Automatic synchronization of folders over the network. Synchronization of folders and files over local network, SFTP, to the cloud

A small free folder and file synchronizer for everyday needs.

Having two (and sometimes more) computers in home use has long ceased to be perceived as something out of the ordinary. Today at home local network can be found up to ten various devices, both the PCs themselves and all kinds of network drives, DVD and Blue-Ray players, TVs with network access, etc. Even if you don’t have all of the above, you still probably use at least one flash drive to transfer the necessary data. In any case, situations arise when required file changes on the local computer and you have to manually transfer it to the same flash drive. And if there are several such files, how can you remember to “download” the current copies in time? For all this there are special programs— synchronizers.

A good synchronizer should be able to work equally with both local folders and removable and remote media information, track changed files in a specified directory and update them in a timely manner in the final folder, work according to a given schedule automatically and/or hidden mode... All these (and some other) capabilities are available in a very small utility DSynchronize. Despite the free status and small size it can easily compete on an equal footing with commercial programs, such as those popular abroad Synchromagic Pro.

Comparison of the DSynchronize program with a paid analogue Synchromagic Pro

DSynchronize has a fairly simple interface and pretty good functionality, so it can be safely offered for both home and corporate use. Another big plus is that the program can work in service mode, which allows to a simple user don’t even think about synchronizing files manually and have only the most current versions at hand, having set up the work schedule once DSynchronize.

The disadvantages of the program (although it depends on who :)) include the inability DSynchronize archive copied files for possible subsequent restoration. The backup function seems to be present in the form of a window "Backup copy", but in fact it was not possible to find any copies either in the folder with the program or in the synchronized directories :(. Still, I am not inclined to attribute this drawback to disadvantages, since we are unlikely to use old versions of files, and even if we do use , then we’ll probably create copies ourselves.

So, now about working with the program. DSynchronize does not require installation, but to save the settings you should still unzip it to any folder on your hard drive. That's it, we can get to work.

DSynchronize interface

Initially, the program interface is English, although it is intuitive. There is no Russian localization on the official website, but I made an attempt to “domesticate” DSynchronize.. To Russify the program, just add the file to the folder in which you unpacked it DSynchronize.lng from the downloaded archive (oh, yes... any modification and optimization of the above-mentioned file to suit your needs is allowed :))). Now let's launch the Russian version DSynchronize.

Conditionally window interface DSynchronize can be divided into three parts. At the top are lists of pairs of directories for synchronization, below is a settings panel for all processes, and even lower are three windows that reflect working with files. At the very beginning in the list of tasks we will see two examples. They should be deleted using the corresponding command in the context menu ( right button mice). When the list standard tasks will be cleared, we will add our own. We call again context menu and select the item "Add". A couple will appear empty lines. In these lines we will enter the full addresses of the folders in which the files are to be synchronized.

Now there are several nuances. If you plan to synchronize two local folders, then it will be enough to double-click on the line and press the button "Review", select from the list first the source folder (from which the files will be copied), and then the destination. The same should be done if you want to synchronize a folder with removable media information (for example, with a flash drive), having previously connected the device to the PC.

Synchronization via FTP

But to connect to a remote computer via local network or FTP, you will have to enter the path manually. To access a folder on a remote PC over a local network, you will need to enter the following: \\Computer name (or its IP)\Folder name (for example, \\192.168.1.4\Shared Documents). The only caveat is that the folder we are connecting to must be open for public access. Call the folder context menu and select "Properties". In the window that opens, go to the tab "Access" and check the box "Share this folder".

To use the FTP synchronization option, specify the full server address (for example, ftp://Server Address/Folder Name). If you receive an error message in response, it means that you need to provide authorization information to access the server. This can be done by adding the login before the server address, then the password after the colon, and only then after the “@” sign the direct server address (see screenshot above).

Once the pair of folders you're syncing is ready, you can configure some file sharing options. To do this, click on the button "Filter" next to the folder address, or call the corresponding command from the context menu.

Here we can specify copying either strictly certain files or their types by mask, specifying the item "Filter activation", or specify which files (or file types) should not be synchronized by selecting "Filter Exceptions". The mask is set in a standard way: we enter part of the file name, and mark everything that is not needed as «*» . You can separate masks with a regular semicolon. Next, there are a couple of options that determine the parameters for working with subfolders, and even lower is the section "Advanced filters". Here you can exclude files that were changed on a specific day from copying.

DSynchronize settings

Let's now consider options panel, which is located below the list of folders.

