In the following article we will explain the difference between “Local Data” and “Server Data”.
This will allow you to differentiate which data you are viewing, exporting or printing at any given moment. In addition, you will better understand how the changes that are generated during the timing process affect you.
What does data in the server mean?
copérnico is a service in which almost all the processes are performed on an external server (in the cloud), allowing a greater availability of processing “power” at the times when it is required.
This means that the information is in the server and almost all calculations are performed in the cloud. The only calculations that can be performed “locally” are custom columns, which allow certain calculations to be made on the device that is “timing” the run.
As the information is in the server, your computer, tablet or any other device, is synchronized as changes are generated in the race, either to receive readings, show the positions that have been calculated in the server or any other changes. The information that is synchronized and displayed on any device is what we call “local data”.
The process would be as follows, you change the last name of a participant, that data is sent to the server, and if another timekeeper has the same race open, it will be updated on their screen.
Being a cloud service, the quality of the connection may delay the update of data contained in local mode.
- Synchronization of participants data
The Participants menu allows display of participant or team data.
The changes that are generated either manually (a change of data) or by processing readings sent by the timing device to the server, generate modifications in the display table.
Thus, there are 2 types of data synchronization:
- Generated by the user. In this case you, as you are timing a race. You can make modifications to the data that will have to be sent to the server for processing. For example, updating a participant´s time.
The more complex the modification, the more time the server will need to process the changes generated, and update the information on your screen. For example, if you change the event to 2000 participants, a modification process is generated for all the selected participants. The higher the number of participants and the more complex the modification, the more time the local information may not be completely updated for a few seconds. In this case, it is advisable to wait for this process to be completed.
- Generated by the server. While timing a race, the server will be almost constantly receiving data, processing this data and sending it to the “local” devices. On the one hand, it will receive the readings from the timing equipment, and send them as “raw times” to the raw section of copérnico, on the other hand, once the “raw times” have been processed, it will send the checkpoint times and positions. These will be sent to participants. These constant changes are sometimes visible and sometimes not, for example, if in participants you do not have a preset that shows you passage times in the control points, you will not visualize this data, although copérnico is receiving them.
What happens when working with data that is local and in the server?
What can happen is that the data you see on the screen is not the data found on the server.
Imagine that you are timing a race in which you have had different starting waves, so once the first ones arrive, positions are generated, 1, 2, 3, etc.
But of course, in the second wave a participant may enter in position 4 in general, and what happens is that on your screen you can see two participants with position 4, as shown in the attached image.
This is because our Local information is not completely updated and you are only seeing some of the changes made in the server.
Why not update all the data at the same time?
In order not to overload the system. Imagine that this happens in a race with 20,000 participants and 10 timing points. If with each change of positions we send all the information of each participant and each timing point, you would probably have to bring the best PC on the market to update this information.
Note that the only thing wrong is the display of your data on the screen. The data on the server is correct and you can download it at any time.
You can initiate the Local data update process by various means:
- Forcing copérnico synchronization, using the available icons:
- In the left side menu. Bottom left, from any menu in copérnico.
- At the top right, in the Participants menu.
- Once completed by performing either of the above 2 actions, a green check will be displayed at the bottom left of the screen.
- Reload the page in the browser by means of CRTL + F5
If for some reason you have run out of internet, but you have already synchronized the data from the server with your local data, you can use this local data to publish results on paper, or simply export a list from Participants.
In Participants, you can print the data you have locally by applying the preset you need and selecting the CSV option at the top of the screen.
After clicking the button or selecting the format (CSV or XML) you will see a menu where you can select:
- Delimiter: (comma, semicolon or tabulation).
- Data source:
- Remote: for the data contained in the server.
- Local: for the current data in our browser.
- File name
- Synchronizations of presets and documents
In this case, although it is not so visible that the server data is not synchronized with the local data, it may occur.
For example, if 2 people are timing the same event, and one of them selects a Preset (or Document) as a favorite, it is possible that this change will not be visible to the other timer until you synchronize the server data with the local data.
It can also happen that you design a new document, so that it is accessible to the members of your company, and they do not see it because they do not have the updated data.
To do this, you must perform any of the actions discussed:
- Synchronize button in the left side menu.
- Synchronize button in participants.
- Refresh browser Ctrl+F5.
