Remote Synchronization

Data can be synchronized quickly and securely between UCloud and external devices either directly through the UCloud user interface or by using dedicated tools found in the Apps section.

As a supplement to the documentation below, the tutorial videos show how to set up remote synchronization, and how to choose between one- and two-way synchronization at the folder-level.

Synchronization via Syncthing

UCloud makes use of Syncthing in the backend to synchronize drives and folders with other computer devices.

Note

This functionality is only available to the DeiC interactive HPC (SDU) provider.

Configure the server

To initially configure the UCloud Syncthing server, the user needs to select a drive and click on the

button at the top of the page.

Users will then be guided through the necessary configuration steps, which consist of:

  • Installing a 3rd-party Syncthing client on the user's device.

  • Adding the device identification to the server.

  • Selecting folder(s) to synchronize.

A folder named Syncthing is present in the user's Home drive. This folder contains Syncthing configuration files.

Synchronize folders

Once the Syncthing server is up and running, wether in My workspace or from a different project, users can add new folders at any time by right-clicking on the folder name and selecting the Add to sync option.


drawing

Likewise, previously added folders can be removed from synchronization by selecting the Remove from sync option.


drawing

The entire contents of a drive can be added for synchronization by entering the drive, selecting all the folders within it using the mouse, and clicking on Add to sync.

Note

When adding a new folder to UCloud for synchronization or removing one from sync, it may take a few minutes for the synchronization process to start and complete.

Manage synchronization

Users can have an overview of devices, servers and folders involved in the synchronization process by entering a drive and clicking on the

button which opens the Manage synchronization page, similar to the figure below.

drawing

The same page can be accessed at this URL.

New devices and folders can be added by clicking on the buttons

or

respectively.

From this page, the user can remove a device from synchronization by right-clicking with the mouse on the corresponding device name.

Additionally, by right-clicking with the mouse on the folder name, it is possible to remove the folder from synchronization.

From the Syncthing Server panel, at the right top of the page, several options are available by right-clicking on Default Server.


drawing

Among the possible options:

  • View logs allows users to access the server progress view page, with information about the running service. Here it is also possible to access the Syncthing admin interface or temporarily stop the server.

  • Restart allows to restart the server.

  • Factory reset allows the user to completely reset the Syncthing server configuration. As a result, the devices and folders are permanently removed from the server. This option could be necessary if Syncthing fails and/or the user configuration is broken.

Note

The Syncthing admin interface can also be accessed from My workspace, by selecting the Runs section from the side menu and clicking on the corresponding job. No credit is charged while the server is running.

Stop Syncthing

The Syncthing server can be stopped by killing the corresponding job in My workspace. The job is accessible from the Runs section, of the navigation menu. The service will automatically restart after accessing the Manage synchronization page.

To shut down the server permanently, the user must do a factory reset of the server.

Additional Synchronization Tools

UCloud offers additional tools for synchronizing files and folders to and from a remote server. Two applications available for this purpose are:

Important

These tools are recommended for use when users need to transfer a large number of files simultaneously.