Options Transfers:

File Transfer Speed Options: You will generally never need to switch from Smart which is the default. Smart picks from the below transfer options Mach 1, Mach 2, Mach 2 with Afterburners or Mach 3. It picks what it thinks is the best method for each file transferred. You can force an option and not let iClose-Up pick by selecting one of the below options.

Mach 1: This option is used by iClose-Up when transferring to another computer that does not have iClose-Up on it. Mach 1 uses Windows compression and will work over TCP/IP, IPX or NetBEUI protocols.

Mach 2: This option is used by iClose-Up when transferring to another computer that has iClose-Up on it. Mach 2 works over the TCP/IP protocol. Mach 2 does not use compression and is used when transferring over very fast connection links, such as 10 to100 megabit network links. In addition iClose-Up uses Mach 2 to transfer files that are already compressed such as ZIP files.

Mach 2 with Afterburners: This option is used by iClose-Up when transferring to another computer that has iClose-Up on it. Mach 2 with Afterburners works over the TCP/IP protocol. Mach 2 with Afterburners selects between different highly compressive proprietary compression algorithms depending on the connection link speed, and the type of data to be transferred.

Mach 3: This option is used by iClose-Up when transferring to another computer that has iClose-Up on it. Mach 3 works over the TCP/IP protocol. Mach 3 uses different highly compressive proprietary compression algorithms depending on the connection link speed as described above, Mach 2 with Afterburners. Mach 3 in addition will look for a file in the destination folder that is similar (a reference file, the reference file does not have to have the same name see “File Name Matches by” below) and will look for the differences between the files. iClose-Up will then only send the differences between the two files, there by reducing the amount of data that needs to be transferred.

Smart (selected by default): This option uses artificial intelligence (AI) to select the best method of transfer between two points from among the previous options (Mach 1, Mach 2, Mach 2 with Afterburners, and Mach 3). There is generally never any reason to switch from Smart to one of the other options.

When you transfer a file the transfer screen will tell you what method is being used. It will say Smart requested if Smart is selected here in this options screen. In addition it will say what method Mach 1, Mach 2, Mach 2 with Afterburners or Mach 3 that it has chosen as the best method of transfer.

Optimize for the number of changes in a file: This Option is used when iClose-Up looks for the differences between two files to send only the differences between those files (Mach 3). Imagine a comb where you can adjust the distance between the teeth. This option tells iClose-Up how far apart the teeth of the comb should be that iClose-Up uses when it is combing through a file looking for differences. The smaller the Comb Size the closer the teeth of the comb are which is better at finding many small differences distributed uniformly between two files, there by sending only those small differences meaning very little data needs to be transferred. The larger the Comb Size the farther apart the teeth of the comb are which is better at finding a few changes that may be clumped together at a few locations. The problem with always setting a very small Comb Size is that it takes more time to use a fine tooth comb to look for differences then it does to use a wider tooth comb to look for differences.

As an example of when a larger value could be useful, we do daily backups over a 28,800 modem connection with a database around 650 megabytes in size where the individual files in the database are large 20 to 100 megabytes. The differences between the files in the daily updates are very small relative to the size of the overall database and are not evenly (uniformly) distributed throughout these files. It was best to set the Comb Size to Optimize transfers for a few changes which sets the comb size to 100, so that iClose-Up would go through the file quickly to find the few differences and not waste time looking for a lot of small differences. By setting this value to Optimize transfers for a few changes (comb size of 100) instead of Optimize transfers for many changes (comb size of 3) we made the backup an incredible 2000 percent faster!

Optimize transfers for a few changes If you think there are only a few changes (for example daily backups) and the changes are clumped together at just a few locations in your file and your file is larger then a few megabytes then select this option. This option sets the comb size to 100.

Optimize transfers for many changes (the default): If you think there are a lot of changes between two files and they are evenly (uniformly) distributed and the file is only a few megabytes in size select this option. This option sets the comb size to 3.

User defined (range 1 to 100, default is 15): If you are always using iClose-Up to transfer the same data such as doing daily off site backups, then you should experiment setting different values in this option to see what value makes your transfers fastest. The default comb size of 15 is midway value between 3 and 100 used if you select Optimize for many changes or Optimize for a few changes above.

