How Make a File-Replica Server?

[Jonathan I. Kamens]

  (Note: It's comp.unix.programmer, not comp.unix.programmers.)

  (Note2: Note the Followup-To.)

  The Andrew File System (AFS) does two things which seem specifically
pertinent to what you're trying to do.

  First of all, it allows you to create multiple read-only backup volumes of a
volume of files, and any access to the files in the volume will be balanced
over the various backup volumes, thus distributing the load of reading the
files.

  Second, it keeps a local cache of AFS files on every workstation. 
Often-used files get copied into the local cache and then stay there. 
Subsequent accesses to those files are as fast as accesses to files on the
local disk.

  There have been several papers presented at various Usenix conferences about
making NFS do mirroring and stuff like that.  The Summary 1990 conference had
at least one paper of this sort.  So if you really want to do this with NFS,
see if you can find someone where you work who has old proceedings from Usenix
conferences, and ask to see them (or contact Usenix and ask if you can
purchase relavant proceedings).  However, if I were you, I'd consider using
AFS instead.  You can probably get the "standard blurb" about AFS by sending
mail to info-afs-request at transarc.com.

-- 
Jonathan Kamens			              USnail:
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