1:00 AM
El DiPablo
One of the many tools my company uses to backup file share from remote servers is a pretty awesome program called SureSync. It is pretty cool, you have a server with a number of relations, and it lets you do bit level file synchronization across the network, or in our case, across the country. If bandwidth is an issue, like it is with my company, it also allows for file compression.
If you are a Linux admin, this may sound like a familiar Open Source program called rsync right? Basically yes, except with SureSync you have to pay for the server license, as well as a license for each client you have to backup.
Well, we are currently maxed out at my company. We are backing up 21 file servers across the country with SureSync, but it so happens that I need to add a few more. The only problem? No money! That’s when awesome open source comes to play.
Our network is mostly Windows, so I needed something like rsync. How about an rsync port for Windows? I found a program called DeltaCopy that provides a Windows wrapper for the tried and true rsync program! Here is a description from their website:
In general terms, DeltaCopy is an open source, fast incremental backup program. Let's say you have to backup one file that is 500 MB every night. A normal file copy would copy the entire file even if a few bytes have changed. DeltaCopy, on the other hand, would only copy the part of file that has actually been modified. This reduces the data transfer to just a small fraction of 500 MB saving time and network bandwidth.
Here is a list of features:
- Incremental backup - Copies part of the file that is actually modified
- Task scheduler - Profiles in DeltaCopy can run based on a schedule
- Email notification - Administrators can receive email confirmation on successful as well as failed transfers
- One-click restore - Backed up files can be easily restored.
- Windows friendly environment - No need to manually modify configuration files or play around with command line options.
- File Compression – As with rsync, DeltaCopy provides an option for compressing data before sending it across the wire to conserve bandwidth
On a basic level, DeltaCopy does everything I currently use SureSync for including sending me notifications of successful jobs as well as failures.
Do you currently use a program like SureSync or DeltaCopy? I want to know what you guys use to sync files across the network? Robocopy perhaps? Let us know in the comments!
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