It is important to keep resources aligned between the actual applications and the Hosting Controller database. Any manual changes performed directly in the applications should immediately reflect in the Hosting Controller database. The HC Sync Helper tool helps in synchronizing resources between the backend and the Hosting Controller database. The section explains the various synchronization settings in the Sync Helper utility.

Overview

Certain resources may be moved or changed manually at the backend, without them being reflected in Hosting Controller. These manual changes may create a mismatch of resources between HC and the backend. For example, an Exchange mailbox may be created directly through ECP, without it being reflected in HC database. HC provides an independent tool to settle such discrepancies. The HC Sync Helper synchronizes mismatched resources and keeps them aligned between HC database and the backend. Sync Helper synchronizes Office 365, Exchange, Skype for Business, SharePoint and virtualization resources. 

Sync Helper utility can be found at Hosting Controller directory at this path X:\Program Files\Hosting Controller\APIs\bin.

Exchange

It can synchronize resources in a single Exchange organization or resources across all organizations. The following Exchange resources can be synchronized:

• Mailboxes 
• Mail Contacts
• Distribution Lists
• Dynamic Distribution Lists

SharePoint

It can synchronize all SharePoint resources in a single organization or resources across all organizations.

Skype for Business

It can synchronize all Skype for Business resources in a single organization or resources across all organizations.

Virtualization

In case of virtualization, Sync Helper synchronizes virtual machines. It can synchronize a single virtual machine or all of them. Sync Helper gives you the option to either synchronize the resources of virtual machines or synchronize the failover cluster nodes of Hyper-V with HC database.     

Sync Resources: Sync Helper helps in keeping virtual resources of virtual machines such as CPU cores, RAM and hard disks synchronized with HC database. If these values for virtual machines change at the backend for some reason, Sync Helper instantly synchronizes them with HC database.    

Sync Failover Cluster Nodes: When Hyper-V failover clustering is enabled, virtual machines are often shifted to other nodes in case of failure. They may switch at the backend but this switch is often not reflected in HC database. Sync Helper helps in updating the correct node id against the virtual machines in HC database, when virtual machines move to new nodes at the backend.

Office 365

It can synchronize resources in a single Office 365 organization or resources across all organizations. The following Office 365 resources can be synchronized:

• Domains
• Subscriptions 
• Users

Mail Domains

It can synchronize the mailboxes for a single legacy (Non-Exchange) mail domain or all legacy mail domains configured in the HC cluster.