Laptop/Server Data Synchronization?

gbr writes "I've been trying to automatically synchronize data between a laptop and a server. When the laptop is connected to the network, I want all writes to automatically propagate across to the server. When the laptop is disconnected I want the laptop user to continue working with the local data. When the laptop is reconnected, I want the data to automatically re-sync. The issue is, the data on the server may have changed as well, which needs to propagate back to the laptop. The data doesn't contain anything too special, no database tables etc. It does contain binary data such as executables and word processing documents. I've looked at ChironFS, Unison file sync, and drbd. ChironFS needs a manual rebuild if a connection fails, and the user needs to know which machine contains the correct data. Unison requires the user to initiate the synchronization process manually every time, and drbd is just not meant for the job at hand. How do you automatically, and invisibly to the user (except in the case of conflicts), synchronize between a laptop and a server?"

Comments

Re:common problem

[mcrbids]

And there you have the problem with synchronization. There's no mind reader program (yet) so sorry but you're going to have to make up your mind about how to handle it when the server version changed too. Either find a way to merge the files or start making decisions about when they can get modified (ie a checkout system) or if the server's or the laptop's version is always right or if the user gets to choose (bad idea). As for programs, stop looking at famous ones, they suck. That's like using Norton as your antivirus. Find some freeware or open source one that does just what you need and isn't overly complicated

Did you mean to reply to the original poster? Because it looks like you've simply restated the problem. Do you have any suggestions for "freeware or open source one that does just what you need and isn't overly complicated"?