Looking for an FTP server that can auto-mirror new content to secondary server.

June 26, 2008 4:48 PM

Can anyone recommend a Windows-based FTP server that will automatically mirror (copy, replicate, whatever) files uploaded to it to a back-up server? Say user "X" uploads foo.jpg, I want the FTP program to log into my back-up server's FTP site and automatically upload the image as soon as it's done uploading, if you follow me. Any ideas?

Cheaper's better, and I'd like it to work in real-time if possible. I remember seeing a server like this years ago but I can't remember what it was called, and the one I was using doesn't work in Server 2003. Any help is appreciated!

Linux admins: I know, I know, I know.

posted by mattoly to computers & internet (5 comments total)

Linux admins: I know, I know, I know.

I just deleted my response. :)

But... what about this?
posted by rokusan at 5:17 PM on June 26, 2008

We use cygwin and rsync for that sort of thing.

But what about Distributed File System Replication. Haven't tried it, but it seems to be the beast's solution to this problem.
posted by mrbugsentry at 5:24 PM on June 26, 2008

@rokusan: heh, yah. thanks. :) I inherited the network, sadly.

@mrbugsentry: Yes, but that's rather a fly with a sledgehammer solution. And the system being copied too is a Unix system I only have FTP access to.
posted by mattoly at 5:26 PM on June 26, 2008

Use your new-guy credibility to at least get a mirror server to which you have decent access. It will pay off in long-term simplicity if you pull from the mirror rather than push from the main server. Failing an ability to do that, you could write your own FTP server, implementing post-completion hooks to start the backend upload.

Helpfulness aside, You're Doing It Wrong. You should rethink why this is even necessary in the first place, since in my 15 or so years of paying attention to this kind of thing, ideas like this are always bad architecture decisions that cause more problems than they're worth. You know when people say "pick your battles" when trying to talk you out of doing something? This is one of those where it's being used to tell you to go to the mat for something. Don't just patchwork and firefight.
posted by rhizome at 6:29 PM on June 26, 2008

Not exactly the kind of answer you're looking for, I realize, but I thought I'd throw it out there...

Writing a service with .NET to monitor the folder and respond to file creation events is a nearly trivial task. If you don't mind a home-grown/DIY solution that's not specifically part of your FTP server, it would be easy to accomplish. I've done very similar things before and by easy, I mean less than 20 lines of code, IIRC.

Email's in my profile and I'd be happy to point you in the right direction for some information or even help put the app together if you'd like. If that's not the route you want to go, I understand and wish you luck. I'm sure the hivemind will come up with something to help you out.
posted by ElDiabloConQueso at 7:17 AM on June 27, 2008