Using multiple computers, working from different places, sharing data with coworkers: In today’s highly connected world it’s essential to always have access to the latest data. And because we know that, of course, we worked hard on creating the most versatile yet robust synchronization technology and rewriting the build-in web server of DEVONthink Pro Office.
All editions of DEVONthink 2.5 synchronize databases between multiple computers and locations either directly or via Dropbox, WebDAV, file servers, or just any mountable disk. The new web server gives your PC and Linux colleagues access to the databases you want to share with them directly through their favorite web browser. And if you’re still fighting the paper flood you will like the enhancements we have made to the scan feature.
Read the full news here or directly visit the Download page to get the new versions.
Don’t miss our screencasts that explain step-by-step how these great new feature work. 13 minutes well spent! Watch them directly from inside the app in the Support Assistant (Help > Tutorials) or here on our website on the Tips & Tutorials page.
Important: If you used previous public betas of the sync technology you need to delete your existing sync stores before using the final version. Please simply delete the sync store folder on your file server, WebDAV drive or on Dropbox. Visit the Dropbox website, navigate to the folder “Apps” and delete sync store folder there. It is named “DEVONthink” or has the name extension “.dtSyncStore”. If you haven’t excluded the sync store from synchronizing via the Dropbox app you can delete it from the Dropbox folder on your computer, too.
Fresh tweets
You’ve got a typo here: “In todays highly connected world” -> should be “In today’s highly connected world.”
@jseliger: You’re right, of course. Corrected! Thank you!
With this update I am again prompted to install the “add-ons” – should I, even though they are installed, considering the nature of this new version?
Another question: In the video tutorial, you recommend, in the case of syncing via Dropbox, changing the Dropbox settings to “deselect apps” – but I have other apps syncing. So, should I switch to Dropbox’s “advanced view” and deselect just the DEVONthink checkbox instead?
Thanks.
[...] to the Devonian Times, the update now officially supports database synchronization between “multiple computers and [...]
[...] Here’s an excerpt from the announcement blog post: [...]
[...] to the Devonian Times, the update now officially supports database synchronization between “multiple computers and [...]
@ Philip: Yes, we have e.g. updated some scripts and the Clip to DEVONthink extension. Yes, just exclude the sync store folder.
Many thanks. Great to see this coming out at long last. I can see myself having to increase my Dropbox quota!
I belief that the tuturiol makes a serious mistake where it recommends to deselect the apps folder in the selective sync preferences of Dropbox. Deselecting ‘apps’ results in the removal of that folder from your computer. This means that the other apps that use these folder (such as MacJournal) will lose their connection with dropbox as well as their data and it might be difficult to recover these data. In addition you will not be able to access the files put in this folder by iOS apps such as Drafts.
Rather than deselecting the Apps folder, you should deselect the DEVONthink folder with the Apps folder!
This is great! Was this also submitted to the AppStore for 2.x customers to download?
When will the app store version be updated?
[...] to the Devonian Times, the update now officially supports database synchronization between “multiple computers and [...]
I have my DevonThink stuff in two databases. The Inbox and the default ‘Informationsdatabase’. I have set them up to sync to the same dropbox account.
But only the first syncs. Is it really necessary to have a separate dropbox for each DevonThink base?
Or should I just move everything from the ‘Informationsdatabase’ to the Global Inbox?
What about SFTP syncing ? Some of us want to use their own UN*X servers.
Does the new Pro Office sync with the Devonthink ToGo iPad and iPhone apps? Would be keen to use this functionality but don’t want to take the risk of spending £11 in the app store if it isn’t supported. Thanks.
@Matt: Whenever is has passed Apple’s review.
@ JAB: No SFTP planned so far. You can, of course, run WebDAV on your UNIX server.
@ Joe: No, DEVONthink To Go 1.x still uses its own sync code. Version 2 is already in the works and will use the new sync technology, of course.
@ Per Rønne: No, one sync store serves them all. Have you checked the Dropbox location also for your “Informationsdatabase” in the Sync Preferences?
@Eboehnisch
Yes, my dropbox account is checked on in column 3, in Settings, no matter I select the Inbox or Informationsdatabase in column 1.
The only difference is that on the Inbox I get the information that it was last synced 2nd March 2013, at 18:00 whereas on the Informationsdatabase it says ‘Never synchronized’.
If I push the Sync Now button when Informationsdatabase is selected, it seem to begin to sync – but quickly stops again.
