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Multiple users Sync their laptop folders (left) to one (same) Server folder (right): will the .dat files on the server corrupt? RRS feed

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    We have multiple users who would like to Sync their laptop folders to one shared folder on the server.  We think SyncToy 2.0 (or 2.1) will fit the bill but have a question:

    When creating folder pairs, all Users set their local folder (the folder on the left) to one shared Server folder (the folder on the right).
    This assignment of left and rigth is the one SyncTool seems to expect (although the documentation is not very explicit on this).
    I've already noticed that when there is just a single user, the Sync tool creates .dat files on the Server folder (the 'right-hand' folder) - one .dat in each folder - for it's own purposes.
    What will happen if multiple users use that same (shared) Server folder - every user will get their own .dat file with guaranteed unique name?
    Or all users share each .dat file?
    Or one .dat file will get randomly used by different users and everyting will get corrupted?
    If that (last) is a danger: should we simply create pairs with Server on the left and local on the right?

    thanks
    pavelz
    Wednesday, November 25, 2009 8:32 PM

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    Hi Pavel,
        SyncToy 2.x support user create multi folder pairs on the same folders.
    Yes, if there are two folder pairs on one right folder, there will be two groups of .dat files, one in left folder and one in right folder, another one in [localuserappdata]. Those .dat files are specific to each folder pairs.

    If you do not want to sync .dat file which SyncToy created, you can exclude them through excluding *.dat  and exclude hidden files.

    Thanks,
    Ping

    This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
    • Proposed as answer by Ping Lu Friday, November 27, 2009 8:23 AM
    • Marked as answer by Nina H Monday, November 30, 2009 11:06 PM
    Friday, November 27, 2009 8:16 AM

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    A post-deadline thought on this subject:
    as a general rule: is it the case that the 'server' used by many should be the 'left' folder, and the (possibly many) clients should be the right folder.
    Example 1: So if you have a laptop folder which sync's to (possibly multiple) Flash drives, the laptop folder should be on the left, and the flash drives on the right.
    Example 2: And if you have a laptop folder (perhaps on that same laptop, perhaps even the same folder that you sync to those flash drives) which gets sync'd to a file server, and the laptop is one of several laptops which are ocassionally sync'd to that same server, the laptop folder should now be on the right, and the file server on the left.... ?

    interesting...

    comments?

    Pavel


    Wednesday, November 25, 2009 10:50 PM
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    Hi Pavel,
        SyncToy 2.x support user create multi folder pairs on the same folders.
    Yes, if there are two folder pairs on one right folder, there will be two groups of .dat files, one in left folder and one in right folder, another one in [localuserappdata]. Those .dat files are specific to each folder pairs.

    If you do not want to sync .dat file which SyncToy created, you can exclude them through excluding *.dat  and exclude hidden files.

    Thanks,
    Ping

    This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
    • Proposed as answer by Ping Lu Friday, November 27, 2009 8:23 AM
    • Marked as answer by Nina H Monday, November 30, 2009 11:06 PM
    Friday, November 27, 2009 8:16 AM
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    We do not have such a hard rule, just with the three action:Synchronize, Echo, Contribute, you can organize your policy, which will fit your requirements.



    Thanks,
    Ping
    This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
    Friday, November 27, 2009 8:21 AM