Syncing issues with DTTG

Problems are back. Clearly seems an iCloud issue. No idea how to address this though, as the databases are clean and run smoothly via Bonjour.

If it’s the same error message, then this should be a temporary issue of the CloudKit servers.

Unfortunately, for me, this temporary issue is now heading into a third week. I’m working with Jim on a support ticket, but also thought I’d update here.

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A few weeks ago, my CloudKit sync started to go downhill. There are constant 503 errors, and then also CKErrorDomain 6 (or 7) notifications. Two weeks ago, on a trip to Europe, on a somewhat slower internet connection (1 MB/s down, 100 kB/s up) things simply came to a halt. Syncing would not really work anymore (I should add that very minor changes were made to the DBs at that time, a small number of not very big files were added). I switched purely to Bonjour during that time, which worked nicely. After arriving back home (> 20 MB/s down, 2 MB/s up), ClouldKit sync would not get back on track. Tons of errors about the “manifest” files missing. Did a clean of the Global Inbox sync and redid that sync from scratch. Kind of worked, but again with tons of 503 and CKErrorDomain 6 (or 7). I have played with the number of connections, to no avail. Then tried to clean the whole CloudKit location. After 24 hours, that process still had not officially finished.

Since I need to move on for my next trip, reactivated a CloudKit (Legacy) sync, just like in the olden days. That was up and running in no time. No errors whatsoever, even with 8 connections.

Can’t tell where the problem is (DT or iCloud), but there seems something seriously wrong with the CloudKit sync.

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Please choose Help > Report Bug while pressing the Alt modifier key and send the result to cgrunenberg - at - devon-technologies.com - thanks!

That would seem to describe exactly what I have been experiencing. Although I have a ticket open, I submitted a bug report just now as described.

Are you able to switch to another sync service provider, e.g. Dropbox, or use Bonjour (which is normally faster and more reliable than using a 3rd party service provider). Apple’s iCloud … well, not always that reliable.

I removed the CloudKit sync completely yesterday, when I switched to a new Legacy sync. So right now, I can’t report anything. After I return home in early December, I will fire up a CloudKit sync again, I will report then.

Apple “Legacy” iCloud? if so do you expect Apple’s Legacy iCloud to be more performant than Apple’s CloudKit?

Since CloudKit uses a different vector than Legacy, i.e., iCloud processes manage the sync from the device to Apple’s servers, it’s quite possible there will be a difference in behavior. With CloudKit we are interacting directly with Apple’s servers.

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Let’s hope so. i just note without doing analysis of the posts (and I should before asserting this, but there you go) that most reports of sync issues seems to relate to Apple servers. just saying.

that most reports of sync issues seems to relate to Apple servers. just saying.

Indeed this certainly appears to be the case. In fact, I am wondering if we are getting the correct error code reported to us. In some cases, we are but I’m not sure if it’s across the board.

No. Switching to Cloudkit was a revelation back then. Much swifter. But right now it’s for me about actually doing the sync, not its speed. The #1 requirement for a sync is reliability, only then comes speed. If you can’t trust the sync, everything becomes meaningless.

Hope it works. I have abandoned using both of these Apple services. So I am of no help I am fully cognisant of! :wink:

Dropbox has no tier between 2GB/free, which is too little, and 2 TB which would set me back nearly Can$ 200 a year, when there is no need for it otherwise (with 2TB on iCloud and similar amount on OneDrive, which I both need for other, non-negotiable, reasons), so I try to avoid that option. That leaves CloudMe, which I used before moving to iCloud. That worked well, but not really better than iCloud (Legacy).

By the way, if the culprit with CloudKit sync turns out to be Apple themselves, I would not be surprised. If something has always been subpar with Apple, it’s their online services, starting with .Mac. For years, my iCal syncing between devices would constantly stall. Then it happened with Contacts. That’s now largely ironed out. But I still see often erratic behaviour with Apple Photos syncing.

The original excitement about Dropbox was that it worked so amazingly well. Never any issues, it just worked. I think they are still that way, but with their pricing, they started to turn themselves into a sideshow in the online storage arena. A big factor for me is family sharing. Even their 2 TB plan does not allow that, you have to upgrade to a Can$ 260 per year family plan. Our MS365 is not even half that, includes tons of space, family sharing, and access to the whole Office suite.

In other words, for now I’ll try to stick to using iCloud, be it Legacy or CloudKit.

I hear you re Dropbox pricing. But it does work and if working reliably and “cloud”-based is important, the way to go in my humble opinion.

From this forum it just “seems” it’s always Apple stuff that fails and DEVONthink support is stuck with the frustration expressed by their customers. Sigh.

I can use the “free” DEVONthink for synching my Scrivener projects. I don’t use for DEVONthink anymore as the threshold for first tier pricing is too much. For DEVONthink I rely on Bonjour (fast and reliable), and WebDAV provided by my in-house NAS. I don’t need synching while “on the go” outside the local netowrk as there is no need to synch with someone back at global HQ while I’m away. When I get back it all catches up “automagically” anyway everywhere. As I have no need for synching on the go, I just disabled the Apple stuff, but could turn it back on when and if needed and will cross fingers if works. I don’t sync that much to iPhone as not everything wanted/needed, so it probably will work.