File Name Matches by (percentage range 10 to 100, default is 90): This Option is used when iClose-Up looks for the differences between two files to send only the differences between those files (Mach 3). The “File Name Matches by” tells iClose-Up when looking for a file in the destination folder that is similar, how similar the name should be. If the “File Name Matches by” is set to 100% then the names have to be exactly the same. If the “File Name Matches by” is set to say somewhere between 10 % and 99% then iClose-Up compares how closely the size of the two files are as well as how close the names of both files match. The higher the percentage the closer the match has to be. Note that file extensions (the characters after the period at the end of a file name) of the source and reference files always have to be the same to use a file as a reference.

If the “File Name Matches by” is set to say 10% then iClose-Up will always go Mach 3 if it can find a file on the destination that has at least the same file extension (the characters after the period at the end of a file name) as the source file, but may be a totally different name and a totally different size. One reason that this is not optimal is that if iClose-Up uses a file that is essentially totally different then the source file to find the differences, then iClose-Up will waste a lot of time comparing files and then have to send all the data anyway.

Recovery Time (in hours, default 20): When iClose-Up is transferring a file it creates a temporary file on the receiving side. If the connection gets broken during a transfer, then when iClose-Up gets reconnected and starts transferring again it will use the temporary file to continue from where it left off and not have to start sending from the beginning of the file. A broken connection can have many causes such as a modem being disconnected, or you clicking the Cancel button during a file transfer.

When iClose-Up restarts a file transfer it will use the existing temporary file if the amount of time since the disconnect is less then the time specified in the Recovery Time. The default is 20 hours. Therefore if you get disconnected and restart a transfer and it has been less then 20 hours since the disconnect iClose-Up will use the temporary file.

Mach 2 Threshold (in milliseconds, 1/1000 second, default 10): This value is used when iClose-Up tests both the speed of the link between the iClose-Up Client and Server as well as how fast the Server is processing information sent to it. iClose-Up will adjust its file compression depending on the results of this test. In addition if iClose-Up tests and determines that the speed is faster (below) the Mach 2 Threshold then it will shift the transfer to Mach 2 and eliminate compression to save compression processing time.

Encrypt Files During Transfers: (checked by default): An icon of two locks is displayed on the “iClose-Up File Transfer Progress” screen when encryption is on. This option only needs to be selected on the Client side to have encryption in file transfers. When transferring (copying) files iClose-Up will encrypt your data. iClose-Up uses the encryption built into Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. It will use 40, 64 or 128 bit encryption depending on what level of encryption you have in your Microsoft Internet Explorer, as well as the encryption level in the Microsoft Internet Explorer on the other side. To see what level of encryption you have, run Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, pull down the Help menu and select “About Internet Explorer”. To change this level see Microsoft’s Internet site.

If you are concerned about security, which many people are on the Internet, you should have this option selected.

Update Explorers after completed Transfer (checked by default): After a file transfer if you have this option selected the iClose-Up Explorer(s) will update to show the new files in their new locations. If this option is unselected then after a transfer you do not have to wait for the Explores to update, making transfers in Explorer faster. If this option is unchecked then you can manually tell Explorer to update by pressing your F5 function key.

Mirror Image Backup: (unchecked by default): You will generally only check this option if you are using iClose-Up for offsite Backups. This option turns this feature on for hand transfers only (not script file transfers which have their own command to turn this feature on). This option works on Sends and Fetches but not on Synchronizes.

iClose-Up will take any extra files or folders on your destination computer that do not exist on the source computer and move them to the iClose-Up Deleted Files Archive folder in the root directory. iClose-Up will append the date and time to the file or folder moved. This option works only when one or more folders are selected for transfer and works only on those folders selected, if just a file or multiple files and no folders are selected for transfer then this option will not delete and move any files.

Mirror Image Backup is useful when you are backing up on an ongoing basis data from one computer to another. With this option any files or folders that have been deleted from the source computer will be deleted from the destination computer’s folder and moved to the iClose-Up Deleted Files Archive folder. As an example say you backup the office fileserver to your home computer. Each day people at the office delete files and folders on the fileserver. After a few days or a few months you can see that your folders at home would have many extra “deleted” files and folders and not be a mirror image of the office fileserver. By turning on Mirror Image Backup your home computer will always have a mirror image of the office fileserver. Any files or folders that get deleted at the office will be deleted from that directory on your home computer and moved to the iClose-Up Deleted Files Archive folder. In addition iClose-Up will append the date and time to the file or folder deleted and moved.

Then if someone at the office says they deleted a file or folder 6 months ago and they now desperately need it, you can find it instantly in the iClose-Up Deleted Files Archive folder.

Passwords: iClose-Up encrypts and caches (saves) the passwords you used to gain access to other computers and networks. If you want to delete your saved passwords for security reasons or to allow you to access a resource again, as a different user, then you would use this option.