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A firm using both Zeno’s QuickBooks sync and Zeno for QuickBooks Desktop has two programs driving one QuickBooks installation. QuickBooks serves one caller at a time, so they need to take turns. This only applies when both are installed on the same workstation.

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What collides

The QuickBooks request processor is single-threaded and holds one company file. A batch holds its session for the whole run — deliberately, since opening a session per entry would add minutes to a large batch. While a batch is running, a Web Connector sync starting up gets refused. While a sync is running, a batch fails to start. Neither corrupts anything: the loser gets an error and the work stays queued. The symptoms don’t announce themselves as a collision, so recognise them:
  • A batch fails at entry 1 with a session error, having posted nothing.
  • The Web Connector logs a failed session and retries on its next cycle.
  • A run in the console shows as aborted with QuickBooks’ message against it.

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Scheduling around it

Set the Web Connector’s auto-run interval so it doesn’t fire during the hours anyone runs batches. In the Web Connector window, clear Auto-Run for the Zeno application, or set the interval wide enough to work between cycles. If you post batches during the day, run the sync overnight.

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Recovering from a collision

Nothing is lost either way. A batch that aborted — open the run in the console. Entries that posted are recorded. Plan the same batch again: anything already posted comes back as already posted and is skipped, so re-applying is safe. A sync that failed — the Web Connector retries on its next cycle. Queued items stay queued.

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Running them on separate machines

Where a firm has the machines for it, the cleanest arrangement is the Web Connector sync on the server or back-office PC that hosts the company file, and batch posting on the bookkeeper’s workstation. QuickBooks still allows one caller at a time against a given company file, so this doesn’t remove the constraint. It does separate the scheduled work from the interactive work, which makes the interactive side predictable.