Syncing behaviors and workplace scanning
- Syncing from Connector to Cloud
- Syncing from Cloud to Connector
- Workspace Scanning
- Unsynchronized Files - Workflows and Cautions to Consider
- Paused and Disrupted States
Syncing from Connector to Cloud
When you change files in a Connector, these changes are synced to the relevant cloud data source.
- While updates may appear quickly in your connector, you may have to wait longer for these to display in your cloud data source.
- For larger operations such as adding multiple projects with a high number of files, syncing may take longer due to the large volume of data that needs to be processed.
You can view the syncing status of your activities by accessing the Home Screen of the relevant connector for your supported cloud data source.
Syncing from Cloud to Connector
Workspace Scanning
Starting with Desktop Connector v17.0, Workspace Scanning fundamentally changes how Desktop Connector detects and processes changes in your local workspace.
Desktop Connector now scans the workspace state for changes rather than solely relying on Windows operating system events to detect changes. This enhanced change detection mechanism provides more reliable and comprehensive monitoring of your project files.
Benefits of Scanning
- Visible scan progress: New "Scan" jobs appear on the Home Screen to indicate project workspace activity
- Better activity indication: Enhanced feedback when processing system or user activity through scan jobs
- Improved failure reporting: Better error reporting when system conflicts occur via scan job errors
- Automatic startup handling: Changes made to the workspace while Desktop Connector was not running are automatically detected on first workspace activity after startup
- Enhanced performance: Significant performance improvements, especially for bulk operations
Scan Job States
Scan Job - Warning
You may see a warning message on a scan job when other activities are interfering with the scanning process:
- "Another system activity is blocking the scan..." - Desktop Connector is syncing changes from the cloud to your local workspace. The scan will automatically continue once this sync completes.
- "Troubleshooting is in progress" - Desktop Connector is actively troubleshooting an issue. The scan will resume when troubleshooting is complete.
- "Activity detected. Scanning will continue once user activity has paused." - You're actively working in files. The scan will automatically resume when you pause your work.
Scan Job - Error
In rare cases, a scan job may fail. If this occurs, try removing and re-adding the project from Desktop Connector. This typically resolves scan errors caused by duplicate file records or other project-level conflicts.
Core Scanning Behaviors
- Automatic startup scanning: When Desktop Connector starts, it automatically runs a full scan to catch any changes that were made while it wasn't running, and creates the necessary sync jobs.
- Important: Startup scans will detect most changes made while Desktop Connector wasn't running, but deleted files or folders are detected after the first project activity.
- Improved change detection: Scanning provides more reliable detection of file and folder changes by monitoring workspace state rather than relying solely on system events.
- Intelligent scan scope: When changes are detected, Desktop Connector scans from the common root folder of all changes since the last scan. This means that if you're working across multiple folders, the scan may need to cover a larger area of your project structure. For large projects experiencing slow performance, see Best Practices - working with large projects.
- Reduced scan frequency: Fewer scans are triggered after sync jobs (uploads, edits, deletes) or remote cloud syncs, improving overall performance.
- Project coordination: Scans now wait for project subscription jobs to complete before running, ensuring proper sequencing.
Enhanced Workflows and Reliability
Browser Dialog Detection: Actions in file/folder browser dialogs (Upload files with references, Reference Explorer, etc.) are now detected and processed by Desktop Connector.
"Always Keep on This Device": Improved reliability and performance for bulk operations involving files marked to always stay local.
File Operations:
- File Replacement: Replacing an existing cloud file with a new file of the same name now results in a new version, not a delete/create operation.
- Edit + Rename/Move: Editing a cloud file and quickly renaming/moving it will now first upload a new version, then rename/move in the cloud.
- Conflict Resolution: Local move/replace conflicts with cloud-side deletes now result in correctly resolved sync job conflicts.
Job Management:
- Job Interruptions: Scan jobs can interrupt running jobs if a sync job fails, reducing the number of stuck jobs.
- Background Scan Protection: Ongoing sync/upload jobs are less likely to be interrupted by background scans.
- Authoring Application Handling: When you're working in applications that frequently save files (like CAD software), Desktop Connector will pause and restart scanning as needed to avoid conflicts with your active work.
Delete and Restore Operations:
- Restoring Deletes: Files or folders restored to their original location (via CTRL-Z, re-creation, or Recycle Bin) now properly cancel delete confirmations and clear pending sync.
- Excluded File Handling:
- All renames to excluded filenames immediately exclude the file from sync
- Edits to excluded files no longer interrupt or trigger new scans
Cross-Project Operations:
- Cross-Project Moves (While Desktop Connector is Not Running): Moving files between projects when Desktop Connector is not running now correctly adds the file to the new project and deletes it from the original when Desktop Connector is next started.
- ⚠️ Warning: This workflow is still unsupported. Copy files between projects instead of moving them to avoid possible sync or data issues.
Offline Mode Behavior
When Desktop Connector is in offline mode and you make changes to the Autodesk Docs local workspace:
- Scan Job Queuing: A Scanning Job will be queued up on the Home Screen
- Online Activation: When you return Desktop Connector to online mode, the scan job will run
- Job Creation: The scan will create new jobs based on the changes you made in the workspace (uploads, edits, etc.)
This ensures that no changes are lost when working offline and that all modifications are properly synchronized when connectivity is restored.
Unsynchronized Files - Workflows and Cautions to Consider
In the following three workflows any unsynchronized changes within the project will be lost.
When you unselect a project, the project workspace will be removed.
When you sign in as another user, the new user will be prompted to clean up their workspace for a fresh start. If you encounter issues or need to perform a clean uninstall, we recommend following the steps provided to perform a Clean Install of Desktop Connector.
If syncing of files is unsuccessful or if you suspect an issue with Desktop Connector, consider using the automated Reset Desktop Connector Utility. It's designed to help tidy up your workspace
- Review the prerequisites before running the utility to determine if this is right for you and your organization.
Paused and Disrupted States
The following states will impact the syncing of your changes to the cloud data source.
| State | Activated by | Impact on Syncing | Potential Resolution | Help Topic Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work offline | Choose the Work Offline option from the home screen menu to work in a connector without being connected to the cloud data source. | Workspace scans will run and create sync jobs that queue on the Home Screen, but sync jobs will not run until you're back online. | Disable Work Offline to get back online and resume syncing. Queued scan jobs will automatically run and process changes. There may be conflicts you can resolve if the same file has also been modified in the cloud data source. | Docs - Work Offline Drive - Work Offline Fusion - Work Offline |
| Sign out | Choose Sign out from the home screen menu | Syncing changes to the cloud is paused. | Sign in to get back online and resume syncing. There may be conflicts you can resolve if the same file has also been modified in the cloud data source. | Sign In and Out |
| No internet connectivity | The user loses or turns off their internet connection | Syncing changes will fail. | Retry any files errors in the home screen or pending actions. when the internet connected again. | -- |
| Not running | Desktop Connector is not starting, or you choose Exit from the home screen menu | Scanning automatically detects changes made while not running when Desktop Connector restarts. | Simply restart Desktop Connector - it will automatically scan and sync any changes. | -- |
| Project syncing fails | Local and cloud data stops syncing. | Failed syncing means that files locally and in the cloud are always out of sync. | You will be notified in the home screen. Click Select projects in the home screen, remove your project then add the project again. | Manage Projects - Docs only |
Related Concepts: