Problems with 2-way Sync with MLO Cloud

[Grawolph]

Hello all.  I've used MLO for some time now and even participated in the beta release for awhile but didn't have enough time to do the developers justice, so I backed out of that.  I've got MLO setup on my computer at work and it's set to sync with the MLO cloud.  I also have it save files in a Dropbox folder so that I can pull up an identical copy of MLO on my Home computer. 

I also use the "Nearby" feature all the time so I have MLO installed on my Android phone.

Here's the problem.  I create a task on one of my computers.  Before I save everything, I sync to the MLO cloud.  I open up MLO on my Android phone and see the task.  It has an alert and when it goes off, I make sure I've done the task and then mark the task as complete.  Sometime later, usually hours..., I am back on my computer and I open up MLO.  The very first thing I do is run a sync.  I get no errors, but the task that I completed on my phone does not transfer back down to my computer and I have to complete it locally again.

Now, here's the funny part.  If I have a task that would normally give me reminder on my phone, but I complete it on the computer and then sync, it updates the phone correctly.  It's like the tasks that I complete on the phone are not syncing correctly.

I have completely changed the sync profile and file also and I still am having the same problem.

I'm using MLO Professional Edition 4.2.2 on my computers and Version 1.6.9 (pro) on my phone.  Have I just not updated something right?

[Dwight Arthur]

Hi, Grawolph. Could you tell your story again with a little bit more detail?  First of all, when you talk about creating a task "on one of my computers" and later, being "back on the computer" it's as though you were thinking of the two of them as they were a single computer or a perfectly synchronized pair. Maybe they are perfectly synchronized but when debugging such assumptions can get in your way. Second,  I don't know whether your home computer syncs to the MLO cloud on its own or if changes from your phone have to sync to your work computer by the cloud and then synched to your home computer by dropbox. Third, I don't know whether the phone did a cloud sync after you completed the task and before going to the computer.

So please run through the scenario again. For each step, say what time it happened. If a computer is involved, say which one. For each step, report what that platform's sync status is before the step and after the step. Android sync status is in the tree icon in the upper right corner.  It's either a tree with a down arrow,  tree with an up arrow, tree with both arrows, or tree with no arrows. On Windows, sync status is in the cloud icon on the third button of the toolbar. Hover the cursor over the icon without clicking to get a message showing how long since the last sync. If there's any way to get a sync status for dropbox please include it as well before and after each step that's on a computer.

If you happen to find the problem yourself while running this scenario, please come back and tell us what it was.
-Dwight
Mlo betazoid on Android sgn2

-Dwight
Mlo betazoid on Android sgn2
-Dwight
Mlo betazoid on Android sgn2

[Lisa Stroyan]

I think I might know the problem. I suspect your problem from syncing the "same" file copied via Dropbox, twice from different machines especially if you aren't meticulous about closing both between. Maybe it messes up whatever records MLO keeps for cloud sync, or maybe something is stored on the local machine. Plus you'll get in trouble if you have both files open.

Maybe keep separate files that both sync to cloud and see if that fixes it.

I'm not at a desktop and haven't experimented lately but ran into something like that.

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[Lisa Stroyan]

Ps. Sync forces a save, you can't sync before saving anything.

On Jun 14, 2014 2:34 AM, "Grawolph" <jbhal...@gmail.com> wrote:

[MOK | MATSURU]

Why use dropbox? Can the cloudfile sync with multiple devices?

[Rob Zerr]

Use Cloud sync OR Dropbox; not both.

Dropbox does a file-level sync.  If you edit anything on one device, then edit anything on a second device before the first device's changes are synced to the second device, the two files will conflict and one device's changes will be clobbered.

Cloud sync does a record-level sync.  The only time you'll potentially have a conflict is if you edit the same task on two different devices without syncing between edits.  If you edit one task on the first device and a different task on a second device, you can still sync without conflicts.

I think WiFi sync is also record-level, but it only works when your devices are on the same LAN.  For a buck a month you might as well just go with the Cloud sync.

It's probably obvious by now, but the most worry-free option is to use Cloud sync across all your devices.

[Dwight Arthur]

I agree with Rob that the two sync methods are better off not mixed. But there are some advantages of Dropbox that are hard to ignore.

