Good software programs for DFS block-level sync and real time open file locking?

[Syntax Error]

Pretty much the thread title explains what my company is looking for.

We need a robust piece of software that would be able to do block-level synchronization and real time open file locking within a DFS across three separate and distinct office locations across a WAN.

Also, we'd prefer if the software was x64 native on a Windows operating environment.

Some concerns is that we don't want to run into a file limit, a file size limit, and the number of files per synchronized folder.

We especially don't want any kind of WAN compression scheme which would negate the benefits of block-level synchronization or a solution that would require a master-copy of the synchronized files at all times.

Appreciate your help, [H].

 

[AreEss]

The only option for this currently would be IBM SVC or GPFS, which has substantial requirements above and beyond hardware. And GPFS does not do block-level sync - only SVC does block-level sync, and only between two locations, with only one writable. Block level sync is extremely CPU and bandwidth intensive, to boot. GPFS is capable of multipoint sync, but has a long list of additional requirements and high administration overhead.

In other words, the problem is in your design, not the tools available.

 

[Syntax Error]

The only option for this currently would be IBM SVC or GPFS, which has substantial requirements above and beyond hardware. And GPFS does not do block-level sync - only SVC does block-level sync, and only between two locations, with only one writable. Block level sync is extremely CPU and bandwidth intensive, to boot. GPFS is capable of multipoint sync, but has a long list of additional requirements and high administration overhead.

In other words, the problem is in your design, not the tools available.

So from your experience, there are no adequate software solutions to do the aforementioned requirements across a WAN without extensive hardware upgrades?

Appreciate your feedback, though.

I've been looking at software like Globalscape WAFS Enterprise, which seems to do what would be needed to transfer and sync files back and forth (usually little things, like spreadsheets and the like).

 

[AreEss]

So from your experience, there are no adequate software solutions to do the aforementioned requirements across a WAN without extensive hardware upgrades?

Appreciate your feedback, though.

I've been looking at software like Globalscape WAFS Enterprise, which seems to do what would be needed to transfer and sync files back and forth (usually little things, like spreadsheets and the like).

In my expert opinion, the design that created the requirement is fundamentally flawed. Whoever came up with it, fails hard for not understanding limitations of hardware and software, or having an adequate comprehension of network filesystems. There are many, many reasons multi-way block-level with read/write will NEVER work. Over WAN? You are, to put it bluntly, out of your freaking mind. You have to synchronize locking of files three directions over 50ms+ of latency. That's just not possible. Sure, I can do it in theory - if you don't mind having disk errors from timeouts because it takes >2.5x worst case seek, in the best case, to establish whether or not data can be read, much less written.

Mirroring between SVCs requires a minimum of 2x2Gbit FC plus 10Mbit+ separate WAN for cluster synchronization data by itself. Three way? Triple that, plus doing it on Windows so you lose your FC and have to go to multiple GigE, which increases latency further, etcetera. Doomed from the word go.