I'm building a disconnected application. The main database will be at the office while the sales people will have laptops in the field. The laptops will be connected most of the time to the office, but not always. I'm in the process of research several options.

1. Use Push Replication from the Main SQL Server database to SQL Express database.

2. Use Local Database Cache to build a local Compact database. (Having trouble getting Entity Spaces to connect to this database)

3. Use SQL Express Database using DBPeerSyncProvider to synchronize to the SQL Server Database at the main office.

4. Build a custom sync provider to use Entity spaces to sync the two databases.

 I would like to hear what others have done to solve this.

Norm

First, if you have not seen it yet, this white paper is essential reading when trying to determine whether to choose SQL Express Edition vs. SQL Compact Edition.

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/editions/compact/sscecomparison.mspx

Addressing your specific issue would depend on what version of EntitySpaces you are using. At the end of 2006 MS removed the device only restriction on SqlCe and started promoting it as a single-user, embedded, desktop alternative. This distinction did not make it into EntitySpaces 2007.1.1210.0. The EntitySpaces.SqlClientProvider.Ce assembly still required the use of the Compact Framework, and was designed with mobile devices in mind.

Starting with ES 2008, we have renamed assemblies to make the distinction between database compact editions and the .NET Compact Framework much clearer, and we ship separate EntitySpaces.SqlCeClientProvder and EntitySpaces.SqlCeClientProvider.CF assemblies. All the providers listed in this Blog post are included in ES 2008 Beta III (2008.0.0509.0).

http://www.entityspaces.net/blog/2008/03/10/EntitySpaces+2008+Alpha+Released.aspx

With that in mind, which version of SqlCe are you using? Is this a disconnected app? It sounds more like an Occasionally Connected app (OCA)? What specific issue are you having? Can you connect in MyGeneration or CodeSmith, and run the MetadataMap template (for OCA with SQL Server as your Generated Master) or Generated Master template (for a truly stand-alone disconnected app)?