File Syncing Software Delete Bug

[pwp]

I'm test driving File Syncing Software. So far it's been the venerable SyncBack and SecondCopy. Neither program does what I need. I'm running two Win7 64 PC 's on a gigabit network. They are two powerful identical, equal status workstations. I'm a busy photographer.

The plan is to keep the folder of "Current Projects" on each computer synced with each other. I've set up the preferences in SyncBack/SecondCopy to do Manual Sync. During coffee or meal breaks I'd run the profile. The same file would never be open simultaneously on the two machines.

All syncing software requires a Source and a Destination. In my case this is Computer A and Computer B. If I'm working on the Source machine (Computer A) and delete files, when I run the profile the same files are deleted on the Destination machine (Computer B). This was expected.

However, if I'm working on the Destination machine, and delete files, I'll run the profile, but nothing gets deleted from the Source machine. And if I run the profile again, the files I deleted while working on the Destination machine are restored again. Grrr. This was not expected.

SecondCopy help suggests tinkering with Windows Folder Permissions. Two friendly, respected software propellor-heads have advised that under no circumstances should one fiddle with Windows Folder Permissions. It's asking for trouble. OK.

I'm thinking that SyncBack/SecondCopy is not so much designed as full Syncing software, but for creating and maintaining backups. I'm handling too high a volume to do accurate, consistant deletes manually across two workstations.


If the Deletes issue is an unmovable reality of File Syncing Software, maybe the only way I can achieve my goal is to keep my "Current Projects" folder on a very fast server or NAS on our gigabit network. eg http://www.synology.com/enu/products/DS1511+/index.php has tested as over 3 times faster than DROBO FS on our gigabit network.
I've tried doing this with our DROBO FS but the transfers are just far too slow....make that glacial! As an aside, think hard before you buy DROBO FS. If you need speed you must look elsewhere. DROBO may be fine as an additional "Bucket" where Read/Write speed is of little consequence.

If this is familiar territory to anyone, I'd love to hear your experience. The goal is to identify software to keep the folder of "Current Projects" on two powerful identical, equal status workstations fully synced with each other, including deleted files in both directions. ie Source/Destinataion and Destination/Source.

Thanks,
Paul Wright

[BobSmith]

I work on Macs and use Chronosync extensively to do exactly what you are trying to do (been doing it for years).  Works like a charm... and from all I've heard about Syncback it should too.

One point that I'm not really clear on is about your workflow description and where you "run the profile".  If I'm trying to do what you're describing I always run the sync operation from the same computer.  Even if the work I've done is on station B, I run the sync from station A if that's where I setup and defined the sync.  When running the sync operation data is collected and stored on the computer running the sync about what both sides looked like after the sync.  That info is used as the basis for determining what gets synced (what gets deleted or copied) the next time it's run.  If you run a sync from one machine one time and then from the other the next time you'll get results like you describe because the second machine has no idea what the state of both machines was at the point in time of the last sync.  The second machine doesn't know that you deleted files from it because it has no record of what was there at the last sync.  It sees files on the other computer that it hasn't seen before and your deleted files get replaced.

I hope that sort of makes sense.  I'm not sure if that's your problem or not but it sounds from your description of your workflow that it might be.

Bob Smith

[Sigi]

Hello Paul,

have a look at this application, it might do what you want if I understand your description correctly: http://www.dropbox.com/

Siegfried

[pwp]

Thanks Siegfried,

Yes, I do use Dropbox, it's one of the most useful utilities I have ever come across. It functions best when working with much smaller amounts of data than I need to move around.
Yes, it will sync between two computers, but it's also syncing to the cloud. Even with my very fast upload speed syncing a project that may be between 20-50 Gb it's just out of the question.
If Dropbox had a function where you could sync just across storage points on the LAN, and not to the cloud, then yes it would be perfect.

Regards, Paul Wright