I'm fighting with a serious limitations of ArcPad using Feature Access service for Disconnected editing as datasource. I'm involved in a project for develop an ArcPad Application for field inspectors in a Pipeline company, in my country, Ecuador.
First, we had problems with the object class objects, because the only way to integrate it in a AXF file is creating relationship classes with feature class objects. Field inspectors will collect information over fixed positions, the application need to edit data in object class tables, not in the attributes of the feature class. We prepared the tables in the source geodatabase to avoid conflicts when we publish a feature access service containing the same object and feature classes of the AXF file.
We create some relationships between object classes and between object classes and feature classes. AXF file was generated OK, and all of the data source paths was redirected to a feature access service using the tool provided in ArcMap. Feature access service have sync enabled to allow disconnected editing.
Up to here there no big problems only a lot of tests, and research, to complete this very complex process.
ArcPad documentation are very light and optimistic when describes the disconnected editing and feature service synchronization capabilities.
We start testing in ArcPad and after a lot of different scenarios, we can't get a successful synchronization, only a lot of error messages and bug reports unsolved by ESRI.
We find some things:
1. Relatively complex database schemas was not supported by SQL 2005 Compact.
2. Please do not include features with more than 10000 records!
3. Do not create relationships using GlobalID as PK or FK. It's not permitted in AXF creation. Do not use versioning in the geodatabase, is not permitted for feature access service creation for disconnected edition.
4. In MS documentation for SQL Server Compact 2005, are not clear about its real limitations compared with SQL Server (any version, 2008, 2012).
Up to here my experience. Oops. almost I forget the delay of 2 months to finish the project.
As ArcPad documentation are very simplistic, I'm sharing my experience with all of ESRI community in order to know similar experiences and solutions.
Any comment will be appreciated.
Oswaldo Sandoval.
Geoint Ltda.
