How do I address replication and save conflicts?

A replication conflict occurs when two or more users edit the same document in different replicas, between one replication and the next. A save conflict occurs when two or more users edit the same document in the same application on a server, at the same time.

About this task

To fix replication or save conflicts that occur, examine each conflict and decide whether you want to keep the main document or the response, depending on which is more timely and accurate. Then delete either the main document or the response as described below.

Select any of these topics:

  • How Notes® treats replication conflicts
  • How Notes® treats save conflicts
  • To save information from a response in the main document and delete the response
  • To delete the main document and make a response the main document

How Notes treats replication conflicts

About this task

After two or more users edit and save the same document, at the next replication Notes® designates the most frequently edited and saved document as the main document. (If each has been edited and saved the same number of times, Notes® designates the most recently saved document as the main document.) Notes® shows the other(s) as responses to the main document with a diamond symbol in the left margin.

Deletions are a special case. If one user edits and saves a document in a replica and another user then deletes it, the deletion takes precedence. If, however, a document is edited and saved more than once, or if the document is edited and saved after the deletion, the edited document takes precedence.

Note: An application designer can specify that Notes® merge conflicting edits into a single document whenever possible. In this case, if two users edit different fields in the same document, Notes® saves the editorial changes to each field in a single document. However, if two users edit the same field in the same document, Notes® saves one document as a main document and the other as a response as described above.

How Notes treats save conflicts

About this task

When more than one user opens the same document to edit, Notes® designates the document that has been saved first as the main document. When another user tries to save the same document, Notes® prompts the user to save it as a Save Conflict document. If the user does, Notes® shows it as a response to the main document with a diamond symbol in the left margin.

To save information from a response to the main document and delete the response

Procedure

  1. Open the response document that contains information you want to save.
  2. Select the information you want to copy and click Edit > Copy.
  3. Open the main document in Edit mode.
  4. Place the cursor where you want the information and click Edit > Paste.
  5. Click File > Save to save the main document.
  6. Select the response document.
  7. Click Edit > Delete.
  8. In a non-mail application, click View > Refresh to delete the response document.

To delete the main document and make a response the main document

Procedure

  1. Edit the response you want to make the main document.
  2. Click File > Save to save the response. It becomes a main document.
  3. If there are other response documents, do the following:
    1. Select the other response documents and click Edit > Cut.
    2. Select the document you saved in step 2.
    3. Click Edit > Paste. The documents now become responses to the document you're keeping.
  4. Select the document you don't want to keep.
  5. Click Edit > Delete.
  6. In a non-mail application, click View > Refresh to delete the unwanted main document from the view.