Bad Sync? Overwriting Newer Files

[nesreb]

Hi,

 

I'm using btsync (1.3.67) on several computers. My "main-sync" system is a raspberry pi (with raspbian) with external hdd. The other computers (all manajro/arch linux) are mainly online one at a time. I just use sync to syncronize data, not for collaborative work. The sync folder contains about 800 MB in 2500 files, mostly plaintext documents.

 

Mostly it works perfect. But sometimes my laptop won't load all new files. Instead of that it overrides new versions  (on the pi) with old ones. I have to constantly check after every reboot if anything have gone wrong and then copy the newer versions out of the .SyncArchive folder. Since there are 2500 files, I cannot remember every file I've changed and eventually lose some data.

 

I really have no idea under which circumstances this happens. Between my desktop and the pi it's always working. But when I use my laptop sometimes things go wrong. I have tried to set up a new sync with a new secret several times, but it doesn't help.

 

I'm looking forward to any kind of help and tricks...

[thiggins73]

I have had the same problem trying to access financial data back and forth between desktop and laptop. I ended up with a real mess last tax time. Finally, I had to go to an old backup and reenter everything. I hope I never need an audit trail.

I think that the problem stems from the time delay syncing between computers. It seems not to happen when I leave time (several hours, although it could be less) between accessing data from the two computers.

[nesreb]

I think that the problem stems from the time delay syncing between computers. It seems not to happen when I leave time (several hours, although it could be less) between accessing data from the two computers.

 

In my case all "clients" logged in to my btsync network with several hours of timedistance.

 

Strange that some of my files (of the same type in the same folder) were updated correctly, and some didn't. It even doesn't matter if both computers are in the same (LA-)network or not.

[RomanZ]

nesreb,

 

First step - make sure that both your laptop and RPI time is synced with some NTP server, (I guess laptop is running ahead of RPI). If it does not help - i'd gladly hunt down this issue if you grab a debug logs from both RPI and your laptop. Set log_size to 100 to ensure issue will get into the log.

[nesreb]

I've checked the NTP settings on all machines. The time is exact.

 

So here is the sync.log.old of the latest relevant timespan. This time my desktop didn't upload all updated files to the pi (e.g. it successfully synced config.tex, but not arbeit.tex).

 

Since I didn't find a way to attach the whole log of 2.2MB, I uploaded it to my old dropbox account (which I have already replaced with btsync).

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/47ats966yrcc2qo/sync.log.old.shortend.txt

[RomanZ]

nesreb,

 

What about the log from second device (and the re-writed filename)?

 

Thanks!

[nesreb]

My bad, here you go:

 

log from raspberry pi: https://www.dropbox.com/s/l7j7ifpze0b099z/rasperry.sync.log.txt

 

Thanks in advice

[RomanZ]

nesreb,

 

the first log (your laptop, I presume) shows that the file is getting changed periodically from 17:30 to 17:49, and uploaded to RPI accordingly (no any issues). While RPI log is not debug log and does not contain necessary information.

 

Could you please check that debug log is properly turned on on RPI device?

[Engerek]

i have same problem... adding file is ok. but working on files in sync is trouble. i work on some files(xls) in sync, save them, double check every time it seems normal for a while. after a couple time it turns back to first state that i share. all of my work was gone.

PCs that we use win7 and Win8, BTsync version 1.2.91.

 

ps: English is not my native lang, sorry for mistakes.

[Harold Feit]

version 1.2.91.

Current is 1.3.93

[SpencerH]

Current is 1.3.93

I just want to point out that the blog on this site gives instructions for setting up with raspberry pi but links to version 1.2.91 and this version does not seem to auto update.

[GreatMarko]

I just want to point out that the blog on this site gives instructions for setting up with raspberry pi but links to version 1.2.91 and this version does not seem to auto update.

 

Whilst Sync remains in "beta", not every new beta build is pushed out via the auto-update function. (This will change once Sync leaves "beta")

 

In the meantime, you would need to manually update to the latest build instead.

I just want to point out that the blog on this site gives instructions for setting up with raspberry pi but links to version 1.2.91 and this version does not seem to auto update.

 

Whilst Sync remains in "beta", not every new beta build is pushed out via the auto-update function. (This will change once Sync leaves "beta")

 

In the meantime, you would need to manually update to%2

[victorct]

Just want to say that I'm also suffering this same issue (version 1.3.93) on 3 machines with Debian and a Raspberry with Arch.

