Do i require PRO - Network Share Mirrors

[sentein]

I have a set of network shares. I would like to copy them entirely onto a second server using a Win 7 VM running Beyond Compare. I would also like to run Beyond Compare once a week to make sure all files are synced writing any additions or deletions to the mirror as an onsite backup. I am not even 100% sure i can use Beyond Compare in this fashion. does this sound like i need a pro version of Beyond Compare or will standard do everything i want it to? This is just a personal server that after the first run should only have 20-30Gigs max of info change at any backup.

[Aaron]

Hello,

This sounds like a scenario that Standard could handle. When you try the Trial mode, you can navigate to the Help menu -> About dialog and switch between Pro and Std (with a restart). This way, you can fully test the specific version you want to see if it meets your needs. We also have a list of Pro specific features here:
http://www.scootersoftware.com/shop.php?zz=kb_editions
And the fully featured trial is here:
http://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php

BC4 supports scripting, which can run from the command line (and setup as a Windows Scheduled Task) to perform a sync. I would recommend using the graphical interface first, as Script does not provide a preview of what it will do before it does it, and you are still learning the program.

**Please note that BC4 does not have an Undo command**
I would suggest testing with test folders first while learning the program and performing any syncs that might overwrite or delete data.

BC4's Folder Compare (or Folder Sync) sessions can load two directories (such as \\networkshares\folder), and then sync from one side to the other. A Sync Update would copy Newer and Orphan (only exist on one side) files from the Source to the Destination sides. A Sync Mirror will copy any different files from the Source to the Destination (even overwriting Newer files in the Destination) and will **Delete** any orphan files in the Destination in order to make the Destination an exact copy of the Source. These actions cannot be Undone once the sync is committed.

[sentein]

Thank you very much. I am waiting on one hard drive to finish my second array. I will be trying this all this weekend. Does scripting the backup work well? I have read through the page on scripting the backup and am pretty sure i understand what is going on. I was just wondering how reliable it is. Obviously i will be testing this with a test share as well before i put the program into full swing.

[Chris]

Yes, scripting Beyond Compare generally works well. If Beyond Compare runs a task interactively (GUI) without issue, then it should work as a script.

[Aaron]

As Chris mentioned, it is best to perform the set of actions once in the graphical interface. This offers a preview of what the script will act on before you Commit the sync. Script offers no preview, since it is an automated task (that steps through the same steps you could take in the graphical interface).

BC4 does not support an Undo command, so any actions (copy, delete, sync, etc, graphical or scripted) cannot be undone after running. This is why it's good to test once or twice, familiarizing yourself with our program and your dataset in the interface, to learn expected behavior. Once you feel comfortable, creating a script file to perform the same steps is fairly straight forward, and we can help with that if you have any trouble writing it up. Or you can jump right in with script, but I'd recommend working with test folders first while learning the script syntax.

[sentein]

I did try a few folders to make sure everything works as expected. It does, but it freezes my VM when doing the full initial scan. I want to compare up to 16TB. If you have any info on what kind of resources i need to allocate to a VM to get this to work it would be helpful. I have 8 core 3.06mhz Xeon processor and 64GB of RAM available. I also have a 10Gb Fibre line running between the two severs with the MTU set to 9000. I have read through the limitations of the system and i feel i do not exceed the limits. The sever may have 2.5 Million files and pictures on it which seems like it would be the closest limiting factor.

The "Vault" server has nothing running on it but the Windows 7 VM and it is only running Beyond Compare. I have only allocated 6 CPU cores and 24GB of ram to the VM so far. Would moving this to Ubuntu, Mint, or Zorin be a better option for the given resources. I Have copied most of the network over but i did that manually with the help of a 3TB Cache Drive. All in all i would like to automate this to run one to two times a week and if i cannot make it reliable it defeats the purpose.

Another thought that occurred to me was setting up individual files inside the main share to be compared separately to help avoid overloading the system at any one time. Could a script be setup to copy one file over then when done move onto the next on the list till the list is completed? I know this sound like a pain, I am usually the guy trying something no one ever has so i apologize.

Any thoughts on all of this are welcome.

[Aaron]

16TB and 2.5 million files is a pretty high use case. The first thing I'd recommend is cutting the comparison into chunks using sub-base folders or Name Filters to make it a smaller comparison, then note how much memory the smaller comparisons are using compared to the single large comparison. That many files would use a lot of ram while building the entire comparison structure (which the graphical interface or script would do). Is this also performing any kind of content comparison? Over a network, a content comparison would also add downloading temporary files.

Our queues generally do progress one file at a time. What steps are you taking in the interface that are overlapping? I really wouldn't try working with script first, since that will be trickier to determine what commands or workflow you are trying to accomplish that also provides comparison feedback and preview information. Once you have a series of clicks/steps in the interface, determining the script can mirror those steps.