Hot on the heels of PeerLock 4.0 is PeerSync 9.0.5, which is now available to buy through Purple Rage Software or as an upgrade for existing Peer customers subscribed to PeerSync software maintenance and support.

This eagerly awaited maintenance release offers a number of enhancements and patches highlighted by improved support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 plus tighter integration with PeerLock 4.0 to support advanced features in the PeerSync Collaboration Edition (PeerSync and PeerLock bundle).

PeerSync 9.0.5 has resolved several miscellaneous and display dilemmas enabling your business or organisation to operate more smoothly.

Frustrating error and access violation messages will no longer appear and the following issues have also been fixed:

• File and/or folder deletes reported during connection failures even though the target files/folders were not actually deleted;
• PeerSync failing to initialise if running with a user account name greater than 16 characters in length;
• When using Managed Files (VSS) the PeerSync session did not always close properly.

For more information about PeerSync 9.0.5, call Jan Gregson at Purple Rage on 01684 576343 or email enquiries@purplerage.com

PeerSync can also be bought online at http://store.purplerage.com.

Here at Purple Rage we’re happy to announce that NovaBackup 14.1 is available today.

This new version builds on the award winning features of previous versions:

• Its faster than ever;
• It is certified for Windows 8 and Windows 2012;
• More flexible with remote management of backup disaster recovery and product licencing;
• More powerful than ever with fully integrated cloud backup functionality with free 2 GB storage included;
• Easier than ever with a new wizard to protect all critical data in simple 5 steps.

We’ve got special pricing for you so you can upgrade immediately. Get your order in for an upgrade or new licences before the end of the year and get even better prices.

Want to know more? A fully functional evaluation is available at www.purplerage.com/download or if you prefer, contact sales@purplerage.com or call 01684 576343 to request an evaluation to be sent to you.

NovaBACKUP can be ordered online at http://store.purplerage.com

We look forward to hearing from you.

Maintaining back up operations at remote offices can be an expensive and risky exercise.

And it’s also potentially damaging when backup tapes containing unencrypted data and customer information go AWOL.

If you’re in need of real-time backup – and don’t want to invest in a costly wide area network (WAN) upgrade – then Peer Software has the answer.

PeerSync Backup for Servers is a world class product designed to securely synchronise and replicate gigabytes – and even terabytes – of branch office data across a WAN in real-time with a central server.

This best-of-breed solution doesn’t just create one large backup file – it creates and maintains file and directory replicas on the target server for Windows to Windows, Windows to Net-App or Net-App to Net-App.

Other stand-out features are:

• File deletion and revision protection;
• Reporting and alerts via email – file backup failures are immediately emailed for fast alerts;
• Support for open file and database backup;
• Option to add PeerSync Backup Edition for Laptops and Workstations (there’s more on this product in the next Purple Prose blog);
• Intelligent connection check with auto-resume – when connectivity is unavailable, the backup process will store missed events in memory.

For more information about PeerSync, call Jan Gregson at Purple Rage on 01684 576343 or email enquiries@purplerage.com

PeerSync can also be bought online at http://store.purplerage.com/

FROM Eric and Ernie to Clough and Taylor – throughout history we’ve seen many successful partnerships.

File sharing can also benefit from a two-pronged attack and our five-part series concludes by exploring which technologies work in perfect harmony.

Mirroring and file replication products improve efficiency by making shared files available locally but, as they lack file locking, they expose organisations to version control problems.

This problem can be resolved by linking up with a Wide Area Distributed File Services (WADFS) product such as PeerLock, which goes hand in hand with PeerSync or Microsoft DFSR.

Together these products provide fast file access, prevent version control issues and conserve bandwidth. The cost will also brighten your day.

Another point worth bearing in mind is that file replication products are not scalable to environments with many locations sharing thousands of files. A lack of management tools and limited threading mean that larger organisations may need to upgrade to a complete WADFS solution.

WADFS also works well in conjunction with WAN optimisation – offering an excellent balance of cost, performance and functionality. An increasingly popular option is to use WAN appliances in large offices then draft in WADFS to replicate and lock files across all sites. Other benefits are effective bandwidth utilisation for voice and video traffic and effective version control.

So, to round off our series, here’s a no-nonsense guide to file sharing technologies.

• Content management systems have sophisticated features but because they are highly centralised, they can hamper productivity and slow down performance when large files need to be shared across remote offices;
• File replication solutions make files available locally but usually don’t offer remote file locking for version control, management tools for trouble-shooting or effective multi-threading for performance;
• WAN optimisation products improve performance, help with voice and video and save bandwidth. However, they don’t move large files very quickly and can be costly if there are many locations.
• Wide Area Distributed File Services (WADFS) replicate files to multiple locations and provide management tools and remote file locking. However, performance for voice and video traffic is not improved.