Dropbox provides "instant" sync of any file you save to the dropbox folder across all of your participating devices. This one tool handles sync across all of your applications and you don't have to get involved in hitting sync buttons or resolving sync conflicts. All you have to do is to discipline yourself to use just one device at a time, and close it before opening a different device. If you can do this and if your stuff fits in 2gb its free. This is great for something like a home computer and a, office computer where you leave one location and travel to the other. It does not work well if you have a computer and a phone that you use simultaneously to update a single file. It also does not work for MLO between windows and Android because the data is stored differently. If you are trying to sync two devices that you use simultaneously, or if any of them are Androids, the dropbox isn't appropriate for MLO and you should use cloud sync. 

-Dwight

On Monday, June 16, 2014 8:07:02 PM UTC-4, Rob Zerr wrote:

Use Cloud sync OR Dropbox; not both. <. . .> the most worry-free option is to use Cloud sync across all your devices.

[MOK | MATSURU]

Yes, agree that cloud sync is the way for near trouble free sync solution.

As for auto sync, google MLO auto sync using tasker. I believe someone here has posted his method to set up Tasker to sync MLO android automatically at certain period of time. :-)

[Grawolph]

I'm sorry I wasn't very clear.  Let me see if I can clarify some things.

Dwight, I never have MLO open on more than one computer at a time.  If I open it at home, I close it before I'm done.  Work... the same way.

Lisa, yes, I know a SAVE forces a sync, but I like to see the little icon spin!  ;-)  Seriously, I just do it to make sure it does it.

Clarification (I hope): Example; I have a daily reoccurring task to take my morning medicine.  I have it set so it reminds me at 7am and repeats the reminder ever 15 minutes 10 times.  I will get the reminder on my phone and I will check the completed box on the reminder when I take my medicine.  I have my phone set to sync automatically with the MLO cloud every 30 minutes.  At this point, once I have completed the task on my phone, and if I check the tasks on my phone, it has been completed and the next one has already "reoccurred".

When I get to work, usually sometime after 9am, I will open MLO on my computer.  Typically, I will also "close" MLO on my phone so I don't inadvertently respond to a reminder on my phone, but it will show up on my desktop.  When I open MLO on my computer at work, the first thing I do is also click on the sync button.  When I look at my reminders and tasks after that, I still have the task and reminder to take my medicine today.  In fact, I have to go through and complete all the completed tasks I had already completed on my phone.

On the other hand, if I setup a task with or without a reminder on one of my computers (MLO is setup identically between my home and work computer and I do not have more than one open at a time), it will show up as a little cloud telling me to sync MLO on my phone and it will upload correctly to my phone. 

Troubleshooting:
I have removed MLO from my phone and made sure all residual files were gone and then reinstalled it.
I have completely switched MLO Cloud Profiles and started fresh after the reinstall on my phone.
I have NOT removed MLO from either of my computers because they appear to be working correctly.
I have used exclusively one computer for the last month or so to make sure that Dropbox wasn't causing the problems.  It doesn't appear to be.

Summary:
The sync from computer to phone works fine.
The sync from the phone to the computer does not work for existing tasks with reminders.
The sync from the phone to the computer DOES seem to work if I add Tasks on my phone even with reminders.


On Friday, June 13, 2014 12:58:44 PM UTC-5, Grawolph wrote:

Hello all.  [see first post...]

[Grawolph]

I'm sure it could, but I use Dropbox more as a backup than anything.  Also, it makes my home computer act exactly like my work computer.

[Grawolph]

Rob, you are correct in that Dropbox does a file-level sync.  But I'm not using Dropbox on my phone.  I sync my phone through the MLO Cloud.  I haven't even approached the WiFi sync yet.  I have had a conflict one time when I complete something on my phone and the completed the same thing on my computer.  I gave me the option of which one I should go with, but from that point on, when I open MLO on my computer (either one), I turn it off on my phone.

As far as "worry-free" goes, I'd still place my money on Dropbox square since I've never had an issue with Dropbox (used over 4 years) and I have my Dropbox account synced to over 15 devices.  (Yes, a little overkill, but hey... I love gadgets!)  And yes, I do subscribe to the MLO Cloud as well.

