OneDrive for Business | Next Generation Sync Client – April News engl.


OneDrive for Business, Microsoft

No April joke. Since 1st of April you are able to download the Next Generation Sync Client also for the Operating System Windows 8.1

The new version 17.3.6378.0329 is now available around the globe. If you have subscribed to my blog, you know that I have written, that on Microsoft roadmap the next generation Sync Client should be available at the end of the 1st quarter 2016. Ok, only one day…

But during the last MVP call, Reuben Krippner, Microsoft Director product management, announced the second quarter for GA.

I have had suggested, that there will be an Update for Windows 8.1. Perhaps you know, that OneDrive Personal is integrated in the OS. But this was wrong. And therefore I have to write this blog post, to tell you, If you are a Windows 8.1 user and want to sync document libraries to Office 365, there will be three different sync clients. 

Windows 8.1 Synchronisation with three diffrent sync engines

 

SkyDrive.exe integrated in OS Windows 8.1
Syncs personal data to OneDrive personal.

Particularities:
Selective sync of data (Old Version)

Icon-Color: white

OneDrive.exe Syncs business data to OneDrive for Business document libraries in Office 365 (fka MySite)

Particularities:
selective sync of Business data
You may add one or more other Office 365 tenants

Icon-Color: blue

Groove.exe Syncs business data to SharePoint Online Team sites and document libraries in Groups

Particularities:
no selective Sync, All or Nothing, several sync limitations

Icon-Color: Blue

I suggest, that changing the Sync engine Skydrive.exe to OneDrive.exe (NGSC) would be not so easy. If you see, that more and more companies will plan to upgrade to Windows 10, than this decision would be much clearer. And in short terms: SkyDrive.exe is running most without any problems.

But with colored icons, the user will have some issues. Where do I find , which programs in which version do I have on my device?

Sync-Client Version Path
SkyDrive.exe 6.3.9600.17484 C:\Windows\System32
OneDrive.exe 17.3.6378.329 C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive
Groove.exe 15.0.4805.1000 C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15

 

Where may I download the Next Generation Sync Client?

Download Page for the Next Generation Sync Client

Here is the Link to the Microsoft OneDrive Site. You may click on both Download Links, colored with green arrows. Both will download the same sync client. But on the right site there is another page with useful descriptions. So administrators have a change, to rollout this client automatically and f.e. connect the NGSC automatically  with the users OneDrive for Business.

If you click on the Download Link (marked with the red arrow,you are able to install a 32- or 64 Bit version of the “old” Groove.exe as a C2R Version. And this download is available in different languages. The NGSC is available also in different languages, but these languages are in the Setup and is based of the language of the OS. The Next Generation Sync Client is only available Click 2 Run Version. The big advantage: Like the components of Office 365, there will update automatically.

By the way, now you do not have to setup a special registry Key, but in Windows 8.1 you are not allowed, to setup a connection to your OneDrive (Personal)

For testing purposes, I have setup two different VM’s (Windows 8.1 and Windows 7), both OSs have been fully patches with all updates. I want to have four different scenarios:

  • I want sync my personal data to OneDrive  (part only a part of it)
  • I want sync selective data to my OneDrive for Business
  • I want to sync data from a team site in Office 365
  • I want to sync selective data form OneDrive for Business of another tenant

The last option is not a typical business scenario, but often IT consultants would use it.

 

Windows 8.1

If you see al cloud symbols in the notification area, so after setup it looks like the following:

Cloud symbols Your OneDrive (Personal) is quick identified. It’s the The symbol with the white Color

Synchronization:
SkyDrive.exe

But with the three other cloud symbols you may not identify them without clicking with the right mouse button

NGSC: Sync to OneDrive for Business The first line shows – that we have a NGSC client, connected with the tenant HBsoft to OneDrive for Business

Synchronization:
Next Generation Sync Client

NGSC: Sync to OneDrive for Business The first line shows – that we have a NGSC client, connected with the tenant BitTitan to OneDrive for Business

Synchronization:
Next Generation Sync Client

Groove.exe: Sync to SharePoint TeamSites and Groups

and here you connect to not OneDrive for Business with the “old Groove” client

Identification:
No Cloud symbol in the window

Synchronization:
Groove.exe

Particularities:
You cannot identify, which document library you are connect to, but OneDrive for Business as destination is definitely wrong.

If I have a sync issue as a user, first I have to identify, which sync client is having a problem. If you open Windows Explorer, the above configuration looks as following:

Exploerer-View
  1. OneDrive (Personal)
  2. NGSC –> ODFB (Tenant HBsoft)
  3. NGSC –> ODFB (Tenant BitTitan)
  4. Groove.exe – Team site

Conclusion: Windows 8.1 users must be trained, what’s behind the different sync client symbols

 


But for completeness here are the other Windows operating systems.
If you work with one of these OS, you only have maximum two sync clients:

Windows 7,8,10 and MAC OS: Next Generation Sync Client

 

OneDrive.exe Syncs my Personal data to OneDrive (Personal)

and
Syncs my Business data to OneDrive for Business in Office 365 (fka MySite)

Particularities:
selective sync of Business data
You may add one or more other Office 365 tenants

Icon-Color:
white(OneDrive Personal)
blue (OneDrive for Business)

Groove.exe Syncs business data to SharePoint Online Team sites and document libraries in Groups

Particularities:
no selective Sync, All or Nothing, several sync limitations

Icon-Color: Blue


 

Conclusion:

Microsoft closes one more Sync app. But we have to wait until the Next Generation Sync Client is able to connect to all different destinations in Office 365.

The goal is…

The goal: only one sync engine to Office 365

One fully functional Sync client, we may sync to all document libraries (without any errors).

I’m wondering, that Microsoft has not published the GA of the NGSC for Windows 8.1 on the OneDrive Blog, I found the first information published on a support site of Office 365

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