occ files_external:notify does not propogate changes to clients.

[ariselseng]

Steps to reproduce

1. Mount a windows share in nextcloud
2. Let a desktop client sync the share.
3. Run occ files_external:notify -v <mount_id>
4. Make some changes remote, directly to the windows share by other means.

Expected behaviour

The desktop clients should propogate the changes that happened directly to the SMB share.

Actual behaviour

I get the changes listed out in the terminal output of the occ files_external:notify command, but nothing else happens.

Server configuration

Operating system:
Ubuntu Server 16.04
Web server:
Nginx 1.10

Database:
Mariadb 10
PHP version:
7.0/7.1 (tried both)
Nextcloud version: (see Nextcloud admin page)
11.0.1 and 11.0.2 (tried both)

Updated from an older Nextcloud/ownCloud or fresh install:
Upgrade.
Where did you install Nextcloud from:
Wonderfall/nextcloud:latest

Client configuration

Operating system:
Elementary with nextcloud-client 2.2.4

[nickvergessen]

@icewind1991

[ymolinet]

I have the same issue.
Any idea to fix it ?

Update : I can not see the reference of the new file in the table oc_filecache

[ymolinet]

This issue is a major problem for us because file change by a local SMB Share are not propagate to the nextcloud client. We can help you to fix this issue if we can understand how the sync process works and how the SMB notify works in Nextcloud.

[nickvergessen]

@icewind1991

[ymolinet]

up ?

[ymolinet]

I'm working on this issue, and I have a question.
In apps\files_external\lib\Command\Notify.php, I can found the function that it call by the notify command.
In the execute function (at line 90), I can found only the request to update a files already register in file_cache table, but no method to add or remove files....

[ymolinet]

If I understand the process correctly, another issue is possible.
External_Storage are register as mount point in oc_mounts.
Each user that use an external storage refer it by a storage id.
The storage id is use to refer the file in oc_filecache.

So, if a user push a file (from web ou client), it is refer in his storage, but all other are not updated ...

[ymolinet]

Anyone could explained how NextCloud get file data to store it in the filecache table?
especially mimetype list, mimepart, etag, permissions

[icewind1991]

The notify command doesn't write the new info to the filecache itself.

It marks a folder as out-of-date (setting it's size to -1), the background scanner (cron) will then detect that and handle updating the cache.

If you're running into issues with the cache not being updated while the notify command works fine, please verify that nextcloud's cron job is running correctly

[ymolinet]

So notify works only if a file or folder is changed, what's happen if we add a file ? In addition, scan must have the credential to access to the share especially if we use credential session (ldap user).

[icewind1991]

For new files the folder is also marked as outdated and the scanner will find the new files.

session credentials might indeed cause issues, not sure, will investigate later

[ymolinet]

If we use the session credential, scan can occur only if the user is connected to the web interface.
It could be interresting to allow scan when the user is connected throw the windows client (could be an option to enable in the admin panel).

[ymolinet]

If I correctly understand, the windows client use WebDAV to connect with NextCloud.
it could be interresting to invoque the cron (like ajax cron) when a user log on by Nextcloud client.