uploading from a different location to speed upload times

[completerookie]

one PC (the main one) has a very slow uplink
Can I take a snapshot, import it into a PC with a very fast uplink, then upload the site (nice and fast), take a snapshot and get them to re-load it on their slow pc?
I'm making snapshots to make sure every setting is captured

is there anything in the settings that says "tut tut - you shouldn't have done that, you need to do a full refresh again now ! "

[jont]

All the files are time stamped so importing the snapshot onto a new machine will change the time stamps, Actinic compares to the remote list and will force an upload. When you reinstate back onto the slow machine if you need to download orders on this machine you will need to refresh the site first to sync the files and then download. Could get tedious!

[completerookie]

its tedious now, and thats the problem.
the latest files could? exist on the web site, its just there's not enough intelligence inside the upload process.

I've uploaded the entire site to the test directory (test mode), change the filename of ONE section, and ALL the images are uploaded as well ! -
(I know the navigation would have changed and I anticipated that)
nothings changed with those time stamps so why the upload.
I tried the refresh, quicker when I ignore the images. but with thousands of images . . .

here's an idea - keep a checksum of the files (all of them, including images) both on the web and the PC. when it comes to uploading, if the checksum's the same, ignore it, it hasn't changed so why bother.
if the checksum doesn't exist on the website, simply upload. if the checksum doesn't exist on the PC, then delete the equivilent entry on the web - autosynch, reasonably fast.

this simple change (ok may not be so simple) would speed uploads considerably.

We could also use that same test to see if anyone's changing the files on the web without going through the actinic interface.

[wjcampbe]

Would not work, I'm afraid. How would the checksum handle session files, saved carts and orders?

[completerookie]

so lets exclude a certain amount of redundant uploading - put the checksums on the obvious candidates (jpgs, gifs etc even html pages, brochure pages etc) and force an upload of the special ones that it knows its got to handle

if you change the menus (page structure) and it affects a number of pages, let the checksum handle those, else don't bother uploading.

I'm asking for a certain amount of intellegence not using checksums everwhere.

[TraceyG]

Hi,

This is the way that Actinic works in uploading:

Actinic generates every page each time the site is uploaded, not just refreshed. Each file is generated in memory and compared with the file in the site or "SiteHtml" folder as appropriate and if different the new file is saved to disk.

When uploading Actinic compares the file created date with the date in the FileList table (in the ActinicCatalog.mdb file) and if the new file has a later date than the previous file then the file is marked in the FileList table that is to be uploaded.

Actinic does not compare the local file with the server file as this would mean that an update of just one file could take as long as a refresh because Actinic would have to fetch every file from the server to compare it.


I'll put your suggestion to the development team to see if they think it would help or if there are any drawbacks to it.

[Mike Hughes]

Actinic does not compare the local file with the server file as this would mean that an update of just one file could take as long as a refresh because Actinic would have to fetch every file from the server to compare it.

But Actinic could compare the filesize and date with the one on the server without downlaoding the file. A simple listing of files would provide the required information.

In terms of the problem on hand. Could it be a solution to network the slow PC to the fast PCs internet connection? DSL routers with ethernet ports are dirt cheap these days.

Mike

[Duncan Rounding]

I would like an option to manually override/update the FileList table from the current files. That would allow you to swop a snapshot without uploading every page.

[completerookie]

In terms of the problem on hand. Could it be a solution to network the slow PC to the fast PCs inte

I personally have an 8mb connection to the net, but the "slow pc" has just a 512kb connection - its the speed of the upload thats the issue (that and the amount of the information being transferred)

The solution to this on-going problem cannot be rocket science:
When you generate the files on the PC,

• by all means over-write everything on the PC (upon re-generating the files)
• then run a simple checksum against EVERY file that will "potentially" be uploaded (include graphics, additional files, - everything ! )
• store the filename=checksum into a single file on to the PC
• Now start the upload process - compare the checksum entry of the file that may be uploaded with the entry within the file currently held on the web site
• If the checksum is the same, skip it, don't upload, go to the next one
• if the checksum is different (or doesn't exist on the web) - upload
• (so now only NEW and or DIFFERENT files are being uploaded)
• at the end of the list, loop down the list currently held on the web, any file NOT in the old "checksum list" - delete it - if the file is NOT an entry within this list, DO NOT TOUCH IT - this allows us to place other files in the directory that actinic will not touch - this also allows "old redundant" pages (sections) to be auto-deleted on the web and not have any old pages lying around for cached entries to accidently pick up upon.
• finally, when the "synchronisation" has taken place, copy the latest control-file to the web - this will become the "compare file" at next "uplaod time" - this will effectivly be the LAST thing to be done.
• if there is a failure at any point, the process will still work 100%
• Clearly, if the list does NOT exist, then just upload everything (backwards compatible)
• if at ANY point the user plays with any file on the web (gif, html etc), he "risks" it being overwritten

the user assumes a degree of responsibility for synchronising - if he plays with files on the web, they may get over-written (but ONLY if the checksum has changed within the "control files")
example, user makes a "manual tweak" to a page on the web - the page carries on working, eventually, he get round to fixing the problem inside actinic, the checksum will change, and the file will get overwritten. until then, the checksums will be equal, the file will not get uploaded, so the "temp tweak" remains in place.
Tweaks can include playing with pics, PHP, you name it.
PHP shouldn't be an issue here, thats a web-based issue and the PHP code is simply embedded within the actinic pages.

I am NOT asking for checksums to be run "on the web" - all this takes place BEFORE the web is even accessed - its ONLY the values stored in the "control files" that's compared.

I admit, the concept has not been 100% thought out, but the gem of the idea is there.

lets get away from uploading EVERYTHING regardless of whether its changed or not.

I await to get shot down in flames - but in the meantime, lets start the process of curing these bloated uploads thats happening all the time.

[Duncan Rounding]

Good idea Kevin - why not add a link toi your post on the wish list?..

[completerookie]

boy oh boy - this rocket science stuff gets easier - look out NASA, I'm on my way !
I've peeped into the FileList table inside catalog.mdb

the last column in the FileList is sMD5Hash - they've done some of the hard work - just a bit more coding to do, create the file, compare, upload the file and it should be able to be added to the next "maintenance release" of actinic
If this went out as a maintenance release, everyone would JUMP at the opportunity to "rocket boost" their uploads