Windows XP - How To Reduce Offline File Synchronization Time

[Anna_Stephanie]

Hello All,

We having users running Windows XP Pro with SP2. We have their My
Documents folder made available offline that points to their home
share on our network. The files are set to synchronize at logon,
logoff and shutdown. Some users have complained that the
synchronization takes a very long time. Most of the time the users
that complain about this have a lot of files in their My Documents
folder and work mainly on a wireless network connection. I have
advised the users to clean (delete) or move their files to the root of
the home drive so those files will not synchronize. I have also
advised them that working on a wired connection is must faster than a
wireless network connection and that would help with the total time to
synchronize. Is there any other suggestions to decreasing the time to
sychronize files besides the ones I have already mentioned above?
Thank you in advance for any assitance regarding this issue.

 

[Gordon]

Hello All,

We having users running Windows XP Pro with SP2. We have their My
Documents folder made available offline that points to their home
share on our network. The files are set to synchronize at logon,
logoff and shutdown. Some users have complained that the
synchronization takes a very long time. Most of the time the users
that complain about this have a lot of files in their My Documents
folder and work mainly on a wireless network connection. I have
advised the users to clean (delete) or move their files to the root of
the home drive so those files will not synchronize. I have also
advised them that working on a wired connection is must faster than a
wireless network connection and that would help with the total time to
synchronize. Is there any other suggestions to decreasing the time to
sychronize files besides the ones I have already mentioned above?
Thank you in advance for any assitance regarding this issue.

I don't know how you've got it set up, but synchronisation should ONLY
happen when a file is changed, added or deleted - it shouldn't synchronise
the WHOLE lot every time.

 

[Anna_Stephanie]

The synchronization checks all of the files that are set for offline
usage for any changes each time a synchronization is initiated.

 

[Gordon]

The synchronization checks all of the files that are set for offline
usage for any changes each time a synchronization is initiated.

Well I use off-line files between my laptop and my desktop. I have worked on
four documents today, out of 5,345 files with a total size of 1.5 GB in the
off-line "My Documents" folder. Synchronisation, which I have just done,
took about TEN SECONDS.
therefore there is something wrong with your setup.

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 2/18/2008 2:21 PM, and on a whim, Anna_Stephanie
pounded out on the keyboard:

The synchronization checks all of the files that are set for offline
usage for any changes each time a synchronization is initiated.

Hi Anna,

You have given the best advice. Unfortunately the syncing file checking
takes time and the users need to figure out what's most important,
having all the files on their local drives for working off site or just
keeping the currently working on files in an OF. If they set up archive
folders similar to what you suggested (out of the OF), and only have
current files being synced (in an OF), the sync time will be reduced
significantly.

--
Terry R.

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[Gordon]

You have given the best advice. Unfortunately the syncing file checking
takes time

then how does the synchrinisation of 5,345 files and 1.5 GB take me TEN
SECONDS?

 

[Anna_Stephanie]

Gordon, so how is your sync setup then?

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 2/18/2008 3:17 PM, and on a whim, Gordon pounded
out on the keyboard:

then how does the synchrinisation of 5,345 files and 1.5 GB take me TEN
SECONDS?

You're lucky. It's not the norm, trust me.

--
Terry R.

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[Terry R.]

The date and time was 2/18/2008 2:42 PM, and on a whim, Gordon pounded
out on the keyboard:

Well I use off-line files between my laptop and my desktop. I have worked on
four documents today, out of 5,345 files with a total size of 1.5 GB in the
off-line "My Documents" folder. Synchronisation, which I have just done,
took about TEN SECONDS.
therefore there is something wrong with your setup.

Okay. Exactly WHAT would be wrong with her setup? Just because your
laptop works that way doesn't mean you can broadly state that EVERY
laptop should work the same. Every situation is different Gordon. I
work with dozens of laptop users using OF, and the typical situation is
more to what Anna describes.

I still believe Anna offered the best advice and if her users heeded
that advice, the sync time would be reduced.

