Finding an appropriate synchronization tool for performing file synchronization

Running head: COURSEWORK EXERCISE SHEET 4
Coursework Exercise Sheet 4
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1
COURSEWORK EXERCISE SHEET 4
Finding an appropriate synchronization tool for performing file
synchronization
Rsysnc is by default installed in ubuntu and it is an efficient file copying tool for
copying files locally and or over the remote host. There are large options available for
controlling the behaviour and permitting flexibility for the set of files that are needed to be
copied. It operated on delta transfer algorithm for reducing the data sent over the network by
analysing the difference between the source and the existing files in the destination address. It
finds its application in mirroring and performing backup using the copy command. It is used
as an command line utility tool and by default installed in the latest version of ubuntu. For
performing backup over a network rsync is used via SSH but in case of local backup the
read/write information is synchronized. The examples of the command used for backup are
given below:
Local Backup
sudo rsync -azvv /home/path/folder1/ /home/path/folder2
Backup over network
sudo rsync --dry-run --delete -azvv -e ssh /home/path/folder1/
[e-mail]:/home/path/folder2
The command –dry run is used for telling rsync to do nothing and only a log is written
and it is used for testing the command for checking that everything works according
to the requirement. The - - del command is removed for performing the actual backup
of the system.

2
COURSEWORK EXERCISE SHEET 4
Configuration of remote file transfer between source and destination
machine
For the configuration of the remote file transfer between the source and the
destination machine the rsync command is used and openssh server is needed to be installed
in the destination machine. For performing the configuration two virtual machine are used
and configured according to the requirement. The command “sudo apt-get install openssh-
server” is used for the installation and a keypair needed to set up and it is created using the
command “ssh-keygen”. The public key is copied in the authorized_key files present on the
server. The command ssh-copy-id user@192.168.1.150 is used for copying.
Documentation of the steps with Screenshot
A file is created in desktop of the client machine and sent over the remote client using the
command “rsync -vh hello.txt /home/user/Desktop”.