---
updatedAt: 2026-07-16T20:43:52.000Z
---

# pbsyncd | EPM-UL

* **Version 4.0 and earlier: pbsyncd** not available.
* **Version 5.0 and later: pbsyncd** available.

The **pbsyncd** server listens for log synchronization requests from one or multiple **pbsync** clients.

**pbsyncd** is started as a stand-alone service or daemon from the command line or startup scripts, preferably running on each system that is also running **pblogd** (for log synchronization) or **pbmasterd** (for policy updates). A new TCP port is required to accept requests. The default port is **24350**. This component is referred to as the *server*.

**Log synchronization:** When the server receives a synchronization request, it checks its own **pb.settings** file to determine the event log file name (as specified in the **eventlog** keyword) to retrieve. If the **eventlog** keyword is not specified, then the server uses the event log file name that is specified in the request.

Changes that are made to the **pb.settings** file after the daemon is started do not affect the operation of the daemon. If you change the **pb.settings** file, then you must restart the daemon for the changes to take effect. If you do not restart the daemon, then the daemon continues to operate using a snapshot of the **pb.settings** file that was cached at the time the daemon was started.

If **pbsyncd** detects an error, then an error message is logged in the server’s diagnostic log file. For log synchronization, the client can request the following:

* That event logs from different log servers be merged
* That partial I/O logs from different log servers be merged into one I/O log
* That merged logs be sent to the client

**Syntax**

```
pbsyncd [options]
pbsyncd -v|--version
pbsyncd --help
```

**Arguments**

[block:parameters]
{
  "data": {
    "h-0": "",
    "h-1": "",
    "0-0": "**\\-d, --daemon**",
    "0-1": "Runs **pbsyncd** in daemon mode.  \nTo use the **-d** option, you must also use the **-p** option.",
    "1-0": "**-f, --foreground**",
    "1-1": "Runs the server in the foreground when using daemon mode.",
    "2-0": "**-p, --port** _port_number_",
    "2-1": "Instructs the server to listen to the defined port number (use a TCP port other than the default).",
    "3-0": "**-e, --errorlog** _errorfile_",
    "3-1": "Uses the named file as the error log.",
    "4-0": "**-s, --syslog \\<**_facility_**>**",
    "4-1": "Uses the syslog facilities.",
    "5-0": "**-v, --version**",
    "5-1": "Displays the version.",
    "6-0": "**--help**",
    "6-1": "Displays the help message and exits."
  },
  "cols": 2,
  "rows": 7,
  "align": [
    null,
    null
  ]
}
[/block]

**Command line responses**

| Command line response                                                           | Description                                                                                                         |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Synchronization daemon unable to start                                          | The synchronization daemon was unable to start.                                                                     |
| Synchronization daemon: Unknown request (0xcode)                                | The request from **pbsync** was unknown or not supported.                                                           |
| Unable to connect to log server *\<name>*                                       | The system is unable to establish communications with the server, and is therefore unable to retrieve the log file. |
| Unable to retrieve file \<path> on server \<name>                               | The remote server reports that it is unable to read or transmit the file; check file permissions or path.           |
| Unique ID mismatch on \<server name>:\<path>:\<uniqueID> (local ID:\<uniqueID>) | The unique ID in the remote log files mismatch with the local server.                                               |
| Timed out while retrieving \<server name>:\<path>:\<port>                       | The operation timed out while retrieving a remote log file, causing the merge to fail.                              |
| Insufficient storage space to complete synchronization                          | There is insufficient storage to either retrieve or merge the file; user must free up some space.                   |
| Success                                                                         | The synchronization operation was successful.                                                                       |

**Files**

None

**Example**

Entering the following starts the daemon and specifies **/var/log/syncserver.log** as the output error file:

```
pbsyncd -d -p 24345 -e /var/log/syncserver.log
```

> ℹ️
>
> For more information, see [pblog](pblog), [pbsync](pbsync).