pCloud Sync Setup - advice appreciated

DEVONthink
1

Hi All,

i use pCloud as sync and backup service for a few years now and I am super happy with them. (if anyone is interested in a DropBox alternative, i´ve written a bit about it here: https://www.cined.com/my-quest-for-cloud-webspace-a-pcloud-review/)

Now I have my local Documents always in sync with the server. My Devonthink Databases are also in these document folders to have a constant backed up version.

Now i was wondering if i can setup DevonThinkToGo on my iphone to simply hook into that database file on the server through WebDav (as pCloud offers webdav access to every file) or if it is needed, that i setup a WebDav Sync also on my main computer. (this would double the data on the server though)

// i did try this setup, but its not reliable somehow. so i was wondering what to do better.

I use DTTG on rare occasions only, where i need a file on the go. so its (at the moment at least) more like DTTG is a reader for my Database. I do not actively create files and notes on the go. but i´d like to access the most up to date database of course.

So my question, which setup would be best?

  1. DT saving data locally - pcloud syncing that to the server - DTTG access vie WebDav (if that works my favourite)

  2. DT saving locally and sync to Webdav - pcloud sync copy on server as backup - DTTG access via WebDav to DT Sync File (DT “Size” doubles on pcloud)

(or a 3. that im not thinking of)

thanks a lot

2

I don’t quite understand what exactly you’re doing.

  • do you have your databases stored in a cloud location (which is discouraged)
  • or do you use pCloud to sync your databases (which would imply that you have more than one machine running DT and/or DTTG)

I’d set up a WebDAV server for sync only. Which implies that you have to set it up on every machine, main computer, iPad, iPhone, whatever.

3

hi chrillek,

I use pCloud as a Backup/Constant Sync. I create a file locally - it copies it to pCloud. that happens to all my files - not DT only.
I do not store the DT Database on pCloud Drive directly though. I store it locally - and pCloud syncs it to the cloud. No other DT computer would be needed to make this useful.

while you were answering i edited my original post - maybe that clarifies

4

Sync is not the same as backup (as has been explained here multiple times). Sync reflects the current state of affairs, backup the evolution. E.g., if you delete a file on one machine, sync will make sure that it disappears on all others that are synced, too. Whereas it will still exist in your most recent backup (hopefully).

So if I understand you correctly, you copy your databases to a pCloud account via WebDAV regularly so that you have the databases (in their current state, again - this is no backup at all!) on the pCloud server.

A database on a Mac is basically a folder with a certain structure. I may of course be wrong, but I doubt that DTTG uses the same folder structure as DT. So your best bet would be (in my opinion, of course)

  • from your Mac set up a sync store on your pCloud account with WebDAV
  • on your iPhone, using the same settings, activate this sync store and import the database(s) you need.

This would basically be the 2nd option in your original post. The sync location is not the same as a copy of the database, but some internal format DT uses to keep things in … well, sync.

And please make sure that you have a real backup using TimeMachine or some other mechanism. Syncing will not help you to get back data you erroneously modified or deleted!

5

I just realised, that these are two different file types … so probably what was originally trying to do is not really working at all … I thought i had this running - but i probably did some thing different :slight_smile:

thanks for your explanation - i did only then see that *.dtCloud and *.dtBade2 are probably not the same even if it seems so at first.
*dtCloud can also include multiple databases - also just understood this.

So what i did now is

  1. local stored databases sync to pCloud (through pCloud Sync Service)
  2. sync DT to a DTCloudStore on pCloud through Webdav as intended by DT

it doubles the used space on pCloud - but with 4TB im still very much in the green here.

regarding backup:
I do know that sync is not a backup - but pCloud has a timemachine build in - so deleted or changed files can be accessed. in the pro version up to a year in the past. so thats fine for me.
i need a “synced backup” (or whatever it is called) to have my most recent state of files “backed up” somewhere in the cloud in case my laptop crashes or my office burns down. and to have them available online in case i want to download or access it from another PC. i rarely use pCloud to sync multiple macs. its happening - but thats not the reason I use it. thats why i call it “backup” - a constant up to date backup in the cloud.

I do make backups every now on then on external HDDs - but in between pCloud is what I need and use. (I also make backups of files on pCloud itself - without them being in sync after)

6

but thanks for clarifying and looking out for me that i dont loose any data. thanks! (i do know i should make real backups more often)
cheers