frustrated with synching

[BorisS]

It seems like half the posts are about synching, but here is my issue. I
have a small work team, distributed between Texas (1 member), New York (2-3
members), and Bombay (5-6 members). We all have a set of regular Windows
folder, for which we've activated Groove synching. different members have
different numbers, but in my particular case, I have 11 folders, for a total
of about 8.5 GB (folders are 2.5Gb, 170Mb, 100Mb, 1.92Mb, 250Mb, 500Mb,
1.7Gb, 1Gb, 120Mb, 150Mb). Others have varying amounts less access to those
folders. What used to be flawless performance between all computers, is now
not only abysmally slow, but sometimes simply not accurate (i.e., someone
deletes a file, it's back the next day). Even what used to be breezy
synching between my own machines, is now stalled, with only 3 of those listed
folders having even come across when using an account file to load a new
laptop I just got (to synch from my desktop) with the files on my desktop
(which serves as a relay server...this is where there is an 'always on'
machine, right?).

Assuming I've run a few Groovecleans on each machine, what could be my snag?


Unrelated (I believe) question is why when one of my project team leads
deletes a file, she often get that ifile back in her syunching.

I am really tired of this, but then don't know another product this useful
for us.

Please help.

 

[Frances Selkirk [MSFT]]

Hi Boris,

First, Groove File Sharing workspaces have a size limit of 2 GB, so your 2.5
GB workspace is not being synchronized. You should have seen a pop-up warning
when it first exceeded that limit. In the Launchbar, right-click the
workspace, click Properties, and then click the Status tab. This will show
you the synchronization status of the workspace.

The deleted file returning indicates that someone moved, restored, or
updated that file after your team lead deleted it. If no workspace members
believe they did that, you might want to check the time and timezone on the
PCs to be sure that the operations appear to occur in the correct sequence.
Also, because File Sharing workspaces are normal windows folders, they can be
affected by operations, including things like backup software, so make sure
nothing is automatically restoring that file. For example, if your lead
deletes the file while online in Groove, but Member1, who is offline, runs a
process that touches the file, modifying it slightly, the deleted file will
be restored when Member1 comes online.

I hope this helps!

 

[BorisS]

Frances, thanks much. That does help. A few comments:

1) I knew about that large one. Just need to pare it down, but haven't had
the chance.
2) on the deleted file, does Groove do more than check the 'modified date'
for each file and compare against others on the network, or is it more
extensive that that? If it literally is sensitive to opening (not saving,
just opening, withough affecting modification date), then I can maybe see
what you're saying. But in that case, wouldn't it be creating two copies,
one for 'original' (as Groove perceives it) and one for the changed?
3) Any idea on the morbidly slow performance? even in the case of my two
computers talking to each other (and again, it's only the one space that is
too large, and it's a workspace that's resting in large form on another
user's end, not mine, because mine hasn't had the chance to take over all
that over-2Gb data yet). The two I have, directly connected through a router
that allows them to open each other remotely, are not synching after two
workspaces, and there are certainly enough smaller workspaces to where those
should come across, no?
--
Boris

Hi Boris,

First, Groove File Sharing workspaces have a size limit of 2 GB, so your 2.5
GB workspace is not being synchronized. You should have seen a pop-up warning
when it first exceeded that limit. In the Launchbar, right-click the
workspace, click Properties, and then click the Status tab. This will show
you the synchronization status of the workspace.

The deleted file returning indicates that someone moved, restored, or
updated that file after your team lead deleted it. If no workspace members
believe they did that, you might want to check the time and timezone on the
PCs to be sure that the operations appear to occur in the correct sequence.
Also, because File Sharing workspaces are normal windows folders, they can be
affected by operations, including things like backup software, so make sure
nothing is automatically restoring that file. For example, if your lead
deletes the file while online in Groove, but Member1, who is offline, runs a
process that touches the file, modifying it slightly, the deleted file will
be restored when Member1 comes online.

I hope this helps!

--
Frances Selkirk [MSFT]
http://blogs.technet.com/weeklygroove/
----
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.

It seems like half the posts are about synching, but here is my issue. I
have a small work team, distributed between Texas (1 member), New York (2-3
members), and Bombay (5-6 members). We all have a set of regular Windows
folder, for which we've activated Groove synching. different members have
different numbers, but in my particular case, I have 11 folders, for a total
of about 8.5 GB (folders are 2.5Gb, 170Mb, 100Mb, 1.92Mb, 250Mb, 500Mb,
1.7Gb, 1Gb, 120Mb, 150Mb). Others have varying amounts less access to those
folders. What used to be flawless performance between all computers, is now
not only abysmally slow, but sometimes simply not accurate (i.e., someone
deletes a file, it's back the next day). Even what used to be breezy
synching between my own machines, is now stalled, with only 3 of those listed
folders having even come across when using an account file to load a new
laptop I just got (to synch from my desktop) with the files on my desktop
(which serves as a relay server...this is where there is an 'always on'
machine, right?).

Assuming I've run a few Groovecleans on each machine, what could be my snag?


Unrelated (I believe) question is why when one of my project team leads
deletes a file, she often get that ifile back in her syunching.

I am really tired of this, but then don't know another product this useful
for us.

Please help.

 

[Frances Selkirk [MSFT]]

Groove isn't sensitive to opening the file and not changing it. However, if
you an automated process or software application that is making a minor
change to the file (for example, a version control application that adds
versioning information), that is still a change.

Ignore what I wrote about times -- I was thinking of ordering within
workspace tools. I apologize for muddying the issue. Changes will be
processed in the order they are received, regardless of time settings.
However, a file can still be restored by someone who has modified it or moved
it coming on line after others have processed a deletion. If multiple files
are being deleted and then sent to everyone again, that will use network and
local resources. Also, changes that happen while Groove is not running are
often not processed as efficiently. See "Description of what occurs when you
move a file in a synchronized folder to another subdirectory in the folder in
Groove" at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;916422 for
an example.

There are a number of things that can effect performance. Since you've seen
a substantial decrease, you may have a situation in which there is a backlog
of unsynchronized data. Try having everyone stay logged into Groove for 24
hours and see if that helps.

I was looking back at your first message and saw that you have a
misunderstanding about the Groove relay server. If you do not have the Groove
Server product or subscribe to Groove Enterprise Services, you use a
public-facing Groove relay server hosted by Microsoft. If Groove on your
computer cannot connect to a workspace member over TCP port 2492, then Groove
sends data to that member via their configured relay server instead. See "How
Groove 2007 uses Groove servers" at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;939806. To see what
relay server (or servers) you use to receive data, open Communications
Manager from the Options menu, click Network Settings, and then look at the
value of Relay Server URL.

When you make a change to a workspace, Groove sends that out to other online
members (either directly or via relays) and to the relays of other offline
members. However, updates for your own account on other computers do not go
through the relay. If you have Groove on two computers and a workspace with
no other members, you will need to come online on both computers to
synchronize the workspace between them.

Since you do have a computer that you leave online, make sure that all you
computers know about each other. On the options menu, click Preferences, and
then click the account tab. If your account is on three computers, three
computers should be listed on each computer. If they don't, you may have the
problem described here: "After you import a Groove account from one computer
to two other computers, the two new computers may show synchronization or
awareness problems"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;908060