Remote data access (RDA) in SQL Server Compact 3.5 lets an application access data from a remote SQL Server database table and store that data in a local SQL Server Compact 3.5 database table. The application can then read and update the local SQL Server Compact 3.5 database table. SQL Server Compact 3.5 can optionally track all changes that are made to the local table. The application can later update the changed records from the local table back to the SQL Server table.

In SQL Server Compact 3.5, propagating the data from the SQL Server table to a local SQL Server Compact 3.5 table is referred to as pulling the data. Propagating changes that are made in the local SQL Server Compact 3.5 table back to the SQL Server table is referred to as pushing the data.

The applications can also use RDA to submit SQL statements for execution on a remote SQL Server database. For example, an application could submit SQL statements that insert, update, or delete records to a remote SQL Server table. Applications can invoke any SQL statement that does not return a recordset. This includes a stored procedure on the remote system.

RDA is appropriate when the full functionality of SQL Server Compact 3.5 merge replication, such as conflict resolution, is not required.