For the past year, I’ve had 4 DT databases, each of which indexes a folder in the Finder, which is also in iCloud Drive. I add a lot of files, often PDFs to DT through it’s great web clipper.
When I add the file to the indexed DT database, the original shows up almost immediately in the finder file, with the DT file showing the indexed icon.
This gives me the advantage of having easily backed up and synced finder files, and allows me to clip, transfer, and save files directly to DT. I can search for files in either my finder or use the great search capabilities of DT.
I’m no expert, but it seems to me I read somewhere that it’s not a good idea to have files indexed in DT also synced by iCloud Drive or DropBox. Is this accurate? Also, I’m wondering about this whole setup of dropping files into indexed DT that automatically transfer to my finder files.
It’s worked well for a year now, but am I flirting with disaster? Am I crazy for having this system?
There is nothing wrong with your setup, including adding files into DEVONthink to have them deconsolidate (move to) the Finder folder. However…
This gives me the advantage of having easily backed up and synced finder files,
I certainly hope this isn’t your primary backup strategy. This would be A Very Bad Idea™
Also, if you are adding files to iCloud Drive, there is the possibility you’d need to use File > Update Indexed Items to update indexed groups in DEVONthink. When you add the files via DEVONthink, our app is aware of the action and can easily keep its index up to date. Adding the files directly to iCloud Drive may not or be slow to initiate a filesystem event, hence the possible need to manually update the indexed group.
Thanks for the response. Always great to hear from an expert!
I wasn’t clear about how I’m backing up. I’m not depending upon iCloud for that; I have several hard drive backups to do that, and BackBlaze as well.
I don’t add many files directly to iCloud Drive, most of what I add goes directly to DT. But I would periodically use the File > Update Indexed Items function periodically just to make sure.
Most online cloud storage (unless you have something like a corporate SLA [Service Level Agreement] services - state somewhere hidden in their terms of services that they are not responsible for any loss of data [protecting themselves]). [One Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, etc. – not familiar with Backblaze]. Any data that is important to you, I always recommend making at least 3 rotating backups on your own media and have at least 1 offsite at any given time. Not that I would not include a cloud storage option, but it would be more of a supplemental short term offsite - since I might not get the offsite rotated as often. i.e. where a backup is shutting down DEVONThink and then doing a full backup to an external drive.
As I state in my reply to BLUEFROG, I use several hard drive backups. BackBlaze is a popular service that backs up everything on my drive to the Cloud on a daily basis, so if my local copies are destroyed by a natural catastrophe like fire or flood, there is still another backup maintained at a geographically distant site.