I have just tried an experiment. Created a Local Sync Store (well, after all, that might be the only way to synch with my iPad {well, it does not}, until the Devonthink iPad app will sync through dropbox).
The problem is the same. The Inbox syncs to the Local Sync Store, the Informationsbase does not.
Before the update, I synched through WiFi between MacBook and iPad without major problems.
I have made an experiment.
I created a new database ‘skole’ and moved school stuff from Informationsdatabase to this new skole database.
This database syncs without problems.
So either the Informationsdatabase is to large (skole takes up 197,4 MB and Informationsdatabase now 3.97 GB), or there is something wrong with its internal structures).
@ Per Rønne: Anything in DEVONthink’s Log window? Maybe a note that you need to verify & repair your database before syncing?
After more experiments I can say that database files larger than a certain size (be it in bytes or number of internal items) won’t sync.
@Administrator,
I just saw your comment.
The log window has the following contents:
08.00.36: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
08.00.37: Sync: Informationsdatabase → Devon Sync Store (Local Sync Store) Verification of database failed.
09.00.02: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
09.00.05: Sync: Informationsdatabase → Devon Sync Store (Local Sync Store) Verification of database failed.
10.00.01: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
10.00.04: Sync: Informationsdatabase → Devon Sync Store (Local Sync Store) Verification of database failed.
10.14.20: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
11.00.11: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
11.03.06: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
11.05.26: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
11.06.59: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
12.00.34: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
12.25.57: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
13.43.46: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
13.53.27: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
13.55.16: Sync: DB → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
14.00.31: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
14.14.06: Sync: Personligt → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
16.11.58: Sync: Personligt → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
16.12.13: Sync: Informationsdatabase → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
16.12.20: Sync: DB → per@rqnne.dk (Dropbox) Verification of database failed.
==
Clearly, if sync succeeds nothing is said in the low window.
I am a bit unclear as to the way sync works. I synced my databases from my MacBook Pro to my iMac directly but want to sync databases on my iMac to the MacBook Pro. Is this bi-directionality possible directly? It seemed not to allow me to do so. Thus, I tried to do it through Dropbox. Which raises another question: if I am sitting with the two computers next to each other, is there any reason to prefer syncing directly to syncing through Dropbox or vice versa? Thanks
Finger weg von der Synchronisation!
Wer sie testen will, soll zuerst die Datenbank sichern, Grund:
Nach der Synchronisation:
- Ordnerstruktur zerschossen
- über 1400 Objekte im Papierkorb
Zusammengeführte, gleichnamige Ordner, die zuvor in verschiedenen Ordnern lagen:
/Software/Tips&Tricks
/Computer/Tips&Tricks
- Jetzt gibt es Tips&Tricks nur unter:
/Computer/Tips&Tricks
Die Synchronisation macht sich selbständig und führt von für sie scheinbar zusammengehörende Inhalte/Ordner zusammen – ien KO Kriterium.
Die Synchronisation wurde durchgeführt von iMac auf eine NAS QNAP 209 II in ein dafür definiertes SyncStore. Zunächst wollte die Synchronisation nicht, nach einem manuellen Start unter Einstellungen, gab es kurz ein Fenster und danach verschwand das Fenster. Sehen konnte man nur unter Protokoll was – durch einen Fehler (fehlende Datei) in der Datenbank, brach die Synchronisation ohne eine Fehlermeldung ab. Nach der Bereinigung der Datenbank (Reparieren… aus dem Menü) wurde die Synchronisation durchgeführt und als Ergebnis, bliebt mir ein undefinierter Zustand der Datenbankstruktur und Daten, dem ich nicht mehr trauen konnte, denn nach dem Vergleich mit der zuvor gesicherten Datenbank und dem Ergebnis nach der Synchronisation, entdeckte ich immer mehr Unstimmigkeiten:
- fehlende Ordner (irgendwo zusammengeführt mit anderen)
- Zusammengeführte gleichnamige Ordner
- Papierkorb mit 1400 Objekten
- ca 300MB Größenunterschied zwischen der Original DB und der nach der Synchronisation:
- Die Original DB war 924MB groß
- Die gleiche DB nach der Synchronisation etwa 600MB!!
Von dieser Art der Synchronisation lasse ich die Finger weg. Es ist sehr enttäuschend, dass eine so gute Software, die mich bisher mit seinem Funktionsumfang recht begeistert hat, so eine fatale Synchronisation auf den Markt rauslässt.
@ Per Rønne: Just as I expected. You need to use Tools > Verify & Repair first to repair your databases. Then sync again.
