Syncs

Syncs, short for synchronization, describe methods and processes that align timing, data, or states across devices, systems, or components. The goal is to enable coordinated action, consistent records, and reliable media playback, across local networks and the wider internet.

Time synchronization aligns clocks across systems to a reference time, enabling correct event ordering, logging, and coordinated control. Widely used methods include Network Time Protocol (NTP) for general purposes and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for high precision. Clock drift and network latency require periodic adjustments or delay compensation.

Data synchronization maintains consistency of data stores across devices or services. Methods range from real-time replication and eventual consistency to selective synchronization. Implementations include file synchronization tools (rsync, cloud storage), database replication, and versioned data stores. Conflict detection and resolution are common when changes occur offline or concurrently.

In media delivery, sync ensures alignment of audio, video, and captions. This uses buffering, timestamps, and streaming protocols to minimize lip-sync errors and drift during playback and broadcasting.

Distributed systems rely on state synchronization to maintain a consistent view across nodes. Techniques include consensus algorithms (Paxos, Raft), state machine replication, and CRDTs. Guarantees vary from strong to eventual consistency, trading off latency and availability.

Applications include operating systems, cloud services, collaboration tools, streaming platforms, and content delivery networks. Key considerations include network reliability, clock accuracy, latency, bandwidth, and resource limits.