--
Terry R.

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[Terry R.]

The date and time was 2/18/2008 7:39 PM, and on a whim, Anna_Stephanie
pounded out on the keyboard:

Gordon, so how is your sync setup then?

I doubt his is set up any different that what you've done. We work with
OF all the time and Gordon sounds like he's talking about ideal
conditions. I've NEVER seen a wireless connection sync in 10 seconds,
and only a small MD folder with a wired connection takes about that long
(I would consider 1.5 gig small).

--
Terry R.

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[Gordon]

The date and time was 2/18/2008 7:39 PM, and on a whim, Anna_Stephanie
pounded out on the keyboard:


I doubt his is set up any different that what you've done. We work with
OF all the time and Gordon sounds like he's talking about ideal
conditions. I've NEVER seen a wireless connection sync in 10 seconds, and
only a small MD folder with a wired connection takes about that long (I
would consider 1.5 gig small).

My laptop synchs wirelessly........

 

[Gordon]

The date and time was 2/18/2008 3:17 PM, and on a whim, Gordon pounded out


You're lucky. It's not the norm, trust me.

--

Well it's the norm for me. Happens all the time. Of course the time varies
depending on the files that have changed, but it NEVER synchs ALL the files
ALL the time, which is what the OP is talking about. It ONLY synchs those
files that have changed since the last synch....
I wonder if the OPs users are using roaming profiles, in which case the
Synch function might think that it's a completely new synch each time....

 

[Gordon]

Gordon, so how is your sync setup then?

Just normally.
Are your users who connect wirelessly using roaming profiles, or have a
different IP address each time? if so, is it possible that the Synch
function thinks that it has to do a complete synch each time? just a
thought...

 

[Anna_Stephanie]

We do not use roaming profiles and the clients receive DHCP leases
that last a week.

 

[Anna_Stephanie]

What do you mean by "normally?"

As I stated previously, we do not use roaming profiles and DHCP leases
last for one week.

Anytime a network connection is changed (for example, switching from
wired to wireless and vice versa) Windows will prompt for a
synchronization in case any of the files that are specified for
offline use have been changed while the network connection was in
transition. That is by design.

 

[Anna_Stephanie]

What do you mean by "normally?"

As I stated previously, we do not use roaming profiles and DHCP leases
last for one week.

Anytime a network connection is changed (for example, switching from
wired to wireless and vice versa) Windows will prompt for a
synchronization in case any of the files that are specified for
offline use have been changed while the network connection was in
transition. That is by design.

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 2/18/2008 11:54 PM, and on a whim, Gordon pounded
out on the keyboard:

Well it's the norm for me. Happens all the time. Of course the time varies
depending on the files that have changed, but it NEVER synchs ALL the files
ALL the time, which is what the OP is talking about. It ONLY synchs those
files that have changed since the last synch....
I wonder if the OPs users are using roaming profiles, in which case the
Synch function might think that it's a completely new synch each time....

No, she didn't state all the files were being synced, just that it took
a long time to complete. That is most likely due to the items she
stated; too many files to check archive bits on & wireless signal. Both
of those will cause a much longer time than reducing the MD folder to
only sync current files and using a wired connection.

--
Terry R.

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[Gordon]

No, she didn't state all the files were being synced, just that it took a
long time to complete. That is most likely due to the items she stated;
too many files to check archive bits on & wireless signal. Both of those
will cause a much longer time than reducing the MD folder to only sync
current files and using a wired connection.

I synch on a wireless connection.....

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 2/19/2008 2:38 PM, and on a whim, Gordon pounded
out on the keyboard:

I synch on a wireless connection.....

I understand that. But you know how flaky wireless connections can be.
Most businesses I work with have unreliable wireless connections due
to the structure of the buildings causing interference. And most of the
laptop users that refuse to use a wired connection get Offline Folder
errors throughout the day stating the connection was lost, reconnected,
lost, etc.

--
Terry R.

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