All possibilities are divided into four groups. First - "Main options"- includes almost everything necessary settings synchronization It is worth paying attention to the first two possibilities. Paragraph "Only the latest" allows you not to rewrite everything existing files, and copy only the most current versions. Thus, the time spent on synchronization is significantly saved. Another possibility is "Double Synchronization". If it is activated, then both folders are checked for new versions of files and, as a result, only the most current copies remain in each of them.

Second group of settings - "Special Options". Here you can enable anti-fragmentation of added files, error skipping, as well as backup (which doesn’t actually work:(). Of all the options available here, only "Anti-fragmentation". If it is activated, then when a new version of the file is found, the old one is deleted, and a new version is added as new file. This allows for less fragmentation than if old file just replaced with a new one.

Fourth group - "Teams"— contains only buttons for controlling the synchronization process, so let’s take a closer look at the third group — "Planning". This is one of the most basic sections, which is responsible for automating all processes in work. DSynchronize. By clicking on the first option - "Timer", we will go to the time synchronization settings window:

Here it is possible to set synchronization after a certain period of time or at a specific moment (at one o'clock in the afternoon, for example). In addition, we can set up the file comparison process not only every day, but also on strictly defined days of the month or week!

There is an opportunity in DSynchronize set constant synchronization in real time using the item "Real-time". True, this feature is still experimental, which we will be warned about when we try to enable it, so before activating it we should make sure that the program works correctly with the selected folders in normal mode.

Next here are two points that are responsible for autorun DSynchronize. First - "Autostart", allows you to download the program along with the system. In this case, the program will be visible in the tray, from which it can always be called. If you are sure that everything is configured correctly and permanent access to DSynchronize If you don't need it, you can set the program to run in service mode. To do this, check the item "Starting the service...".

In the window that opens, you will first need to click the button "Install Service" to install a new service, and then start it, after which all you have to do is click the button "Ready".

Example of working with the program

Now everything is really ready to start working, so press the button "Synchronization" in the "Teams" section.

The synchronization process itself occurs in two stages, which can be seen in the status line. The first stage is comparison and formation of a list of files to be copied, the second is direct copying. In three windows under the main menu we can see lists of all copied, deleted or replaced files. Here we can also establish certain prohibitions or permissions for relevant actions. If you want to keep control over the entire synchronization process, I advise you to enable a request before any action DSynchronize(except, perhaps, adding files). Such requests look like this:

IN in this case We have a file replacement confirmation window in front of us (Confirm Add - confirmation to add, Confirm Remove/Delete - deletion).

We learn about the completion of the synchronization process again from the inscription in the status line:

Congratulations! Now you can finally forget about manually copying the necessary files, as you can shift all the worries associated with file synchronization to DSynchronize.

P.S. This article intended for free distribution. You are welcome to copy it while preserving the authorship. Ruslan Tertyshny and everyone P.S. and P.P.S.

P.P.S. If you like all-in-one solutions, then I advise you to take a closer look at the following file manager, which, among others, has the ability to synchronize specified directories.

Automatic synchronization Windows folders allows you to organize and maintain 2 identical directories. Files are copied to a neighboring computer on the local network or to another company office in a safe way SFTP protocol(SSH) . When you add or change data in one folder, all changes will be reflected in the other.

So, we assume that you have a main working directory at home or at work, located on a local or network machine, and there is a need to automatically copy (mirror, deliver) files from it to another location: to a flash drive, external hard disk (hard drive), via local network, on remote server By FTP protocol or to the Yandex.Disk cloud.

Folder synchronization is the process of periodically mirroring (mapping) source files to a destination. The source data and the destination directory will always be exactly the same in both quantity and size of data.

This task is easily accomplished by a small, but very convenient program to synchronize folders and files Exiland Backup, allowing you to create 4 types of backups, one of which is the ability to mirror data in Windows.

Sync files on local network and via FTP(synchronize) is only a small part of the capabilities of Exiland Backup. You can see the full list of features on the version comparison page. In this article we will not dwell on them, but will only consider how to set up mirroring between computers. This function will be of help to both system administrators and home users.

Exiland Backup - a simple solution for synchronizing files and folders

Simple utility Exiland Backup allows you to automatically perform one-way synchronization of folders on a schedule (no more than once a minute). Quickly and thoroughly compares the contents of the source data with the target folder and brings them into compliance. This is especially convenient for periodically delivering files from one branch of an organization to another via FTP. Several directories can be specified as the source directory.

