A synchronization model is a tool that makes it easy for you to create MobiLink applications. A synchronization model is a file that is created by the Create Synchronization Model Wizard in Sybase Central.

When you run the Create Synchronization Model Wizard, you are prompted to connect to a consolidated database to obtain schema information. If your database is not yet set up as a consolidated database, the wizard can apply setup scripts to create MobiLink system tables and other objects required by synchronization; other than that, no changes are made to your consolidated database until you deploy your model. When you complete the wizard the connection to the database is closed.

After you complete the Create Synchronization Model Wizard, the model appears in Model mode. You can use Model mode to customize your model. When you are in Model mode, you are working offline: no changes are made to your consolidated database. Your model is stored in a model file with the extension .mlsm.

When your model is complete, you use the Deploy Synchronization Model Wizard to deploy it. The Deploy Synchronization Model Wizard creates script files to run the synchronization server and client using deployment options you choose. You can choose to make changes to your existing databases when you deploy or you can choose to have the wizard create files that you run yourself.

After you deploy, you can continue to customize the model or databases and then redeploy. Alternatively, you can modify the deployed synchronization system out of Model mode, using the techniques that are described throughout the MobiLink documentation. However, when you change a synchronization system outside of Model mode, you cannot reverse-engineer the changes back into the model.