ok here is something i haven't considered in this way. Openfiler with drbd http://www.openfiler.com/community https://project.openfiler.com/tracker/browser/openfiler/trunk/doc/cluster_guide/openfiler-ha.html?format=raw http://www.howtoforge.com/openfiler-2.99-active-passive-with-corosync-pacemaker-and-drbd This might be something that will work for you depending on bandwidth ect. so you can have a series of openfiler servers their whole job is to keep pool of Data X synced. And it seems you can build Samba with DFS functionality... This is interesting http://serverfault.com/questions/193050/is-there-something-like-microsoft-windows-server-dfs-for-linux or you can look into Lustre or Ceph On Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 9:22 PM, Michael Butash wrote: > I'll second dfs, or dfs-r(2) preferably.  You more or less have to run real > windoze dc's at some point anyways, so take advantage of the proprietary > solution within it unless you can afford netapp/emc/other storage solutions > that do it more effectively as a canned, optimized solution. > > Cisco and other enterprise-y vendors do "wan optimization" products around > dfs as well effectively, using it as a caching solution for remote wan > solutions when you get large enough to need it.  Sharepoint, wiki's, etc are > built to scale around file storage (and sorting of it), whereas dumb storage > is just that.  Can only grow the san so far without being more intelligent > about storing the data anyways. > > Look at something that does dedupe too so those 58mb tps reports aren't > replicated 300 times bi-weekly. Check out opendedup.org and tell us how you > fare. > > -mb > > > > On 04/09/2012 08:44 PM, Stephen wrote: >> >> well if you have windows servers depending on the traffice you can use >> DFS quite successfully. >> >> If you have Linux servers locally to the clients then i would probably >> look into rsync >> >> the real challenge is how much delta to the same set of files from >> what locations you will see.. this becomes a logistical nightmare. >> >> On Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 5:37 PM, James Dugger >>  wrote: >>> >>> Hello all, >>> >>> I have a Company that has recently co-located their Windows 2003 Server >>> to a >>> datacenter.  The system has been in a LAN environment for 15 years.  The >>> main file server consists of 2 Dell 2800 poweredge file servers with just >>> under 2 TB of stored files on these 2 servers in an array (don't know >>> what >>> type either 5, or 10).  The company is an engineering firm and so the >>> project files involve AutoCAD .DWG, .DWF, and PDF drawings, along with >>> excel, doc, and pst files (exchange server is also co-located with the >>> database at 16 GB but is physically separate from the file server). >>> >>> The clients to this system are now connecting through VPNs to do work on >>> their workstations.  In principle it sounds great however the biggest >>> issue >>> is the AutoCAD drawings.  The average drawing file in AutoCAD Civil3D is >>> not >>> small 100K to 250K and each file references other shared networked >>> drawings >>> (called externally referenced drawings).  These files can be the same or >>> larger.  This presents an issue with bandwidth (they are limited to 5Mbps >>> for the entire firm to share). >>> >>> I was thinking that each work site would improve there performance by >>> setting up an onsite mirror of the co-located file server and that each >>> site >>> mirror would sync to the co-located server  2 -3 times per day.  This >>> would >>> be only for the file server, exchange would continue pointed to the >>> co-location site. >>> >>> My questions are based on using Linux w/Samba on a file server to mirror >>> and >>> sync with the Windows file server: >>> >>> 1. What recommendations for FOSS backup synchronization software does >>> anyone >>> have experience with that they could recommend for this type of use. >>> >>> 2.  Given the fact that populating the mirrors will take an enormous >>> amount >>> of time up front is there any recommendations again with item 1. or >>> procedurally that will make this an easier process. >>> >>> 3.   Any other pitfalls or thoughts regarding the VPN, tunneling, ssh, >>> connections between mirrors etc that come to mind again in relation to >>> FOSS >>> software, Linux and Samba. >>> >>> Just as a further note, the files stored on the server are standard >>> Office >>> documents and AutoCAD formats, as well as jpeg, TIFF, PDF, GIF.  there >>> are >>> no databases or web servers running on the system to contend with. >>> >>> Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice >>> >>> -- >>> James >>> >>> >>> >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> >> >> >> > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss -- A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button. Stephen --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss