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Background#

File based replication can be configured between CrushFTP servers. CrushFTP uses a journaled file transfer system to make sure data changed on one server is changed the same way on both servers. Conflict scenarios should be very rare and difficult to achieve. However, we do not recommend the journaled system as the first choice method if you have a shared storage option available between servers. The journaled system should be the secondary choice when its necessary due to geographically distributed servers. The journaling and replication can *only* account for changes being made through CrushFTP. No outside processes can modify files, write to files, rename files, etc. All access needs to go through CrushFTP, or your journaled system will be out of sync requiring manual intervention to try and correct things. Replication requires an enterprise level license, it is not available in normal licenses.

Preferences#

Go to your preferences, Replication tab.



The items starting with "VFS" are what applies to this. The secondary server URL is the URL on the other CrushFTP server. So generally it will be "https://server2.com/".

The local server URL is a path locally that is the base location for all replication. This same exact path needs to exist on the opposite server.

The username and password is what will be used when authenticating to the other server to do file transfers. Typically a username like 'replication' is appropriate here. That user needs to exist on both servers, having the same access to the local folder defined in step 2.

The ping interval is how often to check if the server is online if there are pending journal items and the server is offline.

The VFS auto play function should be disabled for this. If its enabled, it will slow down user interaction with a server that is online if the opposite server is down.

User Manager#

Now its time to configure the User Manager.

We need the replication user created, giving them access to the base folder, with full access, and *without* the replication checkbox enabled. That is critical. If its enabled, it would create a circular loop.



Next we need to give a user access to a folder inside that user_homes area...



...and on their folder, enable the replication checkbox.

How it Works#

Changes that john doe makes to their folder are now replicated to the server configured replication server.
When a file is being transferred, CrushFTP is keeping a copy of the data in a folder structure called "multi_journal" located in your crush folder. An entire copy of any file being uploaded is temporarily kept here, and purged the moment its successfully transferred.

Troubleshooting#

If the opposite server goes offline, this folder will start to fill up with uploads that are pending to be delivered to the opposite server. If there is a conflict scenario where a replicated action cannot be performed on the opposite server, you will have to manually look through this folder, sorted by date, and decide what to do with the replication item that cannot be processed.