Queue of copy tasks

[trainor]

Hello,

I use to manually select sets of quite large files from long, multi-folder lists to copy them from one disk to another.
I find the new BC3 feature that makes it possible to continue working with the current comparison session while copying proceeds very useful, as I can:

1. Select some files
2. Launch the copy
3. While copy runs in background, I can select a new set of files: no need to wait, no risk of losing my previous selection if I accidentally lift the finger from the ctrl key.

There is, however, a drawback: when using this approach, file copy threads overlap and, since source and destination disks used by the different threads are always the same, I/O performance is really poor, and the time required by running 2 or more copy operations in parallel is much longer than the time it would take to run them sequentially.
So my question is: is there a way to push copy requests in a “queue”, so as one copy starts when the previous one completes?

[Aaron]

Hello,

We do not have a method of queuing for local hard drive transfers, but it is on our Customer Wishlist.

Normally, two transfers will go a bit slower, but not substantially slower on modern hardware. Are you running the latest drivers? Do you see similar slow down if you start two transfers using My Computer?

[cowwoc]

Aaron,

With all due respect, you're wrong. I tested using a good hard drive purchased in 2012, with the latest drivers, and there is a huge performance difference between running one operation at a time versus two or more in parallel. This is a design decision/flaw of the Windows scheduler. It favors more responsive applications (smaller time-slices) over I/O throughput. From what I've read, Linux does not exhibit this problem.

I am also a paying customer. Please consider adding this feature soon. I'm looking for an option "Maximum concurrent operations". You could start it with a value of "unlimited" and I would limit it to 1.

PS: Please consider the automatic comparison (similar to the one triggered by F5 to refresh) as an ongoing task so if I limit BC to a single worker thread and start a copy operation, the latter would wait until the comparison finishes first and *then* the copy would begin.

Thank you,
Gili

[Aaron]

Hello,

Thanks for the feedback. On my own test system starting a couple transfers does bog down the system a bit, the overall transfer speed was not substantially slower than if the operations had been performed one after the other. This is *highly* dependent on the current hardware and system configuration. I re-verified today testing two simultaneous transfers and on a local harddrive as a simple case.

Queuing operations is definitely something on our Wishlist. We have several other large projects already scheduled and worked on, so it is not likely we will be able to implement it soon, but it is something we are aware of and would like to tackle.

[martygolden]

Any update on the queuing of copy tasks?

Hi,

Firstly, I just wanted to mention that BeyondCompare is a great tool and we've been using it in our company for many years!!

However, one feature that I've noticed that's been missing for quite a while now and surprisingly still is the ability to (optionally) queue copying of files.

I agree totally with the trainor that there is a significant performance hit when there are multiple copy's happening at once and that if BeyondCompare offered the ability to (preferably optionally) queue the copying of tasks that this would certainly be a major enhancement to BeyondCompare.

I look forward to hearing on the status of this and keep up the good work!!

Marty

[dforce]

Hi Scootersoftware! It seems this is still not a feature yet? Pleeeease add it!

[Aaron]

Hello,

No, it isn't a project we've been able to tackle yet, but is something still on our wishlist.