Grouped Batch Sync: Reducing Orphan Records in Offline-First Applications
Offline-first synchronization sounds simple until one user action creates several related records.
Saving data locally is the easy part. The hard part starts later, when the application needs to synchronize that local state with the cloud and with other devices. If every record is synchronized independently, a business operation that was complete on one device can become incomplete on another.
That is how orphan records appear.
A receipt may arrive without its payment. A financial entry may point to a receipt that has not arrived yet. Inventory may be updated without the sale or receipt that explains the movement. The local device looks correct, but the rest of the system sees only part of the operation.
