About keeping a partial mirror of main DB

[reader]

I'm trying out a new approach to my own image work where the main db files (not the imd5 file itself) are kept on an external drive , that I plug in when needed.

I keep a partial mirror of that file hierarchy and files on an internal disc for ongoing work, including downloading my new images off the cameras into the mirrored portion on internal disc.

Main db is something like 225 GB
Mirrored portion kept on internal disk is 39.2 GB

Most of what I want to work with currently is in the mirror.

So, I do what ever projects I have going, on the internal disc, then after a few days or maybe a week I run a linux tool, that also works on windows (thru cygwin).  rsync.

I use rsync to copy the mirror back over the full db on external drive so that any changes are pushed to the external main db.
Files with more recent modified dates and/or different sizes will overwrite the out of date files.

As you see, all of this is going on behind the back of IM5.

What is the best way to keep the DB up to date?
In IM3.6 I used what was called '1 click rescan', to catch imatch up in similar situations.

Sometimes, after having made changes in the actual files as described, when I start up IM5 and click on the top level of 'media and folder', I will get a warning telling me there have been changes and do I want to update the DB. There is also the context menu item:
'Rescan now'

Do those both do the exact same thing?

Is that all I need to do (rescan) to keep the DB updated?

The db IM5 is keeping appears in "Media and Files" with two top level directories.  The top of full set of files and hierarchy and the top of the mirror, so most of (probably at least 90 - 98 percent of the mirror media are duplicates of what is in the main DB media, and, of course, when things are synced then 100 percent is duplication). 

This constitutes a fairly hefty amount of self inflicted duplication, but after a bit of thought, it was the only thing I came up with to keep me from getting chased off the internal drive by the influx of new photos and other sources of new data.

And finally the bigger question: Is what I've described a fool hardy way to do things?  Are there better ways to accomplish the same sort of thing?  That is, to carry out work on the db files on a partial mirror, then periodically overwrite the main db with the newer or changed files.  And finally keeping IM5 up to pace using 'rescan now'?

[Mario]

Rescan rescans the selected folders. Alternatively press <Shift>+<F5>
See the IMatch help for an extensive explanation of what Rescan does, how IMatch works with folders, changes made to the file system by external applications.

See also Edit > Preferences > Indexing and the corresponding help.

Usually it is much better to maintain only one database. See Traveling with IMatch in the help for information on how to work with IMatch on multiple computers.

[ubacher]

I keep the new/current files on a SSD and the rest on a hard disk.
When I am done with the processing / or when space is required on the SSD I just move the files to the HDD using
Imatch. That is all that is required.

(If you like to use an external program to move the files you can just tell Imatch that this and that folder (which will show off-line)
has been moved.)

I don't see the need for mirroring - this is just for back-up which can be done with normal backup routines.

[reader]

[...]

Usually it is much better to maintain only one database. See Traveling with IMatch in the help for information on how to work with IMatch on multiple computers.

Thanks for the pointers.

To be clear: I do have only one database.  I mean an imatch5.imd5 file.  I mixed my terms pretty badly in the prior post, calling the actual on hard disk files the database too.  I guess they are, but not the same as Imatch's database.... just the media.

So, I have two branches of media. One a partial mirror of the other, but all is kept in one imatch database.

I keep the new/current files on a SSD and the rest on a hard disk.
When I am done with the processing / or when space is required on the SSD I just move the files to the HDD using
Imatch. That is all that is required.

So none of it is on external drives?

(If you like to use an external program to move the files you can just tell Imatch that this and that folder (which will show off-line)
has been moved.)

I don't see the need for mirroring - this is just for back-up which can be done with normal backup routines.

What you are describing is quite similar to what I'm experimenting with.
It sounds like one significant difference is that I'm talking external drive and it sounds like you are working on 2 different internal drives.

The biggest important difference is that in my case the external hierarchy is not just a backup... it is the main treasure trove.
Normal sorts of bkup routines are used to keep that main media hierarchy bcked up.

The mirroring part is really so that syncing the working files with main collection can be done from one top directory to the other in one go, that picks up all the sub directories. Then run a rescan.

I haven't followed thru on Mario's reading suggestions yet so not so sure rescan is the right thing to do, but I suspect it is.
The smallish mirrored portion kept on the host internal drive is just the active work files.  I keep enough on internal disk to do my experimenting and compositing.

In my case, the desktop, which is really a big hefty laptop, runs external drives when needed, from an addon USB3 card running from the expansion slot.  It's noisy and annoying so I don't keep it attached more than needed to make sure the mirrored files are in sync. So, every few days or a week.

[Mario]

Rescan is used to bring in new, updated and deleted files and sub-folders.

If you move files and folders to other media outside of IMatch, use the Relocate command to tell IMatch where you have moved the folders.

[reader]

Rescan is used to bring in new, updated and deleted files and sub-folders.

If you move files and folders to other media outside of IMatch, use the Relocate command to tell IMatch where you have moved the folders.

Nice distinction... makes it very clear.  Thank you.

[Mario]

Very good. Please lookup both keywords in the help for all the details and related options.