 

Regards,

[RomanZ]

@victorct,

 

Could you please share more details on the issue? How often? Stably reproduced? Which kind of file? What is the file usage scenario?

Thanks!

[Engerek]

we update to 1.3.94 and problem still same... I make changes in an excel file then save it(several times) and close it. after a while i open it again and all changes lost. it turns back to the first state i share it. 

 

news: i change the name of a folder in shared folder. bittorrent sync keep the new named folder. but it created a new folder named like this: "foldersoldname.Conflict"  with same content.

 

where is your your god now?

Edited May 5, 2014 by Engerek

[lchoquel]

Update: I have reproduced the bug in a simpler, more controlled environment and a simple pattern and I have clean logs. I'll send it in a few minutes.

 

Meanwhile, note that the bug occurred only when my laptop was using Wifi, not using ethernet :-/

 

-------

 

Hi,

 

I've been having the same issue for weeks, stably reproduced. Here's how:

 

• The base set-up is my office LAN with two PCs running Windows 7, one is a desktop and the other a laptop (actually it's a mac running Windows 7 thru Parallels but that shouldn't be an issue). Everyday we are synching a dozen files weighing between a few MB to over 1GB. Everyday the files are updated by a scheduled process running on the desktop during the night.
  
• For practical reasons (slow connection), if the laptop is not in the office, I won't use BTSync. Actually it won't even be running on my laptop. Instead, the desktop will upload the latest versions of the files to dropbox (on totally separate folders, so there is no interaction with BTSync here). Then, on the laptop (out of office) I will get the update from dropbox and replace the files in the BTSynched folder.
  
• So the desktop would have, say, version 5 of the files and now, thanks to Dropbox, the laptop also has version 5.
  
• Next day, I come into the office and the desktop's scheduled process has updated its files to version 6 during the night. These version 6 files have a modification date during the night, they are of course more recent than my laptop files which are version 5 from the previous nightly update. I open my Laptop, connect to the LAN, fire up BTSync and hope to see my version 5 files replaced by the desktop's version 6 files. But the synch is done the other way.
  

 

Everytime I reproduce the same procedure, I will systematically see my laptop's outdated files (version 5) replace the desktop's more recent files (version 6).

 

Do you need logs from the 2 computers reproducing the issue?

Edited May 6, 2014 by lchoquel

[lchoquel]

Here is the simplified bug pattern, with actual file names, entirely logged on both sides.

 

I create a file test.txt including 1 line of text, synched by BTsync between the 2 computers. Let's call it version 1.

 

I disconnect the laptop from BTSync. On the desktop, I update the file by adding a line, that's version 2. I also copy the file on dropbox. The laptop gets the update, Version 2, by dropbox and replaces the file in its BTsynched folder where it is to be used - although the laptop is still not connected to BTSync. At this stage, both computers have Version 2 in their BTSynched folder, but they never synched it by BTSync.

 

I update the file again on the desktop, adding a 3rd line, that's version 3.

 

I reconnect the laptop to BTSync. Obviously, I expect the desktop's file, Version 3 to replace the laptop's Version 2 because it's more recent.

 

Now, the interesting part:

1st try: I reconnect the laptop to BTSync with the laptop on the LAN using Wifi

--> no bug, Version 3 replaces the laptop's Version 2 as expected

2nd try: I did the whole procedure again, except that the laptop was on the LAN using ethernet

--> bug, Version 2 from the laptop replaced the desktop's Version 3

 

The 2 trials where actually done in this order, so the logs should tell the same story (I haven't got time to analyze them). I'm sending the logs to syncapp@bittorrent.com, tell me if you need them on a different email address.

 

Thanks for the awesome software by the way!

 

 

PS: If you wonder why I wanna connect using ethernet, remember I have several GB of data to synch between the two everyday. On Wifi I get at best ~1MB/s and on ethernet I get up to 10MB/s.

[RomanZ]

@lchoquel,

 

As I see you've got a log analysis report from our Support Team.

 

For the all other people: when BTSync is not working, it can't monitor the changes happening to Sync folders, and can't precisely record the time when file was updated by user (or user's app - like Dropbox, office, etc.).

So, if file got changed by something when BTSync is off, the change considered to happen when BTSync is started again.