Please put my mind at rest what I want to do with FreeFileSync will work.
I have my data on a Windows XP Home edition file server. The folder is shared.
I want to sync the data to a couple of laptops so work can continue when out
of the house. The next time either of the laptop returns to the house the data
will be resynced with the fileserver.
I am concerned they'll only be one sync.ffs_db file on the fileserver. Does
this keep track of syncing to multiple destinations (same folder name but
different laptops) at different times?
And propagate deletions, renames, and detect conflicts when the same file is
modified on both laptops?
I'll be running FreeFileSync as silently as possible from a batch file.
Many thanks.
Sync multiple laptops with NAS share
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- Joined: 5 Nov 2010
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Have your mind feel at rest: What you describe is a standard usecase and well
supported with <automatic> mode. The database file respects multiple data
sources.
supported with <automatic> mode. The database file respects multiple data
sources.
- Posts: 19
- Joined: 5 Nov 2010
That's brilliant. Thank you.
I'll also try syncing my Firefox and Thunderbird profiles with the laptops.
Mozilla must read the files byte by byte as the applications are incredibly
slow when the profile is stored on a NAS share.
I'll also try syncing my Firefox and Thunderbird profiles with the laptops.
Mozilla must read the files byte by byte as the applications are incredibly
slow when the profile is stored on a NAS share.
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- Joined: 9 Nov 2010
Hi, my set up is a bit more complex than sf2010's. I really like the
FreeFileSync interface and hope it can handle my set up.
Laptop (L) gets synced with my main desktop at home (H) (a bi-directional
sync)
Laptop (L) also gets synced with my main desktop at work (W) (a bi-directional
sync)
So far this is virtually the same as sf2010.
Now for the complexities.
I want to sync "L" with a USB flash drive (U). (a bi-directional sync)
I want to sync "H" with an external hard drive (X1). (a one way sync, ie, a
mirror)
I also want to sync "W" with an external hard drive (X2) . (a one way sync,
ie, a mirror)
My question is whether FreeFileSync's databases will get confused by these
multiple sync relationships in which "L" has three pairings and H and W have
two each.
So using the above example, would the FreeFileSync database on "L" contain
info on the pairing L-W and L-H and L-U so that it knows a file has been
synced with W and U but not yet synced with H?.
I might get myself confused at times with all these sync relationship (that is
a different issue.) What I want to confirm is that FreeFileSync's databases
can handle multiple pairings.
Thanks in advance.
Brian
FreeFileSync interface and hope it can handle my set up.
Laptop (L) gets synced with my main desktop at home (H) (a bi-directional
sync)
Laptop (L) also gets synced with my main desktop at work (W) (a bi-directional
sync)
So far this is virtually the same as sf2010.
Now for the complexities.
I want to sync "L" with a USB flash drive (U). (a bi-directional sync)
I want to sync "H" with an external hard drive (X1). (a one way sync, ie, a
mirror)
I also want to sync "W" with an external hard drive (X2) . (a one way sync,
ie, a mirror)
My question is whether FreeFileSync's databases will get confused by these
multiple sync relationships in which "L" has three pairings and H and W have
two each.
So using the above example, would the FreeFileSync database on "L" contain
info on the pairing L-W and L-H and L-U so that it knows a file has been
synced with W and U but not yet synced with H?.
I might get myself confused at times with all these sync relationship (that is
a different issue.) What I want to confirm is that FreeFileSync's databases
can handle multiple pairings.
Thanks in advance.
Brian
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- Site Admin
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> What I want to confirm is that FreeFileSync's databases can handle multiple
pairings.
Yes FFS treats each pair separately, for example L <-> H is considered a
different pair than L <-> W. However technically there is no reason to have
different database files for all combinations of folder pairs, consequently
all information is saved in a single file per "data source".
So to make it short, FFS can handle your usecase.
pairings.
Yes FFS treats each pair separately, for example L <-> H is considered a
different pair than L <-> W. However technically there is no reason to have
different database files for all combinations of folder pairs, consequently
all information is saved in a single file per "data source".
So to make it short, FFS can handle your usecase.
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 12 Jun 2003
Hi,
I have been using FreeFileSync with a star-setup as described above with
multiple laptops and a server and so far it works perfectly. Lately I have
been getting a conflict message saying 'the file was not processed by last
synchronisation', and also deleted files reappear at different computers.
Has something changed that I need to reconfigure? Does it matter on which side
my server directories are?
thanks
I have been using FreeFileSync with a star-setup as described above with
multiple laptops and a server and so far it works perfectly. Lately I have
been getting a conflict message saying 'the file was not processed by last
synchronisation', and also deleted files reappear at different computers.
Has something changed that I need to reconfigure? Does it matter on which side
my server directories are?
thanks
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 7212
- Joined: 9 Dec 2007
>'the file was not processed by last synchronisation
So it seems this is exactly what has happened. At the time of last sync there
were files that were relevant for, but did not participate in synchronization.
Reason is probably that these file were excluded (temporarily) or had their
sync direction manually set to none. (*) Consequently a sync direction cannot
be determined and they show up as conflicts.
> and also deleted files reappear at different computers
Depends on the FFS version you're using: Older versions resolved situation (*)
automatically in case a file exists on one side only, by simply copying it to
the other side. The newest version won't do anything, but keep reporting a
conflict instead.
Another explanation could be issues with the database file: file is missing,
incompatible database format, read error ...whatever. In all these cases FFS
will set "safe" sync directions by having new files overwrite old files and
copy files existing on one side to the other. In this case however you'll have
seen a warning dialog explaining what is happening.
> matter on which side my server directories are
No.
So it seems this is exactly what has happened. At the time of last sync there
were files that were relevant for, but did not participate in synchronization.
Reason is probably that these file were excluded (temporarily) or had their
sync direction manually set to none. (*) Consequently a sync direction cannot
be determined and they show up as conflicts.
> and also deleted files reappear at different computers
Depends on the FFS version you're using: Older versions resolved situation (*)
automatically in case a file exists on one side only, by simply copying it to
the other side. The newest version won't do anything, but keep reporting a
conflict instead.
Another explanation could be issues with the database file: file is missing,
incompatible database format, read error ...whatever. In all these cases FFS
will set "safe" sync directions by having new files overwrite old files and
copy files existing on one side to the other. In this case however you'll have
seen a warning dialog explaining what is happening.
> matter on which side my server directories are
No.
