Offline-first, in depth
Why an IBEX outlet keeps trading through an outage, and what happens underneath.
Each terminal keeps a full local database. Orders, payments, printing and staff sign-in all happen on the terminal, so an internet — even a router — outage does not stop service. The network is used to share changes between terminals and the server, not to make them possible.
- Reads and writes are local — no round-trip to a server for everyday actions.
- Changes wait in an outbox until they can be sent, then go once each — nothing is lost or duplicated.
- A few things need the server and wait until it answers: closing the day, and changes to staff, menu and settings.
- The rider app is the exception to offline-first: a rider's tap made without signal is not saved, and the app says so.
- With a restaurant hub — a Windows PC in the branch running the server on the restaurant network — the branch's devices share their changes through the hub during an outage, and the hub uploads them when the internet returns. See how offline-first works.
Tip
The single most important habit: never re-enter an order during an outage. It's already saved on the terminal.
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