Windows Server: Replicate folders without DFS?

Question

From reading the DFS documentation, AD appears required.

This is a problem for us because our servers are either stand alone (not in AD), or part of our hosting service AD, and AD is out of our hands.

The question is: How to do DFS, or something like DFS, when the servers are:

1. In different DCs , and
2. Not in any useful AD

Machines are Win2012-R2 and/or Server 2016

Looking to automagically mirror tlog backups and sql backups across machines, on a close-to-the-minute basis.

Solution 1

DFS is usable but a) cause issues working with open files b) Hyper-V, SQL Server and Exchange has no DFS support c) can't avoid a spit-bran issue. When multiple users works with the same file that has no sync between hosts will cause a two different original files.

For the case I asume the build of HA shared storage between servers will do the job. However, iSCSI storage vendors such as S2D, HPE VSA or StarWind Virtual SAN can provide required storage replication but all require the implementation of AD. Consider go with Active Directory to benefit with configuration of SMB/NFS on top of shared "nothing" storage.

Solution 2

DFS-R requires active directory, so that option will not be available to you. As yagmoth mentions in his comment, you could use robocopy

For example: robocopy /mir /mot:10 would run a mirror every 10 minutes. Could set it as a task on startup, etc..

Beyond that, there are 3rd party utilities that could also perform similar functionality - including backup dedicated utilities.

Solution 3

There are two options that I have used and work relatively well.

Peersync - http://www.peersoftware.com/products/sync-backup/peersync-for-servers.html

Is licensed however works really well, very well documented and easy to understand.

Freefilesync - http://www.freefilesync.org/

Is free only downsize there is no inherited automation, but once you configure your two directories to be synced, it has the option to create a batch file that can be run though a schedules task.

Comments

[yagmoth555]

robocopy /mir ?

[Tim Brigham]

This sounds like a product recommendation question and will likely be closed as such. I've used a couple such utilities, a favorite of which is Syncthing (syncthing.net)

[Jonesome Reinstate Monica]

@TimBrigham It is a Win OS question. It is: OS has feature X, which requires Y. So how do you achieve X if you can't hit the requirement? Other products are one way, but not necessarily the only way (ergo the question!)

[jojojoj]

Use your google 'fu. For SQL specific use cases, look at the tools MS SQL includes for this kind of task technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms151706(v=sql.105).aspx

[Jonesome Reinstate Monica]

@Craig620 Your link is to the wrong kind of solve... I am looking for a file based solve....

[Rex]

@TimBrigham I originally thought so to. It toes the line a bit, but isn't specifically a product recommendation question so I chose not to vote to close this - unless it morphs into something different (which, it still might)

[Jonesome Reinstate Monica]

peersync looks good, but no idea what it costs or how to purch.... bummer!

[Anthony Fornito]

I believe its $49.99 for the standard per node, 1 way requires 1 license 2 way requires 2 licenses and so on. I not sure what the enterprise offers over the standard but I think its a 2 $20 difference.

[Jonesome Reinstate Monica]

I do not see pricing or how to purch on their site.... where is that?

[Anthony Fornito]

peersoftware.com/contact.html - 703.763.7700

[BaronSamedi1958]

PeerLock is very expensive to deploy, and it isn't fastest solution TBH... Make sure you run some heavy POC before submitting your PO.

[Rex]

No. DFS is not usable. Active Directory is a requirement to use DFS Replication. WIthout AD, DFS would just be the namespace without replication. Beyond that, replication between storage appliances almost never require Active Directory.