DirSync Pro
Encyclopedia
DirSync Pro is an open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...

 synchronization
File synchronization
File synchronization in computing is the process of ensuring that computer files in two or more locations are updated via certain rules....

 and backup
Backup
In information technology, a backup or the process of backing up is making copies of data which may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form is back up in two words, whereas the noun is backup....

 utility for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...

, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...

, and all other operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...

s that run Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...

. DirSync Pro is based on the program Directory Synchronize (DirSync), which was first released in February 2003 by E. Gerber. He subsequently developed it with Frank Gerbig and T. Groetzner. DirSync Pro was released by O. Givi in July 2008, based on a branch of the DirSync code. Many parts of DirSync Pro have gone through major rewriting and redesign ever since.

DirSync Pro offers a graphical user interface
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...

 from which the user can manage and run multiple synchronization tasks. As of version 1.31, it supports local folder to folder synchronization, but does not support synchronization via FTP yet. The application is self-contained within its own directory, and is therefore fully portable
Portable application
A portable application , sometimes also called standalone, is a computer software program designed to run independently from an operating system...

.

DirSync Pro makes it possible to compare a couple of directories and synchronize their content. It can be used to create incremental backups. The synchronization can be set up to mirror a directory into another one mono-directionally, or to synchronize the content of two directories bi-directionally. Before synchronization, the user can run an analysis on the source and destination. DirSync Pro detects any kind of changes to any file/directory in the source (e.g. file/directory modifictaion, move, deletion, renaming) and can synchronize the destination accordingly.

DirSync Pro provides the following predefined synchronzation modes:
  • Synchronize A -> B (incremental): This mode makes a shadow of directory A in B. Only new and modified files are copied from A to B.
  • Synchronize B -> A (incremental): This mode makes a shadow of directory B in A. Only new and modified files are copied from B to A.
  • Synchronize A <-> B (incremental): This mode mirrors directories A and B to each other. Only new and modified files are copied.
  • Backup A -> B (full): This mode makes a full copy of directory A into directory B. All files are copied.
  • Restore B -> A (full): This mode makes a full copy of directory B into directory A. All files are copied.
  • Contribute A -> B: This mode copies only the new files from directory A into directory B. Modified files are left away.
  • Contribute B -> A: This mode copies only the new files from directory B into directory A. Modified files are left away.
  • Synchronize A -> B (custom): This is a custom mode to synchronize directory A into directory B mode in which all advanced options could be set up to the users need.
  • Synchronize B -> A (custom): This is a custom mode to synchronize directory B into directory A mode in which all advanced options could be set up to the users need.


When synchronizing bi-directionally, DirSync Pro detects synchronization conflicts. These conflicts may occur if a file is edited in both directories independently. DirSync Pro offers these options to solve the bi-directional synchronization conflict:
  • Copy the latest modified file to both directories.
  • Copy the largest modified file to both directories.
  • Rename and copy both files to both directories.
  • Do nothing and warn the user so he decides himself.


When synchronizing mono-directionally in a custom mode, DirSync Pro detects synchronization conflicts. These conflicts may accur if a file is edited in the destination directory indedependently. DirSync Pro offers these options to solve the mono-directional synchronization conflicts:
  • Overwrite the file in the destination with the file from the source
  • Do nothing and warn the user so he decides himself
  • Do nothing and ignore the conflict.


DirSync Pro has a schedule engine with many options to schedule synchronization tasks, e.g. every minute, hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly. DirSync Pro has many logging facilities to create detailed logs per job, per jobset, or globally.

Linux.com
Linux.com
Linux.com is the name of a website owned by the Linux Foundation. The site is currently a central source for Linux information, software, documentation and answers across the server, desktop/netbook, mobile, and embedded areas. Linux.com offers free Linux tutorials, news and blogs, discussion...

 rated the application positively, saying that "it makes defining a bidirectional sync as simple as picking two directories". Likewise, freshmeat
Freshmeat
Freecode, formerly Freshmeat, is a website owned by Geeknet that allows computer users to keep track of the latest software releases and updates as well as write/read reviews and articles, send or receive comments to or from the author, and many other features...

calls it a "powerful, easy-to-configure tool to synchronize the contents of one directory with another".

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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