playontv Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 Does anyone know what the "rules" are to enable iOS and Android phones running the BitTorrect Sync app to receive new files? Must the apps be manually opened, or will the sync happen in the background so that the files are already there the next time I open the app? Does it vary by platform (iOS vs Android vs Windows Phone, etc)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playontv Posted April 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 nobody has any insight into this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RomanZ Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 @playontv, It varies by platform. Here are brief description of the rules: AndroidSync runs in background. Application must be running. Auto-sleep option allows to shut down the core (to save the power) and load it periodically to perform the sync in background. iOSSync runs in background for couple of minutes, there iOS stops it. For now all must be open on the display for sync to happen. WPSync does not run in background, app need to be open for sync to get going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playontv Posted April 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Well that's disappointing (wrt iOS). Why is it implemented that way? It is my understanding that iOS allows silent push notifications to apps that can be woken up to do background downloads of data. See the "Multitasking Enhancements" section here: https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/releasenotes/General/WhatsNewIniOS/Articles/iOS7.html "Apps supporting either the fetch or remote-notification background modes may be launched or moved from the suspended to background state at appropriate times. In the case of the fetchbackground mode, the system uses available information to determine the best time to launch or wake apps. For example, it does so when networking conditions are good or when the device is already awake. You can also send silent push notifications—that is, notifications that do not display alerts or otherwise disturb the user." Why wouldn't BitTorrect Sync on iOS register for this mode so that it could transfer data without user intervention? Then it truly be a "set it and forget it" usage model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RomanZ Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 @playontv, We are looking for the solution or a workaround and implement it once it is found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playontv Posted April 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Thanks for your reply, but it confused me. You say you are "looking for a solution", but I just gave you the link to a solution that is newly available in iOS 7. That solution let's you send silent notifications to an iOS device which allows you to "wake up" the app so that it may proceed with background data transfers/downloads. Why are you still "looking for the solution" given that it already exists and is well documented in the new iOS 7 APIs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RomanZ Posted April 24, 2014 Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 @playontv Sorry - I just did not want to dive deep in tech details. Our devs are aware of the ability to wake up in the background. Bad thing is that iOS limits the apps running in the background to http protocol only, so we can't connect over random port using torrent protocol - which is vital to actually sync data. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playontv Posted April 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 I see. Well, standard HTTP would be fine to use over the LAN, no? That is probably the most common scenario. Even if the automatic background transfer only worked using HTTP when both client and server were on the same LAN, that would still be a HUGE step in the right direction. Don't you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firon Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 No. The client requires the torrent protocol, as that's how it's built to sync data. It'd require a massive overhaul in the way that Sync works just to allow for this very specific case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playontv Posted April 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 Respectfully, I don't think this can be called a "very specific case". I would argue it is the single most likely/common case. Think about it. I have a PC with BitTorrent Sync on it. I have an iPhone and an iPad. When a new file appears in my Shared folder on the PC, I just want it to automatically be on my iPhone and iPad the next time I use them, without having to remember to open the BT client on the iOS device so the sync can happen before I leave my home. I can't imagine a more common case than someone who just wants their data to sync, without constant manual intervention. And, regarding the "massive overhaul", I wasn't suggesting changing the way things are currently done. Just adding an additional failover method that uses basic/standard background HTTP transfer over the LAN. The current stuff stays the same. But when they fail to sync in a timely way, rollover to a new method of transfer. I don't think that's a massive overhaul. Just an extension of current capabilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisH Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 You still would have to reimplement the current protocol in HTTP. That IS a massive overhaul, regardless whether you keep the old stuff or replace it. The work is the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playontv Posted April 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 You would not have to implement the actual low level details HTTP protocol. You get that for free if you implement the Background Transfer Class. iOS handles the details of the protocol. http://code.tutsplus.com/tutorials/ios-7-sdk-background-transfer-service--mobile-20595 The same is true on the server side. Both PC and Mac have standard HTTP classes that are built into the OS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTheNerd Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 I have mail clients that sync in the background just fine, and I don't believe they're using HTTP. That may be a bit of minutia, though, and the reality is perhaps that regardless of what IS supported, doing Torrent in the background ISN'T. That's too bad, because i'd love my camera roll backup to happen automatically on iOS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RomanZ Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 all, Thanks a lot for your advises. As I mentioned before - we would like to make BTSync working in a background on iOS. Once we'll have a possibility to implement it - we'll do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playontv Posted May 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 Does a similar problem exist on Android, or do background transfers happen automatically on those devices? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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