[plug] Filesystems for slow networks

[Bernd Felsche]

Richard Meyer <meyerri at westnet.com.au> wrote:
>On Sun, 2009-02-15 at 22:13 +0900, Bernd Felsche wrote:
>> Leon Brooks <leon-plug at cyberknights.com.au> wrote:
>> >On Sunday 15 February 2009 20:43:32 Bernd Felsche wrote:

>> >> I've looked at a number of options including
>> >> Intermezzo, Unison, Lustre, ...

>> >> They tend to fall into one or more of the following
>> >> categories: 

>> >> 1) too complicated for the users.
>> >>    (Unison is a steep learning curve) 
>> >> 2) no longer supported (Unison)
>> >> 3) probably unsuited for slow
>> >>    (unreliable) links (Lustre) 

>> >> What remain are (Open)AFS and Coda.

>> >Is RSync feasible? Aussie origin 'n' all (Tridge). Easy
>> >enough to make a one-click icon to do an RSync sync from
>> >the 'Doze boxes. Your choice of whether each RSync login
>> >is read-only or not (plus of course usual chmod stuff).

>> Sadly not feasible as it requires interaction for synchronisation
>> (or file monitoring) and the synchronisation direction varies, as
>> well as the possibility of "collisions" with the likelihood of two
>> users (finite probability) wishing to make changes to the file
>> simultaneously.

>> The direction of synchronisation also varies unpredictably. It's
>> not like there's one master file that's copied and only read on
>> "slaves".

>> rsync is currently being used for other files where there's a master
>> copy at head office and the branches get a read-only copy on their
>> server. It works well for that.

>I presume I'm WAAAYY too late in pointing out that this sort of thing is
>what DBMSs were developed for ....

I understand completely.

Sadly the users don't; and want to use Excel spreadsheets.
(i.e. waste their time diddlying)

>.. and also not all that helpful.  :-(

>I'd also like to see what your solution ends up being ...

I'll let you know. At the moment, OpenAFS is still the front-runner
with Coda a close second. Too few options for comfort, which is why
I'm asking for suggestions of others (and possible gotchas).
-- 
/"\ Bernd Felsche - Innovative Reckoning, Perth, Western Australia
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