Synchronization of mind maps

MindManager, ResultsManager, GyroQ, and Topicscape are organizational tools that users often want to synchronize between multiple computers. This page provides an overview of where necessary information resides and of approaches used. With netbooks and cloud computing starting to gain in popularity, approaches to synchronization are becoming more important. When synchronizing between computers, it is important to know where Configuration Storage Locations are for MindManager and the add-ins. In considering what option is best for you, you want to consider…

• How and what do you want to synchronize?
• How are you using the various machines that you are synchronizing with?
• How are your machines connected?
• Are you always connected to internet?

This useful article is based almost entirely on one from ActivityOwner’s wiki to which InformationTamers has contributed. It is reproduced here under the Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 license. If you copy it, you must also do so under the terms of that license.

Synchronization has been discussed several times on the GTD_MindManager Yahoo group including this July 2008 discussion

What makes MindManager synchronization special?

• Maps tend to have many hyperlinks to other maps that can break across machines.
• You need to be aware of Configuration Storage Locations.
• MindManager uses hidden lock files that may not be synchronized automatically.

Although it was written to address these particular issues, much of the information in this article is useful for synchronizing data across computers generally.

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WARNING: Synchronization has a hidden danger, especially if it is automated: Less sophisticated users have been known to see it as a substitute for backup. It is not. If a problem is found with a file, for example corruption, a bad edit or accidental deletion, and the two or more sets of files have already been synchronized, then no backup exists.

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Below (in no particular order) are some potential options. Please edit in your experiences or add comments/questions to the associated blog entry on activityowner.com

Mindjet Catalyst

Mindjet Catalyst is a service from Mindjet.

• Pros
  • Simultaneous multiuser collaborative editing
  • Fast/Cached
  • Secure
  • Tightly integrated web conferencing
  • Versioning
  • Compatible with ResultsManager and GyroQ
• Cons
  • Cost ($30/month/user base price)
  • Internet collaboration requires separate fees for each account
  • Requires network connection unless pre-cached
  • Potential corporate security issues (hosted outside firewalls)
  • No simple mechanism for maintaining a mirrored backup on a local drive – files must be downloaded by hand, one at a time
  • No folder structures

DropBox

DropBox on Wikipedia

Dropbox site

• Pros
  • Provides off-site backup
  • Can share folders to 3rd parties
  • Can access files from web directly from anywhere
• Cons
  • Security concerns with putting maps in cloud
  • Need to put maps in “My DropBox” folder (which can live under “my maps”)

Windows Live Sync (FolderShare)

FolderShare (Windows Live Sync) on Wikipedia

www.foldershare.com

• Pros
  • Works well and copes well with large folders and file sets
  • Works across multiple platforms, e.g. you can share files between MAC and PC
  • Compatible with ResultsManager and GyroQ, provided relative hyperlinks are used

• Cons
  • While it is free now, it might not be free forever
  • Every few months Microsoft “update” and require you to reinstall and sometimes even reconfigure your shared folders

SyncToy

SyncToy entry on wikipedia

SyncToy on Microsoft.com

• Pros
  • No cloud security issues
  • Free
  • Easy to set up
  • Easy to use:
    • Have a “Synchronize” button on desktop, click it from time to time and choose the folder pairs to be synchronized; or
    • Schedule synchronizations.
  • Options…
    • Synchronize: New and edited files are copied both ways. Renames and deletes on either side are repeated on the other.
    • Echo: New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames and deletes on the left are repeated on the right.
    • Contribute: New and updated files are copied left to right. Reanmes on the left are repeated on the right. No deletions.
  • Files to be synchronized can be filtered using wildcard definitions.
• Cons
  • Synchronized PCs must be on same network: No web-based option.
  • Windows only.
  • No cloud backup

SharePoint Hosting

SharePoint on Wikipedia

SharePoint on microsoft.com

Corporate environments can add SharePoint to existing Windows Server machines. Internet users can sign up for sharepoint hosting (e.g. from 123together.com) services.

• Pros
  • Increased usability with MM 8.2
  • Can be internally hosted (no incremental cost over Win2003 server)
• Cons
  • Slow if used from server
  • Hyperlinks must be set manually
  • Clicking on SharePoint link yields read-only copy (true in 8.2?)
  • No free internet-based options

Desktop Syncables

See comment on blog[1] Syncables.com

• Pros
  • Free versions
• Cons
  • Free version requires you to be on same network

SugarSync

See blog comment[2]

• Pros

• Cons

Windows Live Workspace

See comment on blog[3]

• Pros
• Cons

SyncbackSE

SyncbackSE

• Pros
• Cons

LapLink Everywhere

Laplink Everywhere

• Pros
• Cons

Network Drives

Corporate file share or home-based network drive

• Pros
  • Secure/locally hosted
  • Cost
• Cons
  • Inaccessible from outside (if using on home network)

Shared Folders

Share a folder from primary machine and use from laptop/netbook in house

• Pros
  • Single copy of each file
• Cons
  • Requires live/local network connection

Windows Briefcase

Windows briefcase functionality has been around in Windows for quite awhile and can work well for map synchronization. You can either keep your primary maps on your main computer and then use a briefcase on a USB drive to access them from a second computer or, keep the primary maps on the USB drive and use briefcases on multiple computers synchronized to the usb drive.

• Pros
  • Free
  • No “cloud” security concerns
• Cons
  • Need to carry around the usb drive/stick and synchronize manually.
  • Conflicting edits can arise
  • Seems this is superseded by SyncToy

Groove

Grove on microsoft site

Grove on Wikipedia

• Pros
• Cons
  • Groove can be used to sync folders, but gets very slow and hogs a huge amount of resources when the number of files and folders gets large. Storing maps in Groove workspaces is not recommended, as files are exported to a temporary folder and filename on demand. This means that ResultsManager cannot automatically follow map to map hyperlinks.
  • Cost:$229

WebDAV

WebDAVis the protocol SharePoint utilizes and this is supported by MindJet. WebDAV shares can be set up through hosting providers (e.g. Dreamhost). activityowner has tested with webdav1.activityowner.com/test1 and it works but a bit complicated.

• Pros
  • Can map as a network drive?
  • Collaboration
  • Map display lock information in multi-user environment
• Cons
  • Difficult to configure/use
  • Slow
  • Hyperlink issues
  • Cannot create maps in place via MindManager itself
  • Security concerns