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  • #1

    Remote Storeage Desktop/Server

    There are several kinds of remote storage available for Desktop and Server users.

    What's your favorite?

    WebDAV is easy with http, but https adds a complication not supported by many OS "out of the box", or supported poorly/with difficulty. (Apple iDisk (OS X, or "Free" app for OX 8+), MS Windows (built-in, or as an add-on as far back as Windows 95), Linux (cadaver, et al.). However, it has a few problems. Speed, Acting as a "true" FileSystem, and "caching" for live-edits requires a kind of abstraction in the local DAV app/driver that can lead to synchronization issues.

    NFS acts more like a true filesystem , and is fast enough , but has primarily been for *NIX solutions, and has had its share of security issues while it continues to use UDP. Though work has been done to add better security, and/or use TCP, finding a good mix of clients and servers that reliably support security enhancements for Macs and Windows boxes is not a fun way to spend time.

    SMB is widely available for Macs (OS X) and Windows boxes, as well as *NIX (smbmount, etc) but bring issues of local password caching on disk, or in /etc/fstab, or in a keychain. It also does not include encryption. Also, support for OS X tends to lag for newer authentication systems (like LDAP)

    There is/was also system for storing files in gmail. but has been primarily for *nix.

    rsync : I've found useful in lab settings, and to help with laptop/desktop/server docking and synchonization, but I've not used it for remote storage.

    This was recently pasted in a live chat session by another user. Looks like rsync with support for ssh.

    What's your favorite offsite storage? You prefer UPS/FedEx and tapes shipped to another facility? NAS/SAN in a pickup truck? (heh.)

    Related threads:
    Skroo writes about zfs and then Bascule writes about ZFS.
    [Others may be added]
    Tags: None
  • #2
    There are also a couple of shell file systems for *nix (such as the "fish" ioslave in KDE and the shfs module for Linux). I like using servers as a network file system that weren't configured as such.

    Originally posted by TheCotMan
    This was recently pasted in a live chat session by another user. Looks like rsync with support for ssh.
    In case people don't read the article...

    rsync has always supported SSH ... it should support any shell. I believe the latest version even uses SSH by default. The article is about a service that gives you a shell account and they advertise rsync as some sort of special feature (which it isn't).

    Originally posted by TheCotMan
    rsync : I've found useful in lab settings, and to help with laptop/desktop/server docking and synchonization, but I've not used it for remote storage.
    rsync is not really a file system. You might as well include scp and the like, but as long as we are on that road...

    Originally posted by TheCotMan
    What's your favorite offsite storage?
    subversion using the FSFS (it makes for easier installation and backups than the database). If I created the files, then I want a history of all the changes. If someone else created the files, then I don't store them remotely (since I can generally just download them again).

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Voltage Spike
      rsync has always supported SSH ... it should support any shell. I believe the latest version even uses SSH by default. The article is about a service that gives you a shell account and they advertise rsync as some sort of special feature (which it isn't).
      I think the service is the storage itself, and use of scp,sftp,rsync/ssh is just the method to send/get the data.

      rsync is not really a file system.
      Well then, it is a good thing I did not claim it was. :-)

      I've used SMB, NFS and DAV for remote storage-- I've used them for access to remote storage, and retreival too. I've not used rsync for remote storage though. (Local-site, yes, but not remote.)

      You might as well include scp and the like, but as long as we are on that road...
      scp and sftp have been useful for single file backups, and copying trees of files, but were not as good as rsync, which was more easily automated.

      subversion using the FSFS (it makes for easier installation and backups than the database). If I created the files, then I want a history of all the changes. If someone else created the files, then I don't store them remotely (since I can generally just download them again).
      RCS/CVS/Subversion work well for code, and in some instances, config files. Most of the time, I don't need the overhead of revision tracking, so these don't really apply to my needs outside of code and config files.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by TheCotMan
        scp and sftp have been useful for single file backups, and copying trees of files, but were not as good as rsync, which was more easily automated.
        I've always just used scp with key files and hostname aliases. (At least for copying to the remote system) its as easy as copying to another directory really and works just fine with multiple files. Then again, my remote storage needs consist of moving crap off my laptop to my desktop or server and visa versa, so scaling my vary.
        %54%68%69%73%20%69%73%20%6E%6F%74%20%68%65%78

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        • #5
          heh, at one job site i setup a system where we rotate a set of 400GB external USB2 drives. pull the old one, attach the next one, run a simple custom script, rinse, repeat. one is always connected, one is in the in-house fire safe, the other is taken to a safe deposit box by one of my IT flunkies. have to say it's the most hassle-free backup system i've ever implemented... no custom software, no expensive hardware, incredible ease of recovery (for one file or a whole mess of them), and low low low cost. KISS defined.
          "I'll admit I had an OiNK account and frequented it quite often… What made OiNK a great place was that it was like the world's greatest record store… iTunes kind of feels like Sam Goody to me. I don't feel cool when I go there. I'm tired of seeing John Mayer's face pop up. I feel like I'm being hustled when I visit there, and I don't think their product is that great. DRM, low bit rate, etc... OiNK it existed because it filled a void of what people want."
          - Trent Reznor

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Deviant Ollam
            heh, at one job site i setup a system where we rotate a set of 400GB external USB2 drives. pull the old one, attach the next one, run a simple custom script, rinse, repeat. one is always connected, one is in the in-house fire safe, the other is taken to a safe deposit box by one of my IT flunkies. have to say it's the most hassle-free backup system i've ever implemented... no custom software, no expensive hardware, incredible ease of recovery (for one file or a whole mess of them), and low low low cost. KISS defined.
            I did the same thing for a recent customer, 3 external drives, robocopy in Windows, 3 separate locations.

            Personally I use rsync to backup my laptops to the server, server data gets replicated to another system. I keep a usb external drive in my laptop bag for emergency backups with rsync as well, in case I feel the need to rebuild at random locations.
            Aut disce aut discede

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            • #7
              ENCRYPT! If the data is going out over the net make sure to encrypt it. Personally I have a web host with lots of space, they have SSH, so I use WebDrive (windows) to map a drive over SSH to it. It costs me about $0.32/gig/month, but I also get a web host out of the deal.
              --- The fuck? Have you ever BEEN to Defcon?

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              • #8
                Originally posted by kallahar
                ENCRYPT! If the data is going out over the net make sure to encrypt it. Personally I have a web host with lots of space, they have SSH, so I use WebDrive (windows) to map a drive over SSH to it. It costs me about $0.32/gig/month, but I also get a web host out of the deal.
                rsync -e ssh -> encrypted partition (dm_crypt/encfs/etc)

                Kallahar: PM me your web host/backup solution if you don't mind, I'm curious about that.
                Aut disce aut discede

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