Hello everyone,

Consider the following scenario: you have two disks that are kept synchronized by some method. Could be RAID, could be LVM snapshots, could be a script. However, something has gone wrong. The disks are out-of-sync and you don't know which disk received which updates. You want to manually re-sync the disks but how do you figure-out which file to copy where?

I'm thinking of saving recursive directory-listings of the entire disks to text-files. Sorting them on last-update and removing all identical entries from the files.

I have a feeling that this is something that can be done with just a few command's but I need some help to get me started.

Ideas anyone?

Cheers, DJ.

Chances are pretty high that one disk is the master copy and the other is the backup/secondary .. you should be able to determine the master going by the latest modified times and sync from that one to the other

I don't want to assume anything about primary or secondary disks. Things have gone wrong. 99% of the files are synchronized, but some are out-of-sync.

I'm writing a script that fixes things without losing any updates, whichever disk they were written to.

Perhaps you would be so kind and re-read my original question?

DJ

Hi,

You really need to provide to the forum more information if you expect help.

As I see it, the problem with times is that files that have been backed up will obviuosly have a later timestamp than the originals, but if for some reason the backup has not been made, the original file will have a later time than its out-of date backup. If a backup has failed half-way through, and some files are backed up and others not, then you have a problem.
I don't see a solution other than deciding that backups live in a particular place.

Okay, last attempt.

As I wrote in my original post the disks/partitions are synchronized by some method like raid, lvm or a script. That means that file dates are preserved.

Further, the only fact given is that the copies are out-of-sync but no assumptions can be made about one disk/partition being primary or master or current and the other being older. Otherwise this would be a very trivial question. So, a small percentage of files need to be copied, both A -> B and B -> A.

Question: the fastest or shortest bash code that accomplishes this task.

Cheers,
DJ

Perform an rsync both ways, as long as you don't use '--delete' you'll end with all the latest files in both places.