Windows Alternative to Rsync? [closed]

Windows Alternative to Rsync? [closed]

"I'm trying to setup a file sync between the file server at my house and the one at my brother's so that we each have offsite backups of important data. Both systems are running Windows (XP on one, 7 on the other).
I like the fact that rsync will only transfer part of a file, the part that has changed, and not the whole thing...saving a lot of bandwidth. But I have had very little luck getting it to work properly. I tried using DeltaCopy, but it's interface is horrible, and while it will work within my LAN it always fails to connect when remote. (See this question for more details on that)"

Asked by: Guest | Views: 343

Total answers/comments: 4

Comments display order:

Guest [Entry]

"rdiff-backup uses the rsync algorithms for transmitting only file differences and it keeps file history. The history part is could be a very important feature for your backup scheme.

I have been using in around the (microsoft only) office for over a year. It just works."

Guest [Entry]

"Beginning with Windows Vista, the Offline files feature (also known as Client-Side Caching) will automatically sync over slow connections and only transfer the changed portions of files (much like rsync).

I mention this as a possible solution, although you specifically mention that SMB is not an option for you. If you were to give the systems routable addresses (such as IPv6 addresses), you could probably connect over the Internet without a VPN. I do this regularly, and it works well when the ISP isn't blocking the SMB ports. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for you because one client is running XP, and your ISPs may be blocking SMB. Still, I wanted to mention that the capability is built into Windows Vista/7 when the connectivity is available."

Guest [Entry]

"You can use Windows Live Mesh. There's an option in Mesh that enables you to sync between machines, bypassing Live Desktop and its quota. So you can sync as much info as you want. It's simple to do this: on a folder that's Mesh enabled, choose Sync Settings > Live Desktop > select ""Never with this device."".

That setting will skip syncing data with Live and sync directly between devices in your Mesh."

Guest [Entry]

You could install cygwin (http://www.cygwin.com) on both machines, install an ssh server on the remote machine (such as cygwin's, or perhaps http://sshwindows.sourceforge.net/), and then use rsync on Windows.