IV. Tutorial DS: Synchronisation of your Synology

You are almost ready to have your own cloud and your disc station can now:

• Use the Internet
• Works with WebDav
• Security is in place and works

and you are ready for the next step of the actual task of your DS 716 II - Your Own Cloud.

Preamble to Synchronisation

It is important to know, that some programs and apps for IOS / Windows / Android telling you that they would be able to use WebDav but using HTTPs only in the background.

Therefore, it makes sense to test several possibilities before a connection will not work as aspected.

First try to use the WebDav-Port and if that will not work or you cannot establish a connection try HTTP and HTTPs later.

Sometimes, the issue will solve itself once you detect that HTTPs is actually used by the app or program employed.

Do you still have you notes for your use ZoomNotes for your handwritten notes from the tutorial one through three? You will need all this information scribbled down for IOS too.

Synchronisation: DevonThinkProOffice (MAC)

Personally, I like to to split the databases and Sync-Stores like this:

• All databases are stored locally on the MAC
• All related Sync-Stores are saved to my own cloud.

The advantage is that you do not need always an Internet connection or being connected to your local network in order to use DevonThinkProOffice (DTPO).

After you re-connect to your own cloud the synchronisation of changed or added data and information will be synchronised across all your devices.

The next question you should answer is if your MAC or MacBook will be used at home only or if you want to take it with on travel.

The Synchronisation can be established by local network with your local IP or name of the server, DNS and WebDav over the Internet.

There are hardly no differences in regards to the synchronisation, speed etcetera. But it depends on you limits of your mobile contract i.e. speed reduction or how many GB you have available at a given time.

For both scenarios I recommend to use the WebDav-Server-Port - just in case you want to take your MAC on travel or outside your local network.

Creating of databases

With File - News database you will be able to create a new database on your MAC.

[Blocked Image: https://www.steffiscloud.com/steffisInhaltz…7/Photo_1-1.jpg]

A step-by-step guide you will find on my blog here.

Synchronisation of your databases

The synchronisation with DTPO was more than once improved and today there are so called Sync-Stores which will end at „dt.cloud“.

These Stores containing all information and should be stored and located on your DS716 II into a folder of you choice.


I prefer an own folder for DevonThinkProOffice (Sync-Stores) and it has it’s own shared folder. Hence, the remaining data are separated from the Sync-locations. That makes sense, if you are looking for errors or issues while sync across your devices.


You will be able to protect your Sync-Stores with AES 256bit technology if you like but it is not mandatory. If you like to use this, a new separated password is necessary - not to say it should be long and unique.


Once applied your data will be sync’ed:

• encrypted
• protected with the special password
• additionally the password for the WebDav access.

Use HTTPs as a secure protocol for your connections.

Create your Sync-Stores

DevonThink - Settings - Sync - WebDav


The URL contains the correct WebDav port and your credentials to your Synology. For instance: https://IP:WebDav-Port/Sync folder.


Your password and unique user name you will enter in the next fields available.

Loads of symbols, characters, capital letters and figures in any of your user names and password will make it much harder to either guess your access credentials of penetrate your own cloud as bad guys would do.

Choices for your Sync-Stores

The options your will find in the lower part of the screen and please write down all credentials as you will use them for IOS too. In the case the Sync-Store name of other credentials are not one to one the synchronisation will fail or a new Sync-Store will be created and your MAC and IOS devices will not use the same locations.

• Name and colour of tags
  In the case you use tags for your daily work with DTPO it makes sense to sync them to IOS too. So, you will have the same colours and tags on all your devices.
• Reading position
  This is useful if you have PDF file which you annotate. Here you can sync the reading position of your PDF file and work further on MAC for instance. It is like the „Hands off“ feature with iCloud.
• Content of indexed foldersindexed objects are files or folders which are not stored in DTPO directly but linked to it.
  If you have access under IOS to your folders with WebDav for instance, it makes sense to sync these folders as well.Otherwise the meta data will be sync’ed only and you can search for this information but will not be able to open the documents.
• Verify uploaded/downloaded objectsThis verifies the meta data and the file itself if everything is ok with it. I would recommend to use this features as you will not have broken links for instance.

Connection between Sync-Stores and the database

After you created your Sync-Stores you will go back to the options.


On the right side of the window you will see all databases available which can be synchronised.


It is possible to use just one Sync-Store for all your databases. Hence, you will have only one file for all your data.

I would not recommend to do it because:

• Errors or issues cannot be found easily
• All database are protected with the very same password and AES encryption
• In the case something happens to the Sync-Store (which has never been the case) only one database is affected.

Choose one or more database and they get synchronised straight away. Your will notice the time underneath the title of your database.

Further Settings

Bonjour-Option

This is really to be used in your local network and was formally the „normal“ was to sync between IOS and MAC.

