Idem v. 2.1

Windows and Macintosh files mirroring

Overview

Idem is a software utility that enables the user to automate file synchronisation and replication. Idem secures critical data duplicating them from one computer location to another. It is a good solution for "mirroring"  important folders from a Windows NT server toward another. Idem checks a list of source folders at regular time interval and updates target folders with new or modified files.
Idem is distinguishable from other expansive mirroring or clustering products by its ability to fully preserve Macintosh filenames and structures stored on a Windows NT server.
You can use Idem to synchronise a laptop on a network.

• Windows 95/98, NT 4.0 and Windows 2000.
  Idem can be installed as a Windows NT Service.
• Easy definitions of source and target folders.
  Supports UNC (Universal Naming Convention) to name folders as \\Server\Share\Folder.
• Option to include sub-folders in mirroring.
• Fully preserves Macintosh filenames and structures stored on a Windows NT 4.0 server running MacFile/SFM (Services For Macintosh) or a MacFile/SFM compatible server as MacServerIP.
  Macintosh files are stored with peculiar data structure ("data fork", "resource fork", "Finder informations") and their names can include forbidden Windows characters (like \, /, <, >, etc.). Idem manages these peculiarities.
  Note : Requires Windows NT 4.0 - running MacFile/SFM or compatible - on NTFS partitions ; this feature is not implemented on Windows 95/98.
• Idem is compatible with Open File Handler (Swat Consulting Inc.) in order to mirror opened files on Windows NT.
• Idem can check and copy the files and folders security informations (ACL permissions - access-control lists on NTFS partitions) and the files and folders attributes (hidden, system, archive, etc.)
• Each synchronization can run using one of the following modes:
  - update if the file is different in the source and target folders
  - update if the file in the source folder is newer than the corresponding file in the target folder. This possibility is used for dual way mirroring.
• Setting time interval for update. Each folder can be mirrored using its specific interval for update.
• Setting performance.
• Option to remove old files or subfolders from target folders.
• Option to move files from a source folder toward a target folder, i.e. delete files from source folder after mirroring.
• Option to rename moved Macintosh files, substituting a dash to the forbidden Windows characters in their names (/, \, <, >, etc.). Moreover, the 3 characters extension is added for the most commonly used applications: .doc, .qxd, .xls, etc. For example, a document XPress named Advert 08/12/99 is moved as Advert 08-12-99.qxd.
  All Windows programs can manage these files after renaming. This option is useful for programs like Adobe Distiller used in Windows environment on Macintosh files.
• Archive mirroring operations in Log files.
• When a folder becomes unknown (folder removed or renamed, lack a connexion with a file server, etc.), Idem can send different kind of warnings: beep, display message, send a message to an administrator, messages in the Log, messages in the Applications EventLog (when Idem is running as a Windows NT service).

• avoid a Macintosh replication task which is often running on a dedicated Mac.
• reduce network overhead.
• increase speed of mirroring.
• automatic start-up at server boot.

Synchronise a laptop: the command line flag -u

When you run the program with the command line flag -u [for unknown], Idem stops if any defined folder is unknown. This is useful when you are using Idem to synchronise a laptop on a network since Idem is only loaded and running when the laptop is connected to the network.

Download and registration

The version you download is complete but needs a registration key to be fully operational.
Without this registering, you can only mirror three couples of source/target folders and a warning message is displayed when more than three files have been mirrored.

Using Idem

• Create target folders using Windows Explorer. Idem uses existing source and target folders.
• Idem uses logical drives (letters C:, D:, E:, etc.) or UNC (Universal Naming Convention) names as \\Server\Share\Folder. Examples:
  - for secure a folder C:\My Data on Server 1 toward a folder D:\My Data on Server 2, Server 2 must be connected to Server 1 using D: as a drive letter.
  - secure a folder \\Server1\Share\My data on \\Server2\Share\My data.
• Install Idem.
• Choose language using the Language menu (French, English, Portuguese).
• If you want to mirror two equivalent folders structures on two different servers, define the Default drive/UNC prefix for target folders in the Configuration menu. Examples:
  - if D: is the default drive for target folders, adding C:\My Data as a source folder will add automatically D:\My Data as the corresponding target folder.
  - if \\Server2\Share is the default UNC prefix for target folders, adding \\Server1\Share\My data as a source folder will add automatically \\Server2\Share\My data as the corresponding target folder.
• Define the list of source folders using the Add button down left.
  The corresponding target folder is automatically defined if you have set the default drive or UNC prefix for target folders (cf. supra).
  Invalid folder names are preceded by three interrogation marks.
  Macintosh folders are preceded by a Mac icon.
• For each folder you can click on the small clock named set in order to :
  - define the time between two mirroring operations for the given folder using a multiple of the default time. The default time is set in the menu Configuration/Set default time between two mirroring operations. For example, if the default time is 10 seconds, you can set the time between two mirrorings of the considered folder to 10, 20, 30, etc. seconds.
  - move file from the source folder toward the target folder. Files are deleted from the source folder after each mirroring operation.
  - rename moved Macintosh files substituting a dash to the characters /, \, <, >, etc. in their names.
  - delete old files in the target folders: the files in the target folder which have not corresponding source files are removed.
  - choose one of the following update modes:
      1. update if the file is different in the source and target folders
      2. update if the file in the source folder is newer than the corresponding file in the target folder.
• To modify a folder name, select it and click on the Modify button (source or target), or double-click on the folder name.
• To remove couples of folders (source and target) from the mirroring list, select them and click on the Remove button.
• To start mirroring, click on the central button with arrow or choose the File/Start mirroring menu.
• To stop mirroring, click on the same central button (Stop) or choose the File/Stop mirroring menu.
  The minimized Idem window is invisible in the Task Bar and the status of the program is shown in the Task Notification Area (TNA: the small area in the Task Bar where Windows displays time).
  Double left click on the Idem icon in TNA displays its window again; rigth click allows Start/Stop mirroring and exiting the program.

File

• Start mirroring and Stop mirroring
• Show main window
• Exit

Configuration

• Include sub-folders in mirroring
• Remove old files/folders from target folders (default value)
• Check and copy attributes
• Security informations (DACL permissions/NT)
• Set default time between two mirroring operations
• Set performance
• Default drive/UNC prefix for target folders
• Warning on unknown folder
  [display and Log messages, beep warning, net send message]
• Display files in the selected folders
• Automatic start up
• Install/remove Idem Service

Logs

• Archive mirroring operations in Log files
• Check Logs
• Remove Log files automatically

Language

• Français
• English
• Português

?

• Help
• Register Idem
• About…