Keeping DT3 database and iCloud Drive in sync across two Macs

DEVONthink
,
1

I have a number of DT databases on my iMac which acts as the server and syncs quite happily with my MacBook ( DT3) and iPhone (DTTG) and iPad (DTTG).

I also use iCloud Drive on my iMac which syncs with the MacBook. This sync is only partial with some files available to the MacBook iCloud Drive only on demand, in order to conserve space.

The iMac iCloud Drive is indexed to a DevonThink database, and currently this indexed database is synced to the MacBook (DT3) and the other devices (DTTG).

All seems to work smoothly except I am getting missing file issues in the DT iCloud database on the MacBook.

Would I be better off not syncing the iCloud Drive database from the iMac to the MacBook, and creating a separate MacBook only indexed database from the iCloud Drive on the MacBook?

Any thought or observations would be appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

2

Are these files downloaded on the MacBook and locally available?

3

No they are not. They show as a “placeholder” in iCloud Drive on the MacBook.

However, I thought I was syncing the DT database on MacBook with the DT database on the iMac which does contain all files unlike the MacBook which has place holders for some cloud based files.

On reflection I can see that, even if what I thought was happening was the case, the files would be “missing” on the MacBook, but I am puzzled as to why the DB synced from the iMac would “miss” the files that are not on the MacBook. Does the synced DB look at the iCloud Drive on the MacBook?

Cheers

Chris

4

In case of indexed cloud files/folders (e.g. iCloud Drive) DEVONthink 3 does not synchronize the files, only the database/metadata. It’s up to the cloud service/app to transfer the files, otherwise (both DEVONthink and the cloud would synchronize the files) this could cause conflicts & duplicates as cloud services/apps don’t expect. However, indexing currently expects & requires local copies.

5

Got it. Thanks