iPhone app will not sync with MobileMe server
 

For the past three days my mobile application has refused to load. I got repeated "unable to synchronise database with server" messages and occasionally the message that the database on the server "appears to be wholly unrelated". When I opted to replace data with the server copy I went through the whole rigmarole again. I repeatedly reset the database in Settings.

I have two Macs and both continued to sync automatically with MobileMe, so I presumed the server database was working correctly and that the fault could not be with MobileMe.

I checked Registered Clients in the Sync Preferences and noticed my iPhone appeared twice. I tried un-registering the older copy but still the problem persisted.

This is what I did finally to get the database back on the iPhone and syncing:

1) In desktop OmniFocus Preferences go to Sync and choose Clients. Delete all iPhone clients (unless you have more than one phone, in which case delete only the one[s] relating to the phone in question).

2) Back on the Sync tab click the button to "Share Settings"

3) Open OF on the iPhone and go to Settings and choose "Get Settings from Mac"

4) Reset the database with the red button

...and the database should be downloaded from MobileMe to the phone. If you then check Sync/Clients you will find the iPhone relisted as a client.

I thought this might be helpful to others struggling with the same problem. If my solution isn't recommended or is likely to cause problems, perhaps Ken or someone else from Omni can post a preferred method.

I have tried this, but still no sync. My desktop info never gets to the iPhone.

I have never gotten OF iPhone to sync properly with my desktop OF since purchasing it (gave up for a few weeks and am now ready to try again!). V frustrating. :(

Jennifer, can you post the details of your setup, and what exactly you've tried? No doubt you've done so in previous posts, but help us help you :-)

OK, here goes:

To start fresh last night I did the following:

1) Uninstalled the OF app from iPhone.
2) Deregistered the iPhone as a client in OF desktop sync prefs.
3) Synced Iphone w/ Itunes to get the OF app back on my Iphone.
5) Deleted all previous OF files from the 'cloud' in MobileMe.
4) Synced my OF desktop with the 'cloud' using MobileMe w/following location:
[url]https://idisk.me.com/jenniferpirtle/Documents/[/url]. This worked successfully.
5) Broadcasted my OF sync settings to the iPhone using Bonjour.
6) Opened OF on iPhone and tapped 'Get Settings From Mac' to start syncing.
7) OF iPhone app gave message "YOur database couldn't be synchronised because the database on the server appears to be totally unrelated to the local database. Which database would you like to use?'

I've tried responding Local Copy and have also tried responding Server Copy.

OF app on iPhone then opens up, but it has none of my data in it. The Sync wheel is turning and it is 'sync currently in progress' but the application times out.

That's what happens this time. In the past, I got it to transfer info to iphone ONCE but never to then update properly (so info on iphone is always out of date).

I have archived everything in my database through September 1, 2008.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thx,
Jennifer

Update: It appears to have synced, then says 'opening document.' It never does finish opening, though, preferring instead to crash out of OF and return me to the iPhone desktop. :(

Jennifer

Aha! In another thread I found the 'Coalesce' Apple Script, ran that, and now it synced. Very SLOW but it worked. So in all likelihood my database is large. Are there any other tips, besides archiving regularly (which I've done), to keeping it smallish? I've got lots of projects and actions and that won't change...

Jennifer

Progress! Hooray :)

Jennifer, it'd be interesting to know how many actions you have in your database, and how it compares to the recommendation of 1,000 or so. You can find this out in the Terminal by entering the following command:

[code]
sqlite3 ~/Library/Caches/com.omnigroup.omniFocus/OmniFocusDatabase2 'select count(*) from Task';
[/code]

or downloading and running the attached Applescript. The number printed out is the count.

Knowing how big the data file is post-compaction might help, too. I'm a little suspicious that you might have some large attachments in there, as my data file before compaction was recently about 8 MB for 8,000+ actions spread over 4,000+ files, and you said yours was 6x that size! I'm not sure the desktop app would work very well either with that kind of a burden, based on my experience.

Where is it recommended that you have 1,000 actions? I didn't see that anywhere before purchasing the app. OF really should let users know that in advance.

I ran the script and it says 7210. (Is that the correct number?)

I do use the F12 key to 'send' email messages or snippets to OF. I don't ever attach documents, images, etc. to OF, though.

The desktop file always works fine.

(What can I say - I have a lot of projects and a lot of actions!)

Looks like the data file size is 23Mb.

Best,
Jennifer


Jennifer

I have 516 actions and I've had exactly the same problems over the past two weeks. Like Jennifer, I've never heard anything about this 1,000 actions limit. If this is a fact, it should be stated clearly in the documentation so buyers are aware. 10,000 maybe, but 1,000 is ridiculous.

If I continue to have problems, I'm going to push for a refund. Nowhere on the tin (so to speak) does it say there is a limit on number of actions, etc.

Jennifer

[QUOTE=jenniferp;47700]Where is it recommended that you have 1,000 actions? I didn't see that anywhere before purchasing the app. OF really should let users know that in advance.
[/quote]
I think the number is more of a suggestion than a hard limit, designed to keep your database to a size that will be sure to fit in the iPhone's memory. It is mentioned on the [URL="http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnifocus/support/troubleshooting/"]troubleshooting page[/URL] and possibly elsewhere. I quote the relevant bit here:
[INDENT]If your database is too big, it will be too large to fit in the iPhone's memory. If you are also using OmniFocus on a Macintosh (the most likely way to encounter this problem), consider archiving some of your data by choosing "Move Old Data to Archive" from the File menu. In general, we recommend trying to keep the number of actions on your phone down below a thousand.
[/INDENT][quote]
I ran the script and it says 7210. (Is that the correct number?)
Could be. I can't quite see your screen from here :) Whatever the number is that gets printed before the next line prompts for another command, that's the answer.
[/quote]
7210 is a lot of actions. I've only got about 10% than that, and I've been using OmniFocus for almost as long as it has been possible to do so, with lots of repeating actions, and no use of the archive function.

[quote]
I do use the F12 key to 'send' email messages or snippets to OF. I don't ever attach documents, images, etc. to OF, though.
[/quote]
Ah, but the email messages can have attachments, and they will be inserted. I'll bet that is what has bloated your database. Have a look at my posting about [URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=9915"]database size and attachments[/URL] for details on how to see where the space hogs are.

By the way, how did you set up your F12 key to do that?

[quote]
The desktop file always works fine.

(What can I say - I have a lot of projects and a lot of actions!)

Looks like the data file size is 23Mb.

Best,
Jennifer


Jennifer[/QUOTE]

Yeah, 23 MB is awfully big for it all to be stuff you typed in :)

Try dragging a copy of your OmniFocus database from the iDisk to your desktop. Select it, then ctrl-click on it to get the pop-up menu and select Show Package Contents. Inside, you should see a bunch of zip files of various sizes. Double-click on the one that starts with 000000 and you should get a similarly-named directory. If you then go into that directory and use the Finder's View->Customize View Options to have it calculate the size of all the folders, you can see where the space is going.

Argh now my iPhone is completely dead anyhow!

Got a G3 phone and for some reason it works much better now.