@ Tom: No, in this case you can simply use a direct connection. Fast and painless.
@ Janusz: German language comments don’t make too much sense in an English only blog. You have surely contacted our support with your experiences? They’ll be back at the office Monday morning and will love to find out what happened.
In getting the hang of this, I managed to create a new database on machine B with the same name as one of my existing databases on machine A, and synced them both to DropBox. Now DT sees two databases on DropBox with the same name. I’d like to undo my error and delete the sync files on DropBox associated with the new (unwanted) database. How do I do that?
@Jeff:
You’re going to need to get the UUIDs of the databases you want to keep. You can do so by running this AppleScript:
tell application “DEVONthink Pro”
set theUUID to the uuid of the current database
end tell
Next, you need to go to Dropbox.com and look in your files. In /Apps/DEVONthink/databases/, you should find a couple of folders with UUID names. Delete the ones that *don’t* match up with databases you want to keep.
If you need any further help, please open a support ticket here ( http://www.devontechnologies.com/contact.html ).
@Nathan: thanks much, worked just fine.
@Administrator
Thank you.
The original Informationsdatabase has now been emptied and deleted, the DB database has been repaired and all of the stuff has been moved to this base. No need to have more than two databases (Global + one for less used stuff).
Now my only problem is that I can no more sync with DevonThink on my iPad. I guess I will have to wait for an update of the DT To Go to be able to do that again – also, I guess I have to delete the stuff on DT To Go before I sync with the dropbox version.
@ Per Rønne: We made a mistake when packaging version 2.5. The next update is already in the pipeline, of course.
[...] Last week we have released DEVONthink and DEVONnote 2.5 introducing our new technology that lets you keep the same database on all your Macs and always up to date. Today we have published the first minor update to version 2.5.1 with some important bug fixes for all four editions. Update your copy using the menu command Check for Updates in the app’s main menu or download a fresh one from our Download page. [...]
When I sync with Devonthink To Go – getting many many duplicates. Wby is that? I have to stop using the program now.
@ Mike Jones: The sync technology in DEVONthink To Go v1 is not what we’re using between Macs now. And DEVONthink To Go 2, which is already in the works, will also use the new sync methods without these duplications issues. Sorry for the current issues!
I would like to sync my DEVONThink folders across an iMac and a MacBook Pro using either my Apple TimeCapsule or an external hard-disk connected to it, but it does not seem to work. Do you think that a regular NAS drive would be ok?
@ Valerio? In how far didn’t it work? Have you contacted our support? A real attached hard dusk is certainly more recommended than a NAS.
@eboehnisch. Yes, I have already contacted the technical support [#231321] , but I was given the reply that ‘You can use a local syncStore that’s not on your TimeCapsule (which actually isn’t the same as a typical “home hard-disk”).’ I could agree that it is not ontologically “typical”, but it is hard to understand why it works so bad—at the first sync it seems ok, then the iMac cannot use that syncStore again due to an apparent lack of permissions. Moreover, connecting an alternative external drive to TimeCapsule did not solve the problem at all.
I am also sure that it’s more recommended to use an attached hard-disk, but this also requires that both computers must be turned on with DEVONThink running, while it would be much more comfortable to have an independent syncStore on a network hard drive being updated every time one starts or closes DEVONThink. Frankly, I think that technical documentation @DEVON better specifies that syncStores do not work properly when located on network drives.
The Time Machine hard disk is completely managed by OS X. It changes permissions any way it wants and it strongly discouraged by Apple to use a Time Machine disk for anything else than Time Machine.
Using an external hard disk connected to the Time Capsule should work, though. AFP is explicitly supported. Please write back to our support with this question and Nathan will be happy to answer it. Blog comments are good to tell others about your opinions but are hardly suited for a support discussion
Can you please clarify why the sync is needed? What’s to stop me just storing a Devonthink database on Dropbox and opening this database using Devonthink on different computers.
Are there any advantages of the setting up the sync rather than storing the database in dropbox?
When you just put the database on Dropbox and accidentally it’s not completely uploades from machine A and you open it from machine B you can easily break it. Dropbox is not made for packages such as databases.
@eboehnisch. To clarify are you outlining a scenario where the database file has been completely uploaded from Machine A and Machine B then comes along and tried to use it concurrently? If so, I understand the concern. However, what if it’s a single user that is not using the database concurrently.
@ Roger: We have users with destroyed databases every week even though they’ve been careful. Dropbox just isn’t designed for this. Our sync technology places the data on Dropbox in a much more flexible way.