ATTENTION. When adding, changing or deleting source files, all changes are also reflected in the final directory. If you delete data from the source, it will automatically be deleted from the destination. If you don't need to delete files from the destination folder, select the appropriate option.

Exiland Backup provides various settings"smart" synchronization of folders on the local network, on one computer, in the cloud. For example, a program can copy both all data and selectively according to a given mask, attributes and specified subfolders.

TO additional features can be attributed such as:

Maintain a detailed log showing which files were added, updated and deleted.
Possibility of sending the log by e-mail or notification to mobile phone in the form of SMS.
Flexible setup schedules.
Starts copying automatically when Windows startup, when connecting a flash drive or other removable device.
Running a job from command line(command line).

Step-by-step setup wizard

So, let's look at an example of how to configure Exiland Backup for mirroring.
Suppose we need every 3 minutes from 8:00 to 21:00 synchronize "C:\Documents" with all subfolders with local computer, where the program is installed, on remote machine"NAS-Server" to the shared folder "\\NAS-server\Backups\Documents".

Launch the backup program. In the upper left corner of the main program window, click the create a new task button - a step-by-step wizard will appear.

Step 1: Job Name

Enter any name for the task, for example “Mirror of working documents” and click “Next”.

Step 2: Type Reserve copy

Specify the type – “Synchronization” and click “Next”.

Step 3: Initial Data

Specify which source data you want to mirror. This can be the path to directories on a computer, flash drive, server or cloud.

To do this, click “Add -> Local/network folders and files...”, specify the path to “C:\Documents” on your PC and click OK, after which a window for selecting folder options will appear.

Here you can leave everything as default and immediately click OK.

Step 4: Destination Folder to Sync

Select the path to the final destination directory, in this case “\\NAS-server\Backups\Documents”, and also specify the login/password to enter network folder, if access to it is limited.

If you need to mirror data to remote computer via FTP, then select FTP when setting up the destination folder.

There can only be one final directory!

Step 5: Schedule the task

To specify the schedule for running the task, click the "Edit" button and in the window that appears, specify the schedule type "Daily", then select the time. Click "Edit" to the right of the "Time" field, then click the "Add" button, select "Periodically" and specify "Every 3 minutes" with a specified interval: from when and until what time to repeat synchronization (in our example from 8:00 to 21:00). Ready. Click OK several times until all previously appeared windows are closed.

Step 6: Notification

Leave everything as default and click “Done”.

The task has been created!
For a customization proposal additional parameters For now, answer “No.” Later you can always return to the settings and change them.

The program has an intuitive, well-thought-out interface and is recommended for synchronizing files between Windows servers, between different computers, as well as between branches or divisions of an organization via SFTP (SSH).

Except paid versions Standard and Professional, there is also a free one, Free, which you can download to evaluate its capabilities on your files. If the program is suitable for solving your problems, you can purchase a Standard or Professional license and become a full registered user with all the benefits of the paid Standard and Professional versions, which are much more functional and include priority technical support, Personal Area and a number of other advantages.

About two years ago I created a project - a small client program that can be installed on any device and simply synchronizes files.
For example, you could specify that documents would be synchronized between your home and work computers. Music and books between the home computer and phone. Backup between home computer, work computer and server. This program could also control the subsequent distribution of any file on the system. That is, you, as the owner, could always find out the history of the file: copying to a flash drive, to another computer, by email, etc.

Then I almost already received funding, but the investment fund with which I worked at the last moment demanded a serious share in the business. And I decided that the game wasn’t worth the candle. And then somehow there was no time for that.

Yes, you say, there is cloud storage and why is it needed when there is Yandex.Disk, Dropbox and a bunch of cloud services file storage. Well, it’s just not always acceptable and convenient. Minuses:
1. You trust your files to a third party without any guarantees. (I’m not paranoid, but you wouldn’t leave your intimate data in such a storage facility)
2. To access them you need the Internet. And this in Russia is still not always possible with the required speed.

A holy place is never empty and the BitTorrent company released something similar, but in a stripped down form. Their program simply syncs files between different platforms and systems as soon as they went online or found themselves within the same subnet. Unfortunately, you cannot flexibly configure synchronization rules, but there is an excellent client that is administered through either a native interface (WIndows, MAC OS X, Android, iOS) or a web interface (*NIX).

