Duplicate data using icloud sync fills up disk.

[russellg]

I expect that I am missing something obvious, suggestions welcome.

DTPO and DTTG, sync using iCloud to several devices including a MacBookAir.
Sync works really well, except that I get both the databases stored and synced, and also the iCloud drive stored and synced which also has the databases. So on the MacBookAir, which has not got a lot of disk space, I am running out of disk space by duplicating all the databases in ~/dtpData/ and in “iCloud Drive” or ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/

If I move the location of the databases on the laptop to “iCloud drive” on the laptop does that solve this ? The DTP sync mechanism is usually quicker and easier than waiting for iCloud to sync.

If there is already a page in the manual or a “how-to” for this please point me in the right direction. Is this just a built-in part of Apples iCloud local duplication and unavoidable ?

Thank you !

Russell.

[cgrunenberg]

@russellg

If I move the location of the databases on the laptop to “iCloud drive” on the laptop does that solve this ? The DTP sync mechanism is usually quicker and easier than waiting for iCloud to sync.

Databases inside cloud folders aren’t recommended and can’t be opened any longer.

If there is already a page in the manual or a “how-to” for this please point me in the right direction. Is this just a built-in part of Apples iCloud local duplication and unavoidable ?

This is currently a limitation of the disk-based iCloud. Other cloud services or Bonjour don’t require local storage.

[russellg]

Thanks for your reply. Seems like it’s not just me… which is a pity as it easier for me to learn than to expect Apple to change iCloud to what I want.

I would like to ask a follow-up question, please. What effect does turning on or off DevonThink in the iCloud setting “Apps that store documents and data in iCloud will appear here:” settings pane. The MacBook Air had it turned off but still downloaded all the duplicate data in iCloud, and synced the database files to iCloud. If it were turned off for all devices, would the DTP sync still work ? Is this perhaps an area where Apple does things as they see fit and makes life hard for DTP and other “standard” WebDav sync tools?

Thanks for any further information you can give. I need to find a new strategy, but to do that I need to understand a little more, and experimenting isn’t so attractive when I have 30GB of valuable data already stored. Maybe tolerating duplication and replacing the MacBookAir is going to be the end result. Maybe using Bonjour syncing more, or something else. Other cloud services have their limitations as well.

Thanks !

Russell

[cgrunenberg]

@russellg

What effect does turning on or off DevonThink in the iCloud setting “Apps that store documents and data in iCloud will appear here:” settings pane.

DEVONthink can’t use the iCloud sync anymore.

The MacBook Air had it turned off but still downloaded all the duplicate data in iCloud, and synced the database files to iCloud.

macOS shouldn’t download DEVONthink’s data in this case but in the end it’s up to iCloud to do whatever it likes to do, we can’t control this behavior of macOS.