How to ensure Data Consistency Across Distributed Environments?
Maintaining data consistency across multiple locations is crucial. Synology’s Multi-Site Synchronization feature offers a robust solution for organizations looking to keep their data synchronized across different geographic locations. In this blog, I will talk about the technical details of this powerful tool.
What is Multi-Site Synchronization?
Before we start, we need to know what is Multi-site synchronization.
Multi-site synchronization is a feature available on Synology NAS devices that allows for real-time or scheduled data replication between multiple Synology units located on different sites. This ensures that all locations have access to the most up-to-date files and folders, improving collaboration and data redundancy.
Synology offers all the essentials for multi-site deployments to seamlessly synchronize data so that teams can access whatever they need, wherever they are.
Key Components
- Shared Folder Sync: The core mechanism that replicates data between Synology devices.
- Synology Drive Server: Manages file versioning and conflict resolution.
- Encrypted Connections: Ensures data security during transmission.
How It Works
Multi-Site Synchronization utilizes a combination of block-level and file-level synchronization:
- Initial Sync: A full copy of the data is transferred to the target Synology NAS.
- Incremental Sync: Only changed blocks or files are transferred thereafter, reducing bandwidth usage and sync time.
- Bi-directional Sync: Changes made on any site are propagated to all other connected sites.
A solution for every scