Best way to update remote web database from winforms app

I have a question that is perhaps slightly towards architecture and design rather than syntax problem....

I have a c# winforms app on my desktop which I have built which is similar to a CRM. I make updates to customers records as they submit orders/invoices etc and what I would like to do is to build (or buy) a module that will update a remote database that sits behind a website onto hich registered clients log in. I want the clients to be able to see the status of their invoice/purchase etc as I have updated it on the winforms app.

I can think of a couple of options of the top of my head but would like to know more if you have done something similar

Things I am considering are;

1. >Replication - I think this is overkill as the updates are not huge, are one way only, and not critical they are in real time, and a开发者_运维技巧lso I am running SQL express on the winforms app. This can be changed but rather not
2. >create a text/xml file that gets created and uploaded to the web server to a location that is monitored every 5 minutes and then updates the web database. - I am not hosting the website myself so I do not have complete control over what I can install but I suspect I can install a .NET 'filewatcher'

Anyway, I would appreciate your thought on my 'problem'

thanks

I think your best bet is to create a web service of some kind (I like using ServiceStack.net to create simple REST ones, much cleaner imo than WCF). This will sit on the server and be responsible for the server-side sync piece.

On the client, you could either have the winforms app fire off the call to the web service based on some threshold of activity, or you could have a windows service that you install with the winforms app which does it in a scheduled job or on a timer.

You'll want to be sure that you're doing all your calls over SSL of course, and make sure you're authenticating the clients, but that's the basic architectural approach I'd take.