After the inital login via the iFolder client, a user can begin to add files to his iFolder directory and automatic synchronization begins. The iFolder client is always aware of any local activity and, based on the synchronization preferences chosen by you or the user, the iFolder client regularly asks the iFolder server for a download of any new data. After the iFolder server downloads the data, it uploads any updates from the iFolder local directory. When the user access his account from a different computer, the iFolder server first downloads any updates before uploading the iFolder client changes.
Every time the iFolder client logs in to the iFolder server, it compares filemaps (metadata that describes information about the actual file in your local iFolder) and dirmaps (metadata information on your local iFolder directory) between itself and the iFolder server. Filemaps and dirmaps are located on the local workstation at C:\program files\Novell\iFolder\username\home. If discrepancies are found between the filemaps and dirmaps, the iFolder client first downloads the new files from the server and then uploads any new local files. When files are uploaded or downloaded between the iFolder server or client, only the changes, not the whole file, are sent on a 4 KB block level across the wire. This results in fast download and uploads times, even at slower modem speeds.
IMPORTANT: There are some applications that rewrite the complete file regardless of how minor the change. Microsoft Word, for example, behaves like this. Thus, if the application that you are using completely rewrites the file, iFolder will recognize it as 100% new content and synchronize the whole file.
The iFolder server then receives these new files and adds them to its sync index, which lists the current state of the file system. The iFolder sync index is very small, consisting of only four bytes.
Whenever the sync indexes match between the iFolder server and the client, iFolder knows that no changes have been made. When that same user logs in from another workstation, the iFolder client compares its sync index to the iFolder server's sync index and then downloads any changes. All along, the iFolder client is monitoring the file system and caching any changes. If there is a conflict between files, iFolder uses time stamps to resolve it. The newest time stamp wins and the old file is placed in the conflict bin, accessed through the iFolder system tray menu on the local workstation. For more information about the conflict bin, see Using the Conflict Bin.