Since Bonjour is the fastest sync protocol but I have no idea what the protocol details are I began wondering how much overhead there would be if I setup 3 devices to sync directly to each other…
Details:
I am running DT3Pro on a MacBook Air, DTTG on a iPad Pro 11 and a iPhone SE.
I use full sync to all 3 devices (no shallow sync) because there is room on all 3.
Currently the MacBook Air published 4 databases on Bonjour and the iPad
I also use a ‘cold storage’ database with annual items and the current year group in an ‘active’ databases. This means that I do not enable sync on ‘cold storage’ until I move the current year group over to ‘cold storage’. This means I am only syncing ~25% of the full database set normally.
Pro/iPhoneSE subscribe to all 4 database.
This means that the iPadPro and iPhoneSE can sync as long as all 3 are on the same network that allows Bonjour traffic.
Goal:
I would like to sync any two devices with each other as long as Bonjour works.
The prime example is when I only have the iPadPro and iPhone and want them sync’d.
So, my idea is this setup:
MacBook Air publishes Bonjour sync and subscribes to Bonjour sync on iPadPro & iPhoneSE
iPadPro publishes Bonjour sync and subscribes to Bonjour sync on MacBook Air & iPhoneSE
iPhoneSE publishes Bonjour sync and subscribes to Bonjour sync on MacBook Air & iPadPro
Concerns:
This might generate more overhead than it is worth and slow sync down too much…
I think you are making it all too complicated. Just designate one machine (I pick my iMac desktop) as the “main” one with Bonjour on. Others connect to it. Let it rip. It will take the time it takes. Your setup is pretty much like mine (iMac, iPad, and iPhone).
Computers and networks are so fast today, you’ll not notice. If you put network analysers on, you probably will see things. But like airline seats, once an unused byte is unused, it never comes back.
I don’t sync everything to the portable devices as simply not needed by me. The “main” has everything. Sync is not “backup”. Sync-ed files are to be used and I can’t use everything all the time.
I am syncing via a single machine today (MacBook Air) just as you describe, however that won’t work if you are not on the network with the single computer with the databases published via Bonjour.
I use the iPadPro away from home a lot and there are times I want everything in sync with my iPhone before I arrive home again without depending on an internet sync location…
Oh. That’s a different problem requiring a different solution (or maybe I missed that in your first post).
What I do now is on the “main” machine is have a second sync to Dropbox. This is in addition to the Bonjour setup. To keep things simple, I sync most of my databases just 'cause I can.
On the portable devices I add a new sync location pointing to the Dropbox sync-retaining the Bonjour setup. Even with Dropbox, I don’t sync to portable devices all the databases, of course. Just the one or two that I actually need while on the road.
I use Dropbox as it works for me. DEVONthink provides others, or you can use a private/commerical WebDAV server on the internet.
Like the rest of the world, I’m no longer travelling and using trains, planes, and automobiles (and hotels and coffee shops), so the Dropbox thing is just running for no real purpose, but I keep it going. Always there is hope, I guess.
The iPad can act as a Bonjour server to the iPhone (or vice versa), provided Bonjour traffic is allowed on the current network.
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Is there any issues with the iPhone continuously syncing with the iPad and MacBook?
It wouldn’t be entirely necessary to have the iPhone syncing to the Mac too unless the iPad is off. At the worst, the sync would queue up and wait for its turn.