OneWaySync

OneWaySync is a data synchronization approach that propagates changes from a defined source to a destination in a single direction. Updates made in the source are transferred to the target without creating a reciprocal data flow back to the source. It is commonly used for backups, migrations, and content delivery where bidirectional consistency is not required.

Core characteristics include unidirectional propagation, support for incremental updates, and configurable handling of deletes. Conflict resolution may overwrite the destination, skip changes, or log them without applying. Implementations typically include a delta detector, a transfer mechanism, and a verification step to confirm integrity after transfer.

Architecturally, OneWaySync systems assemble a source connector, a destination connector, a scheduler or trigger, a delta-detection component, a transfer layer, and a verification module, all protected by logging and error handling. They can operate on files, databases, or object stores and may run on a schedule or in near real time.

Common use cases include regular backups to a secondary site, data migrations between environments, archival replication, content delivery pipelines, and disaster-recovery readiness. Some deployments emphasize simplicity and determinism over latency.

Limitations include drift if the source changes independently, no automatic reflection of destination edits back to the source, and potential data loss if deletes are not propagated. Secure and reliable transfer is required to prevent gaps.

See also: data synchronization, one-way replication, backups, data migration.