6 NT 4 domains, Want to replicate files. How?

[duhmez 0]

I've got 6 NT 4 domains. None of them are trusted, but I can do that if need be. I'm wondering about the best method to do this, and if it could be done without third party tools. What I want to do is on a schedule, replicate files from one server to another, then fropm that to another etc. these servers are all at different locations, directly connected to the internet.

[DS3Circuit 0]

Unfortuantely NT 4 doesnt include the FRS that is found in 2000 ... great for Sysvol, DFS, and so on.

 

I believe that third party tools or resource kits, some scripting, some AT scheduling will do what you are asking for.

 

http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/58164.html

 

http://www.amtsoft.com/powersync/

 

What kind of files are you looking to replicate anyway?

[duhmez 0]

Looking to replicate mostly office documents. It's for one user, the boss, who travels from site to site and always wants the most current files available. He plugs in the laptop, logs onto the local domain, and wants his file in \\server\users. (Which is always mapped as U:\ in our organisation.

[DS3Circuit 0]

What OS is the laptop?

 

If its 2000 you can enable and incorporate ...

 

Quote:

Offline Synchronization of Server-Based Data

Windows 2000 Professional makes it easier for mobile users to take network-based files and folders offline. Users can right-click a folder or file and select Make available offline to make it available when not connected to the network. When offline, files and folders appear in the same namespace, meaning they appear as if they were still connected to the network. Files and folders set to be taken offline are visually highlighted. Users can take offline any combination of files, folders, or entire mapped network drives and paths, for example, \\server-name\shared-resource-pathname. Offline files and folders work with any Server Message Block (SMB)-based file server.

 

In addition, Windows 2000 Professional includes a Synchronization Manager, providing a convenient, one-stop location for managing how and when resources are synchronized. You can select offline files and folders as well as Web pages and other applications that are written to take advantage of Synchronization Manager. Synchronization Manager provides an open API that third parties can plug in to their application or component. Depending on whether the Synchronization Manager is set on default or customized preferences, synchronization can happen automatically.

 

If you choose not to use the default settings, you can set preferences for synchronizing at log off, connect, disconnect or idle modes. Plus you can schedule a synchronization or set one manually. Different preferences can be set for individual folders or files that are managed by Synchronization Manager such as choosing to synchronize offline files and folders at log on and log off, but only synchronizing Web pages every Friday at 3:30 P.M.. And you can set preferences based on connection type, such as configuring Synchronization Manager to automatically synchronize a large database file only when connected to a LAN connection and to never automatically synchronize when using a dial-up connection.

 

I believe though thats only half you answer ...

 

Another possibility is Microsoft originally released DFS with Windows NT 4.0. Although NT4 shipped with the client portion of DFS, the server portion (DFS version 4.1) had to be downloaded and installed separately.

 

There was one big problem, however. If the NTServer that was hosting the DFS virtual root went offline, users could no longer access the resources they needed through it. The resources were still there, but unless users knew the specific location of each resource and could locate it manually, they were out of luck. Even worse, there was no easy way to provide fault-tolerance for the shared resources themselves in the event they went off-line (Directory Replication was not suitable for large files and could quickly congest networks with high traffic).

 

Hopefully I gave you some more ideas to work with.

[duhmez 0]

Laptop in Win9x.

 

what I'm llooking into now is setting up a vpn, suing At to schedule Xcopies.

 

I was looking at robocopy butt if a partial file transer fails, I would have corrupted data which would be lost and need to be backed up.

[DS3Circuit 0]

Laptop in Win9x. ---> ok well you certainly dont have a lot of "native" automation to work with

 

Looks like the original notion of using AT, or Task Sceduler for NT will be the best approach for your environment.

[duhmez 0]

I will clear up the confusion. The laptop is win9x, but all the data is stored in his home directories on the servers.

 

His data is not stored on the laptop.