a first server comprising:

a processing unit configured to access memory and execute computer executable instructions;

an encapsulation module stored in memory comprising computer executable instruction configured to:

accept a work unit from at least one application workstation, the work unit comprising a request to at least one of generate, change or delete contents of the first database;

update the first database based on the accepted work unit; and

select between database-entry-oriented synchronization and functional synchronization,

wherein in database-entry-oriented synchronization, the encapsulation module is configured to transmit changed entries at the first database to a coexistence controller, and

wherein in functional synchronization the encapsulation module is configured to provide a characterization of the update at the first database to a second server or provide the work unit to the second server;

the second server comprising:

the coexistence controller configured to:

in response to receipt of the changed entries, enter entries in the second database corresponding to the changed entries and execute an adaption program containing adaptation rules; and

invoke at least one sister transaction in response to receipt of the characterization or the work unit, each sister transaction comprises computer executable instructions that when executed are configured to operate in a manner analogously at the second database as a corresponding transaction at the first database to synchronise the second database with the first database, the first and second databases being different database types.