File server archiving and "Offline Folders"

[RVD]

Hi,

One of my customers want to use File server archiving for homedrives of their users.

Important detail:

The users' homedrives are synchronized to their laptops when logging off, so that they still can work with their updatede personal data when working 'offline'.

Does this situation permit archiving of their homedrives?

My first though is that , due to the synchronization, the archived part of their homedrive data will also be available as placeholders on their local offline copy so that they will not be able to open those files when working offline as the EV server is not available at that time.

Is this correct?

Thx,

R.

[A_Z_rcher]

Hi Rudy

I'm currently working on the same topic. So let's share....

The offline files remain on the client station as the "original". When opening an file offline, it pops up normally. That means the client need the full space offline, that won't shrink. But the Server will benefit of course.

If a file was archived on the Server before the client was synched then the file is retrieved first (but that's rarely the case i suppose) and then synchd.

but this is in my test env. better testing it in your env! (I have win2003 srv / xp client)

Someone knows more? Or has other experiences than me?

regards

[MichelZ]

I'd agree with A Zürcher
But a test is highly recommended here.

Shortcuts will never be copied "as shortcuts", they will always be retrieved first, that the client has the "full version" of the file.

Cheers
Michel

[Robert_Primozic]

To all:

FSA will not works as you expected, belive me, I passed all the hell related with this issue (my customer dropped FSA because of that).

At the begining, archiving will work fine and all files will be replaced with placeholders... But on the first synchronization of Off-line files, all the archived files will be recalled from archive to their original location and then synchronized to laptop.

So If you use EV only for archiving (in case to levave original item on server) this will works, but If you want to free space on file server at the same time this simpy does not works...

And If you want a living hell, then combine Offline folders with DRFS...

[MichelZ]

Robert

Correct, this is exactly how FSA works.
That's why the files have to be synchronized first, before archiving them...

/Michel

[Robert_Primozic]

And we forgot on state-of-the-art M$ technology of offline folders; every single time you start synchronization, synchronizaton process went troug all files in folder marked for synchronization and retriving process starts...

Imagine, you do this at least once per day, and at least 10 users do that... What would FS did? Retrive files...

And instead of archiving you will have retriving and an extra network load...

[RVD]

Thanks

[RVD]

Thanks for all the replies, guys!

So, as far as I understand:

User homedrives cannot be archived, if they are involved in a 'sync to Offline Folder' process, because the archived files would be recalled every time a sync takes place.

I already though this would be hte case, but wanted to share experiences to be sure because docs don't show scenario's like this ...

Thx!

R.

Message Edited by Rudy Van Driessche on 03-07-2008 02:15 PM

[Vikes_2]

Hey,

I have a question in regards to this, and let's assume that the users offline files were indeed synced prior to being archived. Say the user has 500 offline files but only made changes to one file offline, would the sync only send that single request to EV to restore the item or would it view all 500 files as different since they are placeholders on the file server and the full version in the offline and send 500 restore requests to EV?

Thanks,

Travis