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Partition-Based Sync - React Native SDK

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  • Partition Value
  • Configure a Partition-Based Sync Realm
  • Copy Data and Open a New Realm
  • Migrate from Partition-Based Sync to Flexible Sync
  • Updating Client Code After Migration

Partition-Based Sync is an older mode for using Atlas Device Sync with the Realm React Native SDK. We recommend using Flexible Sync for new apps. The information on this page is for users who are still using Partition-Based Sync.

For more information about Partition-Based Sync and how to configure it in Atlas App Services, refer to Partition-Based Sync in the App Services documentation.

Partition Value

When you select Partition-Based Sync for your backend App configuration, your client implementation must include a partition value. This is the value of the partition key field you select when you configure Partition-Based Sync.

The partition value determines which data the client application can access.

You pass in the partition value when you open a synced realm.

Configure a Partition-Based Sync Realm

To open a Flexible Sync realm, use @realm/react's createRealmContext() function and its returned RealmProvider.

In a RealmProvider that's nested in a UserProvider, add a sync property with a SyncConfiguration object that contains flexible: true.

Note that UserProvider automatically passes an authenticated user to RealmProvider.

<RealmProvider
  schema={[YourObjectModel]}
  sync={{
    partitionValue: 'testPartition',
  }}>
  <RestOfApp />
</RealmProvider>

Copy Data and Open a New Realm

New in version realm@10.14.0.

To copy data from an existing realm to a new realm with different configuration options, pass the new configuration the Realm.writeCopyTo() method.

Note

Same-Type Sync Only

This method only supports copying a Partition-Based Sync configuration for another Partition-Based Sync user, or a Flexible Sync configuration for another Flexible Sync user. You cannot use this method to convert between a Partition-Based Sync realm and a Flexible Sync realm or vice-versa.

In the new realm's configuration, you must specify the path.

If you write the copied realm to a realm file that already exists, the data is written object by object. The copy operation replaces objects if there already exists objects for given primary keys. The schemas of the realm you copy and the realm you are writing to must be compatible for the copy operation to succeed. Only objects in the schemas of both configurations are copied over.

The configuration change can include modifications to SyncConfiguration:

  • Local realm to synced realm

  • Synced Realm to local realm

The configuration change can also include changes to encryptionKey property of the Configuration:

  • Encrypted realm to unencrypted realm

  • Unencrypted realm to encrypted realm

Example

Convert Local Realm to Synced Realm

You can also combine changes to configuration. For example, you can open a local encrypted realm as a synced unencrypted realm or a unencrypted synced realm as an encrypted synced realm.

Example

Convert Synced Encrypted to Local Unencrypted Realm

Migrate from Partition-Based Sync to Flexible Sync

You can migrate your App Services Device Sync Mode from Partition-Based Sync to Flexible Sync. Migrating is an automatic process that does not require any changes to your application code. Automatic migration requires Realm Node.js SDK version 11.10.0 or newer.

Migrating enables you to keep your existing App Services users and authentication configuration. Flexible Sync provides more versatile permissions configuration options and more granular data synchronization.

For more information about how to migrate your App Services App from Partition-Based Sync to Flexible Sync, refer to Migrate Device Sync Modes.

Updating Client Code After Migration

The automatic migration from Partition-Based Sync to Flexible Sync does not require any changes to your client code. However, to support this functionality, Realm automatically handles the differences between the two Sync Modes by:

  • Automatically creating Flexible Sync subscriptions for each object type where partitionKey == partitionValue.

  • Injecting a partitionKey field into every object if one does not already exist. This is required for the automatic Flexible Sync subscription.

If you need to make updates to your client code after migration, consider updating your client codebase to remove hidden migration functionality. You might want update your client codebase when:

  • You add a new model or change a model in your client codebase

  • You add or change functionality that involves reading or writing Realm objects

  • You want to implement more fine-grained control over what data you sync

Make these changes to convert your Partition-Based Sync client code to use Flexible Sync:

  • Add flexible:true to your SyncConfiguration object where you open a synced realm.

  • Add relevant properties to your object models to use in your Flexible Sync subscriptions. For example, you might add an ownerId property to enable a user to sync only their own data.

  • Remove automatic Flexible Sync subscriptions and manually create the relevant subscriptions.

For examples of Flexible Sync permissions strategies, including examples of how to model data for these strategies, refer to Device Sync Permissions Guide.

Remove and Manually Create Subscriptions

When you migrate from Partition-Based Sync to Flexible Sync, Realm automatically creates hidden Flexible Sync subscriptions for your app. The next time you add or change subscriptions, we recommend that you:

  1. Remove the automatically-generated subscriptions.

  2. Manually add the relevant subscriptions in your client codebase.

This enables you to see all of your subscription logic together in your codebase for future iteration and debugging.

For more information about the automatically-generated Flexible Sync subscriptions, refer to Migrate Client App to Flexible Sync.

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