content/operate/rs/7.4/databases/active-active/syncer.md
Each node in a cluster containing an instance of an Active-Active database hosts a process called the syncer. The syncer process:
Some replication capabilities are also included in [Redis Open Source]({{< relref "/operate/oss_and_stack/management/replication" >}}).
The primary (also known as master) shard at the top of the primary-replica tree creates a replication ID. This replication ID is identical for all replicas in that tree. When a new primary is appointed, the replication ID changes, but a partial sync from the previous ID is still possible.
In a partial sync, the backlog of operations since the offset are transferred as raw operations. In a full sync, the data from the primary is transferred to the replica as an RDB file which is followed by a partial sync.
Partial synchronization requires a backlog large enough to store the data operations until connection is restored. See [replication backlog]({{< relref "/operate/rs/7.4/databases/active-active/manage#replication-backlog" >}}) for more info on changing the replication backlog size.
In the case of an Active-Active database:
{{< warning >}} Full sync triggers heavy data transfers between geo-replicated instances of an Active-Active database. {{< /warning >}}
An Active-Active database uses partial synchronization in the following situations:
{{< note >}} Synchronization of data from the primary shard to the replica shard is always a full synchronization. {{< /note >}}