Once the Data Inventory is complete, ByteSync compares the results of all Data Nodes and presents them in a comparison table. This table allows you to see at a glance which files are identical, which are different, and which are missing in one or more Data Nodes.
Understanding the Comparison Table
The comparison view is structured as a table with the following columns:
- File: Path and name of the file or directory.
- Inventory Columns (A, B, C…): Each column corresponds to a Data Node. It displays information such as file size, last modification date, and hash signature (if available).
In some cases, an error indicator may be shown if a file could not be analyzed (for example, because it is currently in use) or if a directory could not be traversed during the inventory process. - Initial: The state observed immediately after the inventory. It shows whether the item is identical, different, or missing across Data Nodes.
- Actions: The synchronization actions that have been decided for this item. Actions can be applied manually by the user or automatically through synchronization rules.
- Synchronization: Displays the final result after the synchronization has been executed. This column is only populated for items where an action was defined.
Comparison Logic
ByteSync detects differences based on:
- Presence: A file exists in one Data Node but not in another.
- Size: A file has different sizes across Data Nodes.
- Last Modified Date: The timestamp differs between nodes.
- Signature: If necessary, block-level signatures are compared to detect content differences.
The identifiers (A, B, A1, Ba, …) displayed in the columns help locate which Data Node a given file belongs to. These identifiers are consistent with those shown in the Session Members, Data Nodes & Data Sources view.
Filtering the Displayed Items
During data comparison, ByteSync allows you to filter the displayed items to focus on specific files or conditions. The filter bar, located above the comparison table, supports advanced syntax for precise selection.
You can, for example, display only files smaller than 50 MB or restrict the list to files with detected differences between members. This feature is particularly useful when working with large datasets or complex synchronization rules.
For more details on the filtering language and available operators, see the Filtering Syntax page.
Next Steps
From the comparison table, you can now decide how differences should be resolved. Synchronization actions can be applied to specific items, or rules can be defined to automate decisions.
The actions themselves are detailed in the next section: Synchronization Actions.