For more information about file sharing software options for your organisation, call Jan Gregson or Rob Dixon at Purple Rage on 01684 576343 or email enquiries@purplerage.com

OUR straight-talking series on file sharing technology, compiled with a little help from our friends at Peer Software, continues with Wide Area Distributed File Services (WADFS).

This option allows members of distributed teams to open and save shared files as if they are all available locally.

PeerLink and PeerSync+PeerLock, which are all available from Purple Rage, combine three key elements: File synchronisation, remote locking and management features to control and monitor file sharing.

As with simple file sharing methods, system administrators can configure the software to synchronise the contents of designated file shares at two or more locations.

And there are additional advantages:

• WADFS products sense when one copy of a file is open and “lock” other copies around the network. Until the open copy is saved, access to the other copies is either blocked or restricted to read-only mode;
• Users can find files in familiar file shares – so there’s no need for time-consuming staff retraining;
• Files can be retrieved and saved at LAN speeds;
• Storage of back versions provides a history of changes to each files;
• Bandwidth is conserved by compressing files and replicating only changed sections instead of whole files, which can improve network performance at busy times;
• Low cost – no dedicated hardware is needed and administration is a doddle;
• Centralised logging and reporting gives administrators a complete record of file events;
• Administrators can also get a real-time picture of open and locked files, replicated activities and failed locking and replication events.

WADFS is not linked to a single domain, which allows organisations to collaborate with customers, suppliers and other third parties.

Plenty of good points, but there is a minor quibble as WADFS technology doesn’t improve the efficiency of non file-based applications including voice, video and database.

To summarise, WADFS is a snug fit for businesses requiring comprehensive file sharing with version control.

Next time, we’ll evaluate the benefits of combining technology but in the meantime, for more information about the right file sharing software for your needs, contact Jan Gregson or Rob Dixon at Purple Rage on 01684 576343 or email enquiries@purplerage.com

Our current series of blogs is bringing the subject of file sharing into sharper focus. Which technology is best for you and your business?

This time around, we’re concentrating on file replication and mirroring.

Products including Microsoft DFSR move copies of files to distributed locations where they may be needed, approaching file sharing in a different way to content management systems.

Plus points of file replication and mirroring are:

• Low ownership fees. The license cost is nominal and users need little or no retraining as they can find files in familiar file shares using standard browsers or explorer interfaces.
• Usually involves techniques that conserve bandwidth and reduces network loads at peak times. These include scheduling file copying for off-peak hours and replicating changes to files rather than whole files.
• Users can find and save locally or from the nearest server, rather than having to put up with the finger-tapping process of waiting for them to be retrieved from and saved back to a central store.

So what’s not to like? Well, here goes…

• Basic file replication products lack file checkout and remote locking, which means that two or more employees can be working on a file at the same time. This could cause chaos with modifications being lost and people unsuspectingly working from inaccurate versions. Cue disgruntled staff…
• Most products don’t have real-time monitoring tools that would allow system administrators to track which files have been replicated, which are in process or where replication has failed.
• This in turn could lead to bottlenecks – a number of products are single threaded or allow only a few threads – and persistent problems being ignored.

To summarise, file replication and mirroring provide a simple, low cost option for businesses with only a few locations and without the need for version control.

Some products can be combined with other technologies to create a more rounded solution. Keep reading our blog over the coming weeks to find out more.

WAN optimisation comes under the spotlight next time but, until then, if you’d like more information about the right file sharing software for your needs, call Jan Gregson or Rob Dixon at Purple Rage on 01684 576343 or email enquiries@purplerage.com

TRADITIONALLY August is a time for chilling out with a paperback or fretting about what to do with the kids if it’s raining. Less than three weeks to go, folks…

But it seems there’s no rest for those clever folks at Peer who refuse to rest on their laurels.

Their latest revelation is PeerSync v9.0. With improved performance and an updated user interface, v9.0 is designed to help your business or organisation run more efficiently.

As with all of its updates, Peer has investigated issues reported by users and come up with solutions. Which means you won’t have to worry about:

• Flickering when switching between jobs thanks to an improved display in Profiler;
• Job Stats at the end of non-persistent Profile runs not always being updated with the latest information while the Status Display is in a waiting state to be closed;
• Deletions not processing sporadically during scans;
• “Are you sure you want to quit?” messages when running as an application.

And if you still need convincing, check out these new features:

• fPolicy integration with NetApp Data ONTAP powers real-time replication and synchronisation for Windows and NetApp storage environments;
• Robust Connection Manager increases system and application up-time by enabling PeerSync to automatically restart real-time operations and scan jobs if a connection is lost and reconnected;
• Supports migration of shares from legacy systems and windows servers to NetApp as well as NetApp-to-NetApp share migration;
• Advanced support for users of Symantec Enterprise Vault content archiving environments;
• Free upgrade for current users of the recently discontinued Embedded Open File Manager (EOFM) to the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) option.

PeerSync v9.0 is now available free for Purple Rage Software customers on a maintenance contact.

