Workflow Replication

Unlike the data dissemination model, in a workflow-replication system, the data moves from site to site. Each site processes or approves the data before sending it on to the next site.

A Workflow-Replication System Where Update Authority Moves From Site to Site illustrates an order-processing system. Order processing typically follows a well-ordered series of steps: orders are entered, approved by accounting, inventory is reconciled, and the order is finally shipped.

In a workflow-replication system, application modules can be distributed across multiple sites and databases. Data can also be replicated to sites that need read-only access to the data (for example, if order-entry sites want to monitor the progress of an order).

A workflow-replication system, like the primary-target replication system, allows only unidirectional updates. Many facts that you need to consider for a primary-target replication system should also be considered for the workflow-replication system.

However, unlike the primary-target replication system, availability can become an issue if a database server goes down. The database servers in the workflow-replication system rely on the data updated at a previous site. Consider this fact when you select a workflow-replication system.