Desktop Sync and Adobe Drive versioning

[kirkokuev]

Hello,

we are currently using Alfresco as CMIS Repository and Adobe Drive to implement collaboration and versioning between local and remote users. Adobe Drive more or less is capable to cope with its tasks, but users constantly demand Dropbox-like functionality to sync their documents locally, while preserving versioning. When I found out that Desktop Sync is released, I thought that it may be the final solution, but after some testing I realized, that there is one flaw, that prevents adopting this client.

I tried to recreate following scenario (which is what we are experiencing daily):
1. I've created some PSD file and checked it in via Adobe Drive (version 1);
2. I've opened version 1 file once again, made some changes, and checked it in once again (there we have version 2);
3. Then I've synchronized folder, containing PSD file, and I got local file (presumed version 2) at my desktop;
4. I've opened this local file (Adobe Drive showed that it is unmanaged, which is fine) and made some changes, then saved it (that should be a version 3);
5. After Desktop Sync completed synchronization, I've opened Share, and noticed, that new version of file was not created, what I saw was versions 1 and 2, missing version 3. Effectively, version 2 was version 3, but changes that were made on step 2 were lost.

My guess is that Desktop Sync currently does not honors versioning at all, because when I tried to create and edit plain text file multiple times, I ended with a single initial version, which was rewritten with new content.

So what interests me, are you planning to implement versioning on sync, because that would be a great improvement?

Thank you!

[kirkokuev]

Guys? So what about versioning in desktop client? Should I wait for it in the next release, or not?

[kirkokuev]

Well, since nobody answers, I am going to post a little update.

I've found a workaround (sort of), to make versioning work with Desktop Sync.

1. Create new site and make a new folder, name it Sources;
2. Open folder properties in Share, click "Manage rules";
3. Add two Rules, with following parameters

[img]http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/1458/20121113201124.png[/img]

and

[img]http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/6646/20121113201139.png[/img]

4. Then put these rules in following order

[img]http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/8555/20121113201154.png[/img]

After that you can setup synchronization of the folder Sources with Desktop Sync. When you will put any new file into local folder, the file will be synchronized with server, and it will have Versionable aspect, also it will have version 0.1. After any edit and synchronization new version will be automatically created.

However, this solution is not working with files, that were previously checked in to server via Adobe Drive. Those files just keep the version 1.0 no matter how many times you edit and synchronize them from local folder.

I will try to implement this workflow with Indesign files, because Indesign works pretty bad with Adobe Drive.