your PocketPC with server B. If you want to synchronize the same items across mutliple servers, you would configure server B, but enter the alias name of server A. The alias name must be the name of an other server on your PocketPC. See HowTo in support section for an example.
• Enter the IP Address of the FinchSync server (preferable) or the hostname. The server's IP-Address is displayed on the 'Activity' tab of the FinchSync server application.

Note: If an IP address starting with '127.0.0.' (loopback address) is shown, as it happened to me on a Linux system, you must find the real address using some command-line tools. On Windows you may use 'ipconfig', on Linux 'ifconfig' (you must have administrator rights to start this command.)

If your PC is NOT connected to any network, for example if you are travelling with your notebook, your PC may not have an IP address asigned at all. In this case, you MUST connect your PDA to the PC first and wait for ActiveSync to start up, before you can start the FinchSync server on your PC. ActiveSync will assign an IP address to your PC as soon as a PocketPC is connected.

• Enter the port-number you have used on the server-side configuration.
• Enter your login-name. This is the name of the client you have added to the FinchSync server. This is NOT (!) your Windows, Linus or OS-X login.
• Enter your password as configured for the client at the FinchServer. This is NOT (!) your Windows, Linus or OS-X password.
• Confirm the password in the next box.

Note: Compression, encryption or entering a SSL-Port number is not yet supported. The controls are disabled.

To validate your settings, press the 'Test' button. An new dialog shows up:

Picture: Connection test.

Press 'connect'. FinchSync will try to connect the server and displays the result in a few seconds. (May take upto two minutes, if there is no connection at all !)

If the server could be connected, the tables contains a list of all SyncSources available on the server for this client. The list shows the name and the type ( 'C'= contacts, 'A'= appointments, 'T'= tasks) of each SyncSource, and if the source is available and has write-access.

NOTE: If you are missig a SyncSource in this list, check your client-configuration on the Server. If a source is not available (missing 'X' in the column), the source might be marked as unavailable on the server, a second client might accessing this source at the same time or the server has detected, that the main application of this source is running on the server. If Thunderbird is running, the addressbook might be not available.

If connecting the server fails and you are sure, that your settings are correct, please check your server's firewall settings. If you connect using ActiveSync, try to reset the connection by switching the Pocket PC off / on.

• Choose 'OK' to finish the connection test.
• Choose 'OK' to finish the server configuration.

Changing server settings

• Select the server from the list.
• Choose 'Config' to open the config dialog.

Removing a server

• Select the server from the list.
• Press 'Remove'.

A dialog will show up to confirm the removal.

A second dialog will ask, if all items (contacts, tasks etc.) which have been synchronized with this server should be removed from the device. This option is recommended. Otherwise those items are left on the device and must be removed manually, if no longer needed. Further, all those items are considered as new, if you ever add a new server with the same name as the removed one.

Synchronization

The synchronization is initiated from the main window.

• Select a server from the drop-down list.
• Press 'Sync it!'

First all running Pocket Outlook applications are closed (PocketOutlook is just one application running on your PocketPC, but it is shown to the user as four different applications: Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Email windows).

This is necessary, because Pocket Outlook will not reflect changes made in the database while it is running. You should finish work with these applications, before you start the synchronization. This may fail in some cases. See FAQ topic nr. 5 for more details.

Then all items are read from Pocket Outlook database (PIM) and checked for changes. This may take some time, especially if there are many items in the database.

Then the selected server is contacted and the synchronization is performed. At the end a success-message is displayed or errors are reported.

For details, choose 'Config/View log' to open the synchronization log:

Picture: Synchronization log.

Different log-levels can be selected via the drop-down list to locate errors. Selecting an entry from the list will show a detailed description. The button 'Show item' opens the referenced item, if available.

Working with Category Mappings

Why you might want to use category mappings is explained in the Sync Guide. This might be the most important chapter of the whole documentation, so don't miss it!

Category mappings ease the handing with the special syntax FinchSync uses for category fields. Internally a mapping is just a text relacement. A mapping like:

Category 'Friends' for type contacts mapped to 'Home:Family:Friends'

tells FinchSync, that if you use the category 'Friends' for a contact on your PocketPC, you really mean 'Home:Family:Friends'.

To manage category mappings, choose 'Config / Category Mapping':

Picture: Dialog for managing category mappings.

This dialog shows all mappings. In this example, there are two mappings:

A default mapping for type 'contact' to 'HomePC:MyAdrBook', meaning all contacts will be synchronized to the SyncSource 'MyAdrBook' on server 'HomePC'.

A mapping for type 'Appointment/Task' from category 'Birthday' to 'HomePC:PrivateCalendar:Birthday'.

Adding a category mapping

To add a mapping, press 'Add':

Picture: Mapping configuration dialog.

• Type to map: First you have to select the item type you want to add a mapping for: 'Contact' or 'App./Task'.
• Map category: The dropdown list shows all categories found in items of the selected kind on your PocketPC. Select the category you like to map. In not already used, there will be an entry '-Default-' available, to add a default mapping.
• Sync Source: Select the source you want to map the category to. Everytime you test a connection to a server, all SyncSyources available on this server are rememberd by FinchSync. The list shows all known SyncSources for your selected type. If not sources are known yet, you must press 'Search' to open the connection test dialog. Connect to the server you like to map to and close the test dialog. Now the list should be filled, or there is no mathing source available.
• Adapt categories: This convenient option will rename the category field of all existing items according to your mapping.

Example 1: If you map the category 'Birthday' to 'HomePC:PrivateCalendar:Birthday', all category fields containing 'HomePC:PrivateCalendar:Birthday' will be set to 'Birthday'.

Example 2: If add a default mapping for appointments/tasks to 'HomePC:PrivateCalendar', all category fields starting with 'HomePC:PrivateCalendar' will be renamed: 'HomePC:PrivateCalendar:Birthday' -> 'Birthday', HomePC:PrivateCalendar:Meeting'->'Meeting' etc.

Press 'Add' to add the mapping.

Removing a category mapping

To remove a mapping, select it from the list and press 'Remove'. A dialog will show up to confirm the operation. A second dialog will ask, if you like to rename the category fields of all items, to which this mapping das applied.

This renaming action is just the opposite of what is described above for adding a mapping. As a rule of thumb, you should rename your items, i you like to continue synchronize with this server again later. If you don't rename the items back and remove the mapping, affected items will no longer belong to the external source and will be removed from that source the next time you synchronize with it.

Note: You can easily delete lots of items or get double entries if you toy around with category mappings.So be careful.

Uninstall FinchSync

Before you uninstall FinchSync, all entries should be removed manually from the sync server list:

• Select 'Config/Server'.
• Select each entry and press 'Remove'.
• Press 'Yes' on the second dialog to remove all of the server's items from the device.

Info: This will remove all synchronized items from your Pocket PC.

• To uninstall the application, choose 'Settings' from the start-menu.
• Select the 'System' tab.
• Choose 'Remove Programs'.
• Select 'FinchSync' from the program-list and press 'Remove'.

Two small configuration files may be left by the uninstaller. To remove these files, use the 'File Explorer' to navigate to the folder 'My Device/Program Files' and delete the folder 'FinchSync'.

Note: If you like to update to a newer version of FinchSync, please follow the update instructions, as you may keep your items and settings on your PocketPC.

> Continue with Sync Guide