Sync period when Entourage is running

[Paul_Barnard]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: Exchange

I recently noticed that my CPU was running hotter than usual. I traced the cause to multiple applications syncing with sync services. This would not be a problem apart from the fact that Entourage is causing Sync Services to run every few seconds. Without Entourage running Sync services runs very infrequently. Any one know why Entourage triggers a Sync when nothing has changed?

Now that Leopard is up reved to 10.5.6 Sync Services are using quite a few more cycles than the previous version so the Entourage Sync trigger is has far more impact. I estimate that I am using around 10 to 15% more CPU on average and that is also hitting my battery consumption.

 

[William Smith [MVP]]

I recently noticed that my CPU was running hotter than usual. I
traced the cause to multiple applications syncing with sync services.
This would not be a problem apart from the fact that Entourage is
causing Sync Services to run every few seconds. Without Entourage
running Sync services runs very infrequently. Any one know why
Entourage triggers a Sync when nothing has changed?

Now that Leopard is up reved to 10.5.6 Sync Services are using quite
a few more cycles than the previous version so the Entourage Sync
trigger is has far more impact. I estimate that I am using around 10
to 15% more CPU on average and that is also hitting my battery
consumption.

That sounds far more severe than it should be.

This is a guess on my part but possibly clearing your Sync Services
Database may help with this problem.

First, make sure your information is up-to-date in Entourage and then
disable syncing by going into Entourage menu --> Preferences... -->
General Preferences --> Sync Services and unchecking all three sync
options. Wait a few minutes.

Now, go into the iSync application found in your /Applications folder.
Under iSync menu --> Preferences..., click the Reset Sync History... button.

Finally, return to Entourage's Sync Services preferences and enable
syncing again. You'll be presented with a dialog window after you click
the OK button. Select the option to replace data in everything else from
Entourage.

Hope this helps!

--

bill

Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
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[Paul_Barnard]

Bill,

Since posting I have already been through these steps as I thought at first it might simply be Sync Services fouled up after the upgrade.

I run a complex sync system as I use iCal for my personal calendars (6 of them). These are all synced with MobileMe and shared between 2 Macs. These calendars are also synced to Google Calendar using Spanning Sync. Trevor created me a test load of Spanning Sync to eliminate that from the equation. There was an increase in cycles when Spanning Sync upreved earlier last year which they addressed. I also use Entourage for work and have the Entourage calendar syncing to iCal. To top it off I have selected calendars synced to my iPhone using MobileMe push.
Impressively this all works remarkably well and exactly as it did in 10.5.5 (Entourage has always synced every 10 seconds). The only difference is that 10.5.6 uses way more cycles in sync and hence the above problem.

Unfortunately what I am seeing is not error operation it is simply a result of Apple adding a lot more code to do the same thing...

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Eric Tiffany]

I have this same problem with Microsoft Sync running every few seconds and
chewing my CPU. I am syncing both my Address book and Calendar, and it only
happens when Entourage is running. This commences shortly after I boot my
machine, log in, and open Entourage.

My "solution" is to quit Entourage and re-open it immediately. Thereafter,
Microsoft Sync services "behaves" and only runs when an actual change is
made. There is clearly something broken with Entourage and/or Microsoft
Sync, possibly a race condition that occurs when Entourage is started
initially after a boot.

BTW, because of the extremely unpredictable Entourage syncing behavior, I
have been using Synchrospector to observe and control sync activities. You
can get it as part the Developer Tools on Leopard (in
/Developer/Applications/Utilities ). Very useful.

ET

 

[Paul_Barnard]

Eric,

Thanks for the very helpful information. I will give the exit and relaunch suggestion a try.
I solved my immediate problem with a bit of a sledgehammer solution. I recently bought an 8 Core MacPro which is now the 'master' for all my syncing so the CPU drain is negligible . I now have Entourage syncing with Address Book and iCal on the MacPro and the MacBook Air is getting that Synced information via MobileMe. I am still running Entourage on the MacBook Air but with Synchronization turned off, the Exchange information is obviously synchronized between the two instances of Entourage by the Exchange server. This has go my battery life back when i am traveling but i do hope that Microsoft fix this one.