Sugessions for structure of application regarding using database

[aanne]

Scenario:
Developing java desktop application.
There user want to use the application on various sites(Physical places).
i.e n users(with individual laptops) @ n no of sites at a time.
finally they report at their main office,where same application running on server with database connectivity.assume(MySql).
Now question is what strategy should be deployed on laptops to store collected data on sites? and how to synchronize it with server database.?
to use another database/other options...like?

note[laptop does not have any network connectivity with sever]
Comment required for structure of application regarding using database

[Hack]

Several years ago I had a similiar scenerio.

I put an MS Access database on the laptops that had the exact same table structure as my SQL Server database. When in the field (i.e., not connected to the network) all records were saved there, then uploaded to SQL Server when the agent came back into the office or could otherwise connect to the network.

There were a few issues that needed to be ironed out. The biggest was the ability to determine if a record in the Access database was a new record (in which case the upload to SQL Server required an INSERT INTO query be run) or an update to an existing record (in which case the upload to SQL Server required an UPDATE query be run). This is something that can be worked out on your end as you know the data and clients etc far better than do we.

Once the upload to SQL Server was complete and verified, the records in local Access database were wiped out.

It is offered as a suggestion.

[aanne]

Hi HACK
your suggestion suits my framework.i can now look forward towards implementation.
if you have any more issues regarding this scenario that should i take care about please post.

Thank you.

Regards
-aanne