Deltas and Changes

Learn about how Movebot handles Deltas and changed files.

Keeping Your Data Up to Date

In active environments, it’s common for files to be added or updated during a migration. Movebot’s Delta Migration feature helps keep your destination up to date by copying only the files that have been added or modified since the last transfer.

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How Delta Migrations Work

Delta Migrations compare the source and destination using each file’s modification time (modtime). Only files that are new or have a more recent modtime on the source will be transferred. This reduces duplication and speeds up the process by skipping files that haven't changed.

Important: Movebot does not delete or move files at the destination. If you rename, move, or delete files or folders in the source, those changes will not be reflected in the destination. To avoid duplication or confusion, we recommend avoiding major restructuring during the migration process.

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Enabling "Always Use Delta"

To enable Delta Migrations across all runs:

1. Go to Step 4 in your project settings.

2. Enable the “Only Include Changed Files/Objects” option.

This ensures Movebot will compare the source and destination before each transfer and skip any files that haven’t changed. Note: This option may increase scan time, but reduces transfer time by focusing only on what’s changed.

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Running a Delta Migration Manually

You can manually launch a Delta Migration at any time. Here’s how:

1. Open your project.

2. Select the job(s) you want to run a Delta for.

3. Click Launch Scan or Transfer.

4. Choose Start Delta Migration.

Delta runs may take slightly longer to scan but are much faster during the transfer stage than full migrations. They can be run as often as needed and are particularly helpful for:

• Catching files that were created or updated during a prior transfer

• Cleaning up certain error types, such as:

  • Unknown errors

  • File-not-found

  • Checksum-mismatches