Bug ?: Multiple folder pairs write to a common subfolder

[saxophone2015]

I added a batch job with multiple folder pairs

<Pair>
<Left>D:\My Programs</Left>
<Right>F:\NAS\backup\My Data\Update\_Docs\My Programs</Right>
</Pair>

<Pair>
<Left>F:\NAS</Left>
<Right>\\RNDU2000-1\c</Right>
</Pair>

Basically, first pair updates archive disk and second pair updates the NAS offsite disk

Why does it warn me. Any risks in this scheduled tasks?

Best regards

[Plerry]

It warns you that there is a (partial) overlap between your folder pairs:
F:\NAS\backup\My Data\Update_Docs\My Programs is part of F:\NAS

This does not need to cause problems, but might give unexpected results
(incl. potential loss of data) if you don't carefully analyze what you are doing.

[saxophone2015]

Thanks
The second pair should be done after the first pair is completed, right?

If it is really the case, I should be safe since I write to subfolder in F: to update it, then I read from F: to backup it to network

Am I missing some potential data loss scenarios in my setup?

[saxophone2015]

After many trials, I suspect that the scan of folders contents is run only once. The changes made to the intermediate folder target are not synchronized on the first run of the batch. We need a second run:

c:/data_source ---> d:/backup/data_source
d:/backup ---> network://backup

In this example, files updated in the first pair subfolder, won't be updated in the second pair on first run of the batch.
We need a second run of the batch for the second pair to update right folder contents

Is this a bug? Can't we force a full file structure analyse on every pair in such cases?

I see no risks of data corruption, but the network backup will be one sync behind d:/ backup

[Plerry]

Don't know if you can force it according to your wish.

But, what you can do is run two separate FFS syncs sequentially:
first c:\data_source ---> d:\backup\data_source
and then d:\backup ---> network:\backup
Depending on your use, you might do this
* manually
* scheduled (providing sufficient time difference for the 1st sync to finish)
* from a batch/cmd file (that only calls the 2nd sync as soon as the 1st sync finishes)

[Zenju]

After many trials, I suspect that the scan of folders contents is run only once. The changes made to the intermediate folder target are not synchronized on the first run of the batch. We need a second run:

c:/data_source ---> d:/backup/data_source
d:/backup ---> network://backup

In this example, files updated in the first pair subfolder, won't be updated in the second pair on first run of the batch.
We need a second run of the batch for the second pair to update right folder contents

Is this a bug? Can't we force a full file structure analyse on every pair in such cases?

I see no risks of data corruption, but the network backup will be one sync behind d:/ backup

FFS will only sync what you see on the main dialog. The changes induced by the first folder pair will be visible to the second folder pair only after a new comparison. If you have dependencies like one folder pair needing to finish before a second folder pair has all the info, the sync job needs to be split up into two runs with a single folder pair each.

PS:
> Why does it warn me.

The above is one reason why it warns you.

[Plerry]

In this specific case you might still succeed in a single run by choosing 3 folder pairs:
* folder pair 1: c:\data_source ---> d:\backup\data_source
* folder pair 2: c:\data_source ---> network:\backup\data_source
* folder pair 3: d:\backup ---> network:\backup
The 2nd folder pair now adds to the single run sync what was previously missing.

In light of Zenju's reaction, the sequence in which you define the folder pairs
seems not important.

[saxophone2015]

Thank you all
I ended up using two batch scripts I scheduled in sequence