For more details, call Jan Gregson or Rob Dixon on 01684 576343 or email enquiries@purplerage.com

AS if spring isn’t full of enough treats like colourful tulips and chocolate eggs, our good friends at Peer Software have launched an update to its popular PeerLink product.

Version 2.1.3 comprises several changes to enhance existing features and the company has also addressed issues raised by users.

The list of improvements looks like this:

• Enhanced support for NetApp storage devices, including support for Alternate CIFS Share Mappings, better memory management for agents connecting to NetApp devices and assorted NetApp-related performance and stability enhancements;
• Better support for centrally managing agents from the PeerLink hub including the ability to remotely set communication and logging settings and to automatically restart an agent when running low on memory. The amount of memory assigned to a connected agent service can also be set remotely;
• The configuration process for conflict resolution has been simplified. New features added include the ability to truncate milliseconds from timestamp comparisons on two or more files and stronger deletion detection and handling during initial scans.

Sounds good so far? Well, as Jimmy Cricket would say, listen, there’s more…

• PeerLink v2.1.3 offers enhanced folder and file metadata scanning with better memory management and enhanced file filter expressions for excluding and including folders based on folder or path name;
• The product boasts the ability to globally specify non-collaborative file types, ensuring that these types are synchronised in a usable state without file locking functionality;
• It can also ignore real time events generated by one or more usernames for both Windows file servers and NetApp storage devices and detect and/or exclude files and folders that have names containing invalid characters.

This update is free for Purple Rage Software customers on a maintenance contact. Call or email us to find out more.

PEER Software, the peer-less choice for file synchronisation, replication, backup and file collaboration, has unveiled PeerSync Peer-To-Peer Folder Synchronization Utility v8.6.5.

New for 2012 and now available through Purple Rage Software, this latest PeerSync patch offers a range of improvements to the display and reporting of events, file and folder compression as well as fixes to commonly reported issues throughout the software.

Designed to help your business run more smoothly, here are the highlights of the all-new version:

• VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) support for 64bit systems; 
• Folder and file compression/expansion improvements and fixes;
• Reporting and display enhancements and fixes; 
• Fixed random failures that would occur during expansion of files;
• Improved file compression to treat the ‘Move Files – Delete source file after successful copy to target’ option similar to using non compression/expansion jobs. For normal jobs, this prevents unwanted deletions if accidentally selecting the same source and target folder.
• Display and reporting enhancements including improved progress display reporting and enhanced content of log file and display reporting.

If your business or organisation has a maintenance contract with Purple Rage, you can upgrade to v8.6.5.

For more details, contact us at sales@purplerage.com or call Jan or Rob on 01684 576343.

IN our previous four Purple Prose blogs, we’ve explored the pros and pitfalls of four different file collaboration methods.

Content Management Systems, file replication and mirroring, WAN optimisation and Wide Area File Services have all come under the microscope.

This time around we’ll be exploring how technologies can be combined to provide an effective solution for your business or organisation.

Let’s start the ball rolling with file replication plus WAFS.

File replication and mirroring products improve productivity by making shared files available locally. However, they lack file locking which leaves companies vulnerable to version control headaches.

Riding to the rescue are WAFS products which include a remote file locking module that can be used alongside a file replication product, e.g. Peer Software PeerLock integrates with Microsoft DFS.

Working together, this terrific low cost twosome provides fast file access, prevents version control problems and conserves bandwidth.

However, file replication products like Microsoft DFS are not suited to companies with thousands of files and many offices so larger organisations will require a full WAFS solution.

Another successful combo is WAN optimisation and WAFS, which offers an excellent balance of cost, performance and functionality.    

Many companies worldwide opt for WAN optimisation appliances in larger offices and use WAFS to replicate and lock files across all sites. The benefits are local access to files, version control and effective bandwidth use for voice and video traffic.

Collaborative teams have become increasingly common in the workplace. However, in the drive for efficiency, this can place heavy demands on networks, which is why IT administrators must think long and hard before deciding which technology to invest in.

Let’s sum up the merits and disadvantages of each method:

• Content Management Systems – Sophisticated collaborative features but they can reduce productivity when large files need to be shared across remote offices;
• File replication – Makes files available locally but is often let down by lack of version control, effective multi-threading for performance or trouble-shooting management tools;
• WAN optimisation – Improves performance, saves bandwidth and helps with voice and video. Minus points are large files don’t move fast enough for some users and products can be expensive for companies with many locations;
• Wide Area File Services (WAFS) – Replicates files to multiple locations and provides remote file locking and management tools. One drawback to these products is that they don’t improve performance for video or voice traffic.

PeerSoftware, manufacturers of PeerLock, are market leaders in WAFS with more than 10,000 customers worldwide.

For more information about Peer products – or to discuss any aspect of file collaboration technology – call Rob and Jan of Purple Rage Software on 01684 576343 or email enquiries@purplerage.com