I no longer go to my mobile phone for photos, documents and music, and I don’t go to the server to get a rarely updated backup.
IN home computer there are several folders:
Telephone
Server
General
Auto

To put something on my phone, I simply copy the desired file to the “Phone” folder. It will appear on my phone in a few seconds
To exchange documents with the guys at work, I put them in the general folder. And after a few seconds, this file will appear for all the people I need - locally and not in the cloud.

In the car, as a media center it stands Google Nexus, looks at the Internet via 3G. On my home computer I put navigation maps and music into the Auto folder. Everything is automatically folded into the car. I take it from the Auto/recorder folder interesting points captured by a video recorder (the device in the car is always online).
Saves a lot of time.

We wish BotTorrent success in the development of their wonderful project.
Download.
Available on Google Play Market and Apple AppStor. I think it will appear soon mobile version Windows.

PS
Thanks to Murin Sasha for the tip)

Yes, you say, there are cloud storages and why is it needed when there is Yandex.Disk, Dropbox and a bunch of cloud file storage services. Well, it’s just not always acceptable and convenient. Minuses:
1. You trust your files to a third party without any guarantees. (I’m not paranoid, but you wouldn’t leave your intimate data in such a storage facility)
2. To access them you need the Internet. And this in Russia is still not always possible with the required speed.

A holy place is never empty and the BitTorrent company released something similar, but in a stripped down form. Their program simply synchronizes files between different platforms and systems as soon as they go online or are within the same subnet. Unfortunately, you cannot flexibly configure synchronization rules, but there is an excellent client that is administered through either a native interface (WIndows, MAC OS X, Android, iOS) or a web interface (*NIX).

I no longer go to my mobile phone for photos, documents and music, and I don’t go to the server to get a rarely updated backup.
There are several folders on your home computer:
Telephone
Server
General
Auto

In the car, there is a Google Nexus as a media center, looking at the Internet via 3G. On my home computer I put navigation maps and music into the Auto folder. Everything is automatically folded into the car. From the Auto/recorder folder I take interesting moments captured by the video recorder (the device in the car is always online).
Saves a lot of time.

We wish BotTorrent success in the development of their wonderful project.
Download.
Available in Google Play Market and Apple AppStor. I think it will soon appear for the mobile version of Windows.

PS
Thanks to Murin Sasha for the tip)

March 31 is International Backup Day. Apparently because April 1 is the day of those who don’t do it. If in the office the backup problem usually solves System Administrator, then for those who work at home, you need to solve it yourself. The free FreeFileSync program is perfect for backing up and synchronizing data.

Organizing backups

When organizing a backup, there are two aspects to consider. The first is that the more backups there are, the higher the likelihood of data leakage from them. Second, the farther the copy is stored geographically from the original, the greater the chance of its safety. A good option is to make backups to a remote computer via VPN connection, then they are not afraid of either flood or fire. But not everyone has this opportunity, so let’s consider backup and synchronization to an external HDD.

Do not forget about the relevance of copies, for which periodic synchronization should be carried out. You can, of course, copy the entire amount of data anew each time, but this is only suitable if there is only a small amount of data. For larger volumes this will result in unnecessary wear. hard drive and, in general, a waste of time. Synchronization is much faster than a full copy, but it is very important to configure it correctly. Otherwise, you may lose both the copy and the original data! Before using synchronization, be sure to test it on unnecessary files and folders!

Setting up synchronization in FreeFileSync

After installation, launch the program and select folders for synchronization. On the left will be the original folder, and on the right - backup copy on an external hard drive.

Then, go to the file comparison settings and select options. By default, files are compared by date and size. On the "Filter" tab, you can configure the folders and files that you want to exclude from synchronization.

On the “Synchronization” tab we configure the synchronization mode. There are 4 modes in total:

Both ways - changes are tracked on both sides of synchronization.
Mirror - only changes on the left side are taken into account, that is, files and folders that do not exist on the left will be deleted during synchronization.
Update - files are copied from left to right, and if new files are found on the right, user intervention is required.
Selective - you can configure your own rules for processing files.

Setting up scheduled synchronization

FreeFileSync has useful function- this is saving synchronization parameters in the form batch file. To create this file, click the “save as batch job” button. If necessary, you can enable recording of synchronization logs.

When you run this file, synchronization is performed in hidden mode, without launching GUI. Therefore, Windows can be configured to run this file on a schedule. To do this, open the panel Windows management and find there the item “Task execution schedule”. As an example, let's configure synchronization to start when the computer is turned on. We create a task for all users. In this case, a password must be set on the computer.

We specify “On startup” as the trigger. It's also worth setting a delay so that everything works correctly.