File synchronization (or 'syncing') in computing is the process of making sure that files in two or more locations are updated through certain rules.
In one-way synchronization, also called mirroring, updates files are copied only from a 'source' location to a 'target' location, or locations, but no files are copied back to the source location. In two-way sync, updated files are copied in both directions, usually with the purpose of keeping the two locations identical to each other. The term synchronization is used in this article to mean exclusively two-way file synchronization.
File synchronization is commonly used for home backups on external hard drives or updating for transport on USB flash drives.
The automatic process prevents copying already identical files and thus can save considerable time from a manual copy, also being faster and less error prone.[1] However this suffers from the limitation that the synchronized files have to physically fit in the portable drive. Synchronization software that only keeps a list of files and the changed files circumvents this problem (e.g. the "snapshot" feature in Beyond Compare or the "package" feature in Synchronize It!). It is particularly useful for mobile workers, or others that work on multiple computers. It is possible to synchronize multiple locations by synchronizing them a pair at a time.
Comparar: Data synchronization
Comparar: Data synchronization
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Common features
- Encryption for security, particularly when synchronizing across the Internet.
- Compressing any data sent across a network, this requires a server.
- Conflict detection where a file has been modified on both sources, as opposed to where it has only been modified on one. No conflict detection can lead to overwriting copies of the file with the most recent version causing data loss. For conflict detection, the synchronization software needs to keep a database of the synchronized files. Distributed conflict detection can be achieved by version vectors.
- Open Files Support ensures data integrity when copying data or application files that are in-use or database files that are exclusively locked.
- Specific support for using an intermediate storage device, such as a removable flash disc, to synchronize two machines. Although most synchronizing programs can be used in this way, providing specific support for this can reduce the amount of data stored on the device.
- The ability to preview any changes before they are made.
- The ability to view differences in individual files.
Ubuntu One commercial
Windows Live Sync freeware
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