(1) A post from Support earlier this year stated that it is possible to sync a Smart Group contained within a local database, i.e. not a global Smart Group. Is this still possible? I have several such local smart groups and they do not sync from one Mac to another.
(2) When I add a new tag to a document, that new tag does not consistently sync
Perhaps of importance - I am syncing 3 Macs on a routine basis and occasionally a laptop as well. I wondering if that is creating scenarios not recognized in the more typical sync of one desktop and one laptop computer.
Smart groups located inside databases should be definitely synchronized. What exactly isn’t synchronzied? Are you able to verify the sync store(s) successfully, see Preferences > Sync?
Well this morning on my two home Macs the databases do verify and the syncing works fine.
I noticed the problem yesterday on an office computer I only use weekly - the same computer interestingly which lead to the problem of losing my whole Reading List a few weeks ago (a bug you noted and fixed).
I will be sure to verify the database on the 3rd computer when I am next there. Perhaps relevant - that computer is an older Mac Pro on which Apple no longer supports the current version of OS X/MacOS. And because of that it cannot run the current version of Dropbox. Maybe those are creating some subtle problems with syncing. The computer runs 24/7 receiving sync updates but the only time it would be used to add new data for syncing to the other computers is when I use it once a week or so.
(2) When I add a new tag to a document, that new tag does not consistently sync
Are you sitting and watching machines, looking for syncs to immediately affect the other machines?
And an addendum to Criss’ note about Dropbox… Our sync engine does not use the Dropbox application. You don’t even need Dropbox installed on a machine to use a Dropbox sync location in DEVONthink. It interacts directly with Dropbox’s servers.
When it wasn’t working, even many hours later it still did not sync
Thank you for the clarification. Then it is a mystery why the sync problems are happening sometimes but not always. I know that is impossible for you to sort out if you cannot re-create it. I will let you know if it happens again.
The office with the “mystery” computer has about 8 users sharing a 75Mbps wifi connection spread through a 3-floor building.
My home office has a 300Mbps connection hardwired to my computers
Still the Wifi is more than usable for most purposes in the office building. Suppose you are right that “network conditions” impact this. How does one further diagnose or correct this? Faster internet service? Wired ethernet? Force a database clean once a week? Something else?
8 users sharing a 75Mbps wifi connection spread through a 3-floor building.
Even with repeaters, WiFi can be obnoxiously flaky. Ethernet is always better when available.
Force a database clean once a week?
Assuming you are referring to the sync location, I would not suggest that. That would be akin to having your car rebuilt from the ground up weekly.
Also, it could be slow responses from Dropbox’s servers or just network bottlenecks in the hops between you and their servers.
There is no way to guarantee a specific rate of performance (and even ISPs are telling half-truths about your throughput). I am merely saying, when you use a remote sync location, you have to accept certain inherent weaknesses.