echo "Querying ${SERVER} to sync files ..."
  #connect() doesn't timeout if the end is null routed.. need to simulate alarm/setjmp..
  TMPFILE=`mktemp /tmp/rsync.XXXXXX` || exit 1
  nc -z ${SERVER}.${DOMAIN} 1023 > $TMPFILE 2> /dev/null &
  PID=$!
  disown $!

  sleep 1
  loop=1
  while true; do
    grep "succeeded" $TMPFILE > /dev/null 2>&1
    if [ 0 -eq $? ]; then
      break
    fi

    if [ $loop = $SYNC_TIMEOUT ]; then
      break
    fi

    ((loop++))
    sleep 1
  done

  kill -9 $PID > /dev/null 2>&1

  grep "succeeded" $TMPFILE > /dev/null 2>&1
  status=$?
  rm -f $TMPFILE
  if [ 1 -eq $status ]; then
    echo "ERROR: ${SERVER} failed to respond."
    return 1
  fi