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+--- Thread: File Synchronizing Precautions? (/showthread.php?tid=117847)
File Synchronizing Precautions? - mrlynn - 05-29-2011
Having given up on MobileMe,
http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1,1158884
I followed up on some references to SugarSync (SS). I rather like it: straightforward, simple, and seems to work flawlessly. It won't do Mail, or Contacts (though 'thermarest' suggested sync'ing the ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook file, which might effectively sync contacts), but it will do files.
I'm wondering, though, about the best way to avoid the obvious hazards, particularly the accidental deletion of a file(s). The beauty of SS is that whatever you do in synchronized folder S on Computer A is quickly replicated on Computer B (and vice-versa). So if you delete a file from S on A, it will also get deleted on B. It would be helpful if SS generated a warning, e.g. "This file is synchronized on Computer B; are you sure you want to delete it?" But apparently there is none.
One option, of course, is to always work on copies. SS provides a 'Magic Briefcase' where you can put the sync'd files; if you put only copies there, nothing you do will affect the originals. But of course at some point you'll want to update the originals, by replacing them, a hazard in itself, if only because file naming can become confusing.
The reason I'm asking, aside from being a worrywart, is that it would be tempting to put my entire Documents folder in the Magic Briefcase, whereupon everything in it would be sync'd between my iMac and my MBP all the time. But, I wonder, what are the potential hazards of doing this? Could a glitch in SS's servers end up deleting (or corrupting) the files? Could a hard-drive crash on the MBP end up deleting the Documents on the iMac?
For those of you who do sync two or more computers using SugarSync (or DropBox, or MM, or some other service), what potential hazards do you see, and what strategies do you use to avoid them?
/Mr Lynn
Re: File Synchronizing Precautions? - rjmacs - 05-29-2011
mrlynn wrote:
The reason I'm asking, aside from being a worrywart, is that it would be tempting to put my entire Documents folder in the Magic Briefcase, whereupon everything in it would be sync'd between my iMac and my MBP all the time. But, I wonder, what are the potential hazards of doing this? Could a glitch in SS's servers end up deleting (or corrupting) the files? Could a hard-drive crash on the MBP end up deleting the Documents on the iMac?
For those of you who do sync two or more computers using SugarSync (or DropBox, or MM, or some other service), what potential hazards do you see, and what strategies do you use to avoid them?
/Mr Lynn
You won't be using this as a primary backup strategy, right? I mean, you will never lose more than a day's work because of your daily backups of your data, including your Documents folder, right?
I use DropBox, but everything is backed up daily with CCC, plus i run Time Machine on the desktop machine. DropBox keeps previous versions of files and allows for undelete, but for significant storage it's not free. Also, as has been noted recently, it's not entirely secure. Backups are required, and that's your strategy to avoid catastrophe.
Re: File Synchronizing Precautions? - mrlynn - 05-30-2011
rjmacs wrote:
You won't be using this as a primary backup strategy, right? I mean, you will never lose more than a day's work because of your daily backups of your data, including your Documents folder, right?
I use DropBox, but everything is backed up daily with CCC, plus i run Time Machine on the desktop machine. DropBox keeps previous versions of files and allows for undelete, but for significant storage it's not free. Also, as has been noted recently, it's not entirely secure. Backups are required, and that's your strategy to avoid catastrophe.
Yes, I back up with TimeMachine, plus a nightly clone of my iMac HD using SuperDuper! So yes, the local backups would be my main safeguard. I wasn't thinking of using SS for backup, but for synchronizing.
However, I do need something for off-site backup/archiving. Since 95+% of that would be files that I don't routinely access, I would want a service that is both safe and inexpensive. Over 5 GB SugarSync starts charging:
https://www.sugarsync.com/products/sync_pricing.html
An off-site HD might be a better solution for archiving.
For sync'g, I was wondering about the advisability of creating a sync'd Work Folder, duplicating those items I might want available on a travel computer, versus sync'g the entire Documents folder, which contains practically everything I routinely access. It's only about 2.5 GB, so can be sync'd for free with SS. It's tempting, since then my two Macs would be essentially the same. Still would need to find non-MobileMe solutions for email and contacts sync'g, though.
/Mr Lynn
PS As you can see, I'm having trouble with how to properly spell the abbreviated form of 'synchronize' and its derivatives: synch vs. sync, synced (synched) vs. sync'd, sync-ing versus sync'ng or sync'g, etc. None seem quite right. I would vote for 'syncked' and 'syncking', had I a vote, but the apparently the poll was held a long while ago, while I was oblivious.