[Grawolph]

I only use Dropbox between Windows devices for syncing.  However, I use my camera on my phone a lot which automatically syncs with my Dropbox.  It's nice to sit down at my computer after taking inventory and have all the serial numbers right there for me without having to write anything down.  Oh, and just for full disclosure, I have been in the I/T world for over 35 years so far, and mostly in support, so troubleshooting is a way of life for me.  ;-)

[Dwight Arthur]

Hi, Grawolph. Please answer these specific questions about your clarification example.

1. Please advise exactly how you have the phone set to sync with the cloud every 30 minutes. I'm probably running a differe (beta) version than you but I don't think this has changed lately and I have no such setting that I am aware of. I have a setting for how often MLO checks to see if there are changes in the cloud waiting to be downloiaded but that should be irrelevant to your example, which involves changes in the phone waiting to be uploaded.

2. When you have arrived at work and just before you close MLO on the phone, look at the upper right hand corner of the MLO screen on the phone. You should see one of the following four icons: a tree without arrows, a tree with an up arrow, a tree with a down arrow, or a tree with both arrows. Which do you see?

3. Does the syncing of Windows MLO to cloud happen on your home computer, your work computer, or both?

4. When you have opened MLO on your work computer and found that the task in question incorrectly shows today's date, please hover the mouse pointer over the cloud icon (third icon in the toolbar) without clicking. How long ago was the last cloud sync? You should find the answer in the popup window that's displayed.

It's my opinion that cloud sync and dropbox synch are conflicting with each other in some way. There may be a procedural workaround that will prevent this conflict and the answers to these questions will help to clarify that. The reason that I suspect this conflict is that the lost update that you describe is one I vhaven't experienced nor can I recall anyone else mentioning anything like it. Therefore it's likely to be caused by something that you do that's different or unusual, and the simultaneous use of dropbox and MLO Cloud to update a single MLO profile seems to me to be the most likely candidate.

-Dwight

[Rob Zerr]

Grawolph, thanks for the clarification.  You've probably already checked that the phone is fully synced to the cloud before closing MLO on the phone and before starting MLO on your computer at work, but it might be good to try a manual sync just in case the automatic sync doesn't happen to occur between your last edit on the phone and when you get to the office.

It sounds like you're being very careful about syncing everything at just the right time.  If each device is always fully synced before you switch devices, then I wonder if the sync feature doesn't properly handle repeating reminders, or just doesn't properly handle reminders altogether.  Perhaps when MLO starts up on the computer, it processes the reminders before syncing, and ends up generating a second series of edits to the corresponding tasks which are given more recent timestamps than what is in the cloud.

What happens when you do this? (sorry, I don't have my Android device with me today otherwise I'd try it myself)

1. Create a new recurring reminder similar to your other reminders (but set to go off a few mins in the future, and don't set it to repeat)
2. Sync the reminder to your Android device and PC
3. Close MLO on your PC but keep it open on your phone
   
4. When the reminder pops up on your phone, dismiss it and wait until after the next automatic sync
5. Repeat your morning routine when you get to the office (Close MLO on your phone, start MLO on your PC and sync)

--

[Lisa Stroyan]

I am beginning to think "use local version"could somehow be part of the issue. Can you try use server version?

[Lisa Stroyan]

P.s. I've had an issue with the android sync" icon not updating when it should. Sometimes it shows that I need to sync when I already have, and vice versa. Make sure you hit that button when you're doing your test. ( You should not need to exit )

[Grawolph]

Ok, I'm going to test this.  However, I was just thinking that everytime I open MLO on the computer, the reminders that I had missed (or those about to occur) DO pop up.  Does that do that before or after the sync with the cloud?  In my opinion, it should be AFTER the sync with the cloud, but you may be on to something if it's happening BEFORE the sync.  I'll let you know what happens.

[robert roszak]

Hi there,

I'm experiencing strange behaviour when syncing between Andorid and PC. For example tasks that I completed on PC get overwritten by uncompleted instances from Android. All this in spite of the fact that no modification was done to the task on Android after PC's version had been completed.. What's wrong? I'm pretty sure it wasn't this way before.. Besides, doesn't mlo compare last modification dates between task and take the one modified more recently?