Creating linked network folders (?)

[Kael]

Hello,

I'm running a mixed network of W2K and Windows XP. I would like to set up ONE

database folder on a network drive (a normal folder that contains both proprietary files and database files). I want that folder to service 5

computers. HOWEVER, It's a nation-wide network, and, for efficiency's sake, I

need the data transferred at the speed of a local file transfer. Finally,

I need the data to be coordinated. Each machine that writes to the database

folder on the network will be writing from a "stupid" application that uses

the stored database to auto-increment its entries. Needless to say, the

problem here is that I can't have two people adding entries at the same time on a static local-folder that will later synchronize with the network folder

or the programs will write overlapping data, and when the folders do sync, there

will either be errors or unacceptable data loss.

My idea #1:

I was thinking of setting up something with a system of offline folders. I'd

have that central folder, then the client machines would "make [the central folder] available offline," and then I would simply stay online, the idea

being that the client would write to its cache, then the cache would

immediately begin synchronizing with the network folder. That would work, but

instead of writing the data to the cached folder, then from the cache to the

network folder, it writes directly to the network folder whenever it's

online, yeilding the slow speeds that I was trying to get away from, and it's

impractical at best to take it offline between scans, as we'll be scanning

dozens of single-page documents at a time.

My idea #2:

Would folder redirection work? I'm not entirely familiar with the inner workings of windows yet, so I don't have any experience with these more advanced sharing functions, but I stumbled upon this today and wondered if it had some potential.

If you've any ideas of your own, I would love to hear them. Please either respond here or email me at

kshipman(removethis)@amerlic.com. Thanks!

[Scarecrow Man]

Folder re-direction should work. You could just map a network drive, and have the users save into the network drive. Or re-direct a folder, such as My Documents to be stored at a remote location

I recently upgraded my network from work groups to a domain, and the my documents folder was re-directed to a network drive on the server, so it would be backed up nightly.

I would not suggest using off line folders, as the folders only synchronize at log off and login.

Group Policy is the best way to do this.

Check out these links for more info:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechn...e57522f3fc.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documen...de_ffs_axgn.asp

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechn...14a44f6cf7.mspx

http://www.google.ca/search?q=network+fold...nG=Search&meta=

[Kael]

I was reading up on folder redirection via the provided articles (thanks, by the way), and it looks to me like it's still going to either be accessing the network drive (as the redirection forms a sort of front end on the client machine that is served by the actual folder on the network drive), or i run into the same synchronizing problem as I did with offline folders (because, to root the redirected folder on the local machine, you must still cache it, which uses the same mechanism as offline folders).

I'm almost wondering if there's some sort of windows scheduler event (or even (your coding language of choice here) application) that I could manipulate to force a cached folder to synchronize every second or something. even that, though, when given enough use, would eventually yeild an error, as it's inevitable that two people in different locations would scan/save documents within a second's time of each other.

Does anyone think it would be possible to write a simple application that searches a specific local folder and says "if (last_modified == (CURDATE() && CURTIME())) {write file to (network_shared_folder)}" and vice-versa? If I could do that, I could make this work, but I feel like there should just be a better way.

Anyway, thanks again for whatever help you can offer.

-Kael