Automatic sync

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When to Use

With this method a copy of your address book is stored on the RU Server as well as on each Viewer where the sync is enabled. Whenever the address book is altered in one of the Viewers, the changes are immediately propagated across all other Viewers.

Use this method in a multi-user environment with frequent address book updates.

Before You Start

Download and install the RU Server. The PC where you install the RU Server must be directly accessible by an IP address or DNS name to all the Viewers that you want to sync.

Important!

  • The General Address Book cannot be synced. It's always local.
  • You cannot make changes to a synced address book when the sync server is offline or not accessible.
  • You can only sync one address book via a given RU Server.

Setting up RU Server

  1. On the PC where you installed the RU Server go to Windows Start menu ➝ Remote Utilities Server ➝ Administration to open the Administration console. Alternatively, open the console by clicking on the RU Server icon in the system tray. Setting up RU Server
  2. Click File ➝ Address book settings. Setting up RU Server
  3. Select Allow address book synchronization. Setting up RU Server

    Optional step: Use password protection

    You can optionally select Use password protection and create a password. This password doubles as an encryption passphrase. So when you enable this option the address book copy stored on the RU Server will be encrypted.

    Setting up RU Server
  4. Click OK to close the settings window. Close Administration console.

Setting up Viewers

In this example we assume that the address book you sync already has records in it.

  1. Open the Viewer with the address book that you want to start syncing. Select the address book in the left pane and click Export connections. Setting up Viewers
  2. Select a folder and click Save. Keep this file as a backup until you finish the sync setup and make sure that everything works correctly. Setting up Viewers
  3. Click Tools ➝ Address Book Manager and select your address book. Click Edit. Setting up Viewers
  4. In the Edit address book dialog switch to the Online synchronization tab. Select Enable synchronization and specify your RU Server address, port and password if any. Click OK and close the Address Book Manager. Setting up Viewers
  5. The address book icon in the folder tree should change to a "cloud". If the cloud icon has an exclamation sign on it, wait a few seconds until your address book gets uploaded to the RU Server. Setting up Viewers
  6. Once the initial upload is complete, the exclamation sign will disappear. Now there are two copies of the address book — on the Viewer PC and on the RU Server — and the two copies are in sync.
  7. Repeat Steps 3-5 on each Viewer that you want to sync.

Important!

Merge is not supported yet. When you connect a second or third Viewer to the sync server, the local address book that you choose is always overwritten by the server address book that synced first. Therefore it is recommended that you create a new address book in Step 3 in all subsequent Viewers.