Off site cache server thingy

[Samwell]

I have a problem and I can't think of quite how to solve it. I have a main server at home with everything on it (documents, pics, media etc.). In a remote location (about 100 miles away) I want access to the files on the server. (This is where everyone will be yelling how simple this is. Well hang on a mo...). Everything I want CAN be accessed via the internet (I do it nearly every day). The problem is, the remote location has slow internet (about 17/2). So what I'd like to create is a cache server that will grab the most used files from my main server and store them so when they are accessed, it's MUCH quicker than grabbing it over the internet. I could mirror the server but I have reasons for not doing it (one of them being - there's way too much on it. I don't want to have to go and buy 6TB worth of disks). What I'd like it to do is sync selected folders so if anything is updated on either end, they both hold the same file. My main server is running Server 2012 R2, I'm not sure what OS to put on the cache server (I can put another 2012 R2/2016 on it but if anyone has any suggestions I'll hear them. I like trying and experimenting). Ideally it should be as low power as possible.

 

Something that I'd really like it to do is cache Plex. This is probably something for Plex forums (don't know if it's even possible) but I thought I'd mention it incase someone has done it. I'd like the server to cache commonly watched movies and TV shows (I don't mind selecting them manually) so bandwidth isn't wasted by streaming from over the internet.

 

Any suggestions you have, I'd be interested in hearing. Thanks

[Electronics Wizardy]

How are you accesssing this server? FTP? CIFS? ISCSI?

 

How much storage are you thinking you want on the cache end

 

The easy way is to have it hold the full 6tb and sync it, but your paying for that as you said above. 

 

You can use the offline folders in windows with cifs if your using that.

 

Your could write your own program or script if you know how to do that, but that can be a bit of work.

 

I think you can do this with DFS in windows, but this assumes your running AD for many tasks.

[fjdhdhcyfhf]

easiest way is to download the movie you want to watch to a local drive, but you already know that. What you are looking for is a cache proxy. Squid comes to mind; Iv never run it myself so I can only really point you in the right direction for googling

[Samwell]

6 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

---

SMB (I believe that's what it's called) when I'm on the LAN. My computers sync to the server (they have a local copy). Then when I'm out I have a web front end that lets me access everything. I was aiming for 1-1.5TB tops. Not that worried about redundancy because the main server has it. So all I'd lose is anything it hasn't synced back. I was hoping that there would be a service or program I could use to do it for my. I don't use AD.

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, Samwell said:

SMB (I believe that's what it's called) when I'm on the LAN. My computers sync to the server (they have a local copy). Then when I'm out I have a web front end that lets me access everything. I was aiming for 1-1.5TB tops. Not that worried about redundancy because the main server has it. So all I'd lose is anything it hasn't synced back. I was hoping that there would be a service or program I could use to do it for my. I don't use AD.

You can always sync a certian folder.

 

How do you use this data.

 

if its random, a cache won't help.

[Samwell]

12 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

You can always sync a certian folder.

 

How do you use this data.

 

if its random, a cache won't help.

If I told the cache server to sync my documents, will my laptop be able to sync to the cache? On my laptop it's set to sync to the main server when on the LAN and take an offline copy for when I'm out. What I'd like to happen is when I'm on the cache's LAN, my laptop should think that the cache is the main server so it offloads the files there (and reports back that it synced successfully). Then the cache should shove those new files over to the main server. Then when I'm home again, my desktop has the files ready (it also syncs to the server). For this to work would I have to map the drive on the cache to the same letter as it is at home? I don't want any computer connected to the LAN to be able to tell the difference between the cache and the main server. 

 

Would this work - Set the cache up to be the same hostname as the main server. Set up the drive partitions to match those of the main server. For the files I want caching, make a partition on the cache disk and tell the OS to sync it with the main server. For the files I don't want caching, map in windows explorer (I'd have to look into this. Maybe I can use FTPS) and then share it with the network exactly as it is at home. 

[Electronics Wizardy]

4 minutes ago, Samwell said:

 

 

Would this work - Set the cache up to be the same hostname as the main server. Set up the drive partitions to match those of the main server. For the files I want caching, make a partition on the cache disk and tell the OS to sync it with the main server. For the files I don't want caching, map in windows explorer (I'd have to look into this. Maybe I can use FTPS) and then share it with the network exactly as it is at home. 

Unless your using DFS, this isn't built into windows, so you will have problems and have to do it manually.

 

You could have it sync, and have it make links if the files hasen't been touched for a exteneded period of time.

[brwainer]

For file access via SMB, Microsoft's solution for this is called BranchCache - but I will say right off the bat that it is quite involved to set up, because you have to have Active Directory set up.