There is also a folder called „Mobile Sync“ which will be created each time you save a new database. This folder was used for the Bonjour options within the local network. If you do not want to use Bonjour because you are using WebDav the folder can be deleted.

Synchronisation

Turn on the synchronisation to „automatically“. If you change something your data get synchronised automatically and you do not have to worry about it.

Max. Connections

It is possible to use 16 connection at once. Meaning if you have 16 users or computers which will sync at the same time, this connection can then serve 16 requests.

Conflicts

Meaning what will happen if more than one user will use the very same file at the same time including seconds?

Well, sometimes it will happen und you can choose here what you want to do. Keep both or replace on file - the option is up to you.

I think even using a team with the same Sync-Store it seems unlikely that two users will use the same file and change it at the same time.

Done You have finished the Synchronisation on your MAC. The synchronisation is now automatically but you can always „push“ a new synchronisation using the cloud symbol. [Blocked Image: https://www.steffiscloud.com/steffisInhaltz…edImage-1-1.png]

Synchronisation DevonThinkToGo (DTTG) under IOS

The first time you open DTTG under IOS there is an empty space. Therefore, I will now show you how to fill it with life. Just in case you already have added database the approach will be similar but with the difference the you will choose local instead of „not local“ for your synchronisation options.

Important:

It is essential to know that the settings inclusive all back slashes etcetera between MAC and IOS are identical.

A little hick-up can influence your sync:

• either a brand new Sync-Store gets created or
• databases cannot be found at all.

Options of Synchronisation

There are two options under IOS available which differs from the MAC version:

• Full
  The full synchronisation will give you all your data, documents and meta data.
• Meta data only
  Meta data are the essential data of your documents, structure as well as OCR for your PDFs. The advantage is the documents will be downloaded separately once needed.This will save space on your iPad or iPhone but you will need an Internet connection established to download required documents.

Sync-Stores

On the right very bottom of your screen there is a symbol for the settings. Afterwards, you go to Settings - Location - Change.


A new Sync-Store gets created by using Change- WebDav and enter all necessary details.


Please make sure, the name of the Sync-Store is identical to and will end with „dtCloud“ like: „Sync.dtCloud“. Also keep an eye on the lower/upper case in the full name.


Additional settings you will find below and are similar to the MAC version:

• Always
  Everything gets synchronised once a document has been changed.
• Manual
  You will need to sync „by hand“ using the swipe gesture from top to bottom.

I recommend to test the settings and change them if you like to depending on your own workflow.

Personally, I use this settings:

• Current data
  Like all documents of the current year will always be loaded.
• Data for research or static data
  Data like laws which I use on my mobile device will be loaded once I need them. The same applies for data of past years which will not change anymore or research data where the project is finished.

After all data are entered just press Save.

Connection with the database

Once on the prior screen (Sync-Stores gets displayed) you will need to press on one.


a) no database available
In the case there is no database available you will see the „not local“ databases. With the switch you will download and apply the Synchronisation to it.

b) Database available


Then use the switch to sync between your IOS database and the Sync-Store.


Done and dusted. All databases are now in sync with each other.

Now, you can closed the settings.

Test of your Synchronisation

Create a new document under IOS - does not matter what it is - and let your database synchronise. This document you should find on your MAC in DTPO after a few seconds.

Let’s try the other way around and change the just created document or create a new one and it should be displayed in IOS correctly.

More information about this and other possible usages of DTPO you will find on my Blog and on my Help site.

ZoomNotes

The connection with ZoomNotes Works similar like with DTPO.


The full-fletched settings for ZoomNotes you will finde here: ZoomNotes: An underestimated software…. .

Go to the main menu on „Import - WebDav“ and go to the settings for the URL, username and password.


Enter all credential and make sure to use the correct WebDav port which you will find on your Synology under WebDav-Server. Otherwise you might run into issues.

After that you can see all your folders on your own cloud.

More help posts you will find on my Help site under ZoomNotes.

Which programs are available which using WebDav?

Some of them you will find on my article: „WORKFLOW: 7 IOS APPS FOR THE PERFECT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PAPERLESS OFFICE“.

Unfortunately, there are not many apps around which support WebDav fully but please make sure to ask the developer or I if the app really works with WebDav as you might run into issues otherwise.

Well, this was the last disc station tutorial in my series. If you like to refer to all the others you can do this here:

I. TUTORIAL DS: 6 HELPFUL TIPS TO GET YOUR DS INTO THE INTERNET

II. TUTORIAL DS: 11 ESSENTIAL SECURITY TIPS FOR YOUR CLOUD

III. TUTORIAL DS: GET YOUR CLOUD INTO THE INTERNET USING FRITZBOX AS A ROUTER

I hope I could give you some new information and how to setup your DS716 II to be used in your own cloud.

If you have question just let me know or leave a comment.

To all of you living in America: Have a great and happy 4th July and celebrate your Independence Day!

Best,

Stef