How it Works

SyncDat operates by looking for differences between a local and a remote directory tree. The options you choose and differences between the systems hosting the two directories will determine the basis for this comparison and affect the actions performed.

Carefully review this chapter before you begin using SyncDat.

Scanning

SyncDat begins by cataloging all of the files in the local and remote directory trees. Because of its tight integration with the servedat file server, it is able to list the entire remote directory tree in a single network operation. This allows SyncDat to scan hundreds of thousands of files per minute.

Comparing

The local and remote catalogs are then compared to determine which files differ and what actions are needed to synchronize the two directories. If a file exists on both sides, the modification dates and sizes are used to determine whether a change has occurred. The action to take will depend on the modification date, date of last scan, and the operating mode. If SyncDat is unable to determine which of two files should be kept, and it is being run interactively, it will prompt for user input.

Actions

Unless NoAction (-n) has been set, SyncDat then performs the actions needed to synchronize the two directories. This may include sending, retrieving, or deleting files. Because this may involve a large number of operations, you may wish to enable servedat Log Filtering to limit how much information is logged. The SyncDat client will report errors, but will only report individual successes if the Verbose (-v) option is set.

The remainder of this chapter explains the details of how SyncDat decides what to do and how it does it.

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