Understanding Rsync: DeltaCopy and Syncrify

Whether your business is dealing with massive amounts of information on a daily basis, or simply has a few files that are consistently being modified, it is important to have a solution in place that ensures the safety and security of these documents! Implementing a data backup plan is one way to ensure your files remain stored in an easily accessible and secure location. Though regular backups may do the trick, there are a few features to look out for that will ensure reliability and ease of use when performing backups. Two programs in particular make this process much more efficient: DeltaCopy and Syncrify.

DeltaCopy

DeltaCopy is an open source, quick incremental backup program. An incremental backup retains a full copy of the initial backup and subsequent backups will only contain the changes that have been made since the last time the file was stored. Some benefits of this type of backup include allowing multiple versions to be created automatically while also saving disk space. DeltaCopy ensures a way for Windows users to have tightly integrated services available only on Microsoft platforms. Some features of this program outside of incremental backup include profiles running based on a schedule, email notifications validating successful backups, and files can be restored with a simple click. All of this is done by DeltaCopy utilizing Rsync.

Rsync

Rsync is a tool that makes transferring and synchronizing files between a computer and an external hard drive a much speedier and efficient process by comparing the modification times and sizes of files. Rsync is an algorithm that is typically used in the Unix/Linux community but has the capability to offer a great mechanism to copy only the part of the file that has been modified.

In DeltaCopy’s case, Rsync is used as-is by taking the binaries that are available on Unix/Linux and recompiling them on Windows with the use of CGYWIN libraries. Additionally, DeltaCopy also uses the Rsync protocol to transfer files and only allows data encryption using SSH. Along with this, this program can only copy files from client to server. File restoration can still occur, but it will in turn restore every file. An entire profile can be restored as a single transaction, but this means that DeltaCopy will restore every file from the server on the client rather than selectively restoring files or scheduling a restore.

DeltaCopy can certainly be useful if you have an existing network using Rsync or want to use an open-source product that is completely free. To alleviate some of the setbacks of DeltaCopy, Synametrics Technologies has introduced a new way of using Rsync to make backups even easier.

Syncrify

Syncrify uses the Rsync algorithms with a custom implementation. Using Rsync over HTTPS, this means that Syncrify will determine the parts of the file that have been changed and copy only that. This allows for the actual number of bytes being transferred to be much smaller saving you storage and disk space. Unlike DeltaCopy, Syncrify uses a client/server model meaning both communicate with one another and divide a file into multiple chunks called a Delta . The deltas get compared and analyzed and only the Deltas that don’t match will be sent to the server.

Backups in Syncrify are bi-directional meaning the can be sent client to server, server to client, or using Two-way Sync. Two-way sync is beneficial for those looking to synchronize the contents of two folders on separate machines. For additional security, Syncrify can also encrypt data transfer using HTTPS but also utilize the servers end by using AES encryption. This is useful if a file needs to be backed up to a third-party provider without interruption by unauthorized users. For added ease and efficiency, Syncrify also allows for files to be restored either directly from the client or from a web browser. This allows users to have continuous access to backed up files if they must be retrieved.

Summary

Both of these methods of utilizing Rsync can be beneficial when attempting to both backup and restore your files. It is important to keep in mind the security, size, and storage of your documents when looking to either backup or restore a file. Rsync allows for smaller storage requirements, easily accessible backups and restoration but can be utilized in different ways by either implementing DeltaCopy or Syncrify. Both offer options that can be of convenience to businesses depending on their current backup model and the level of access needed to view and restore files. Both are strong solutions when looking to implement a more secure backup, synchronization and restoration process for your business.

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Created on:	Dec 11, 2020
Last updated on:	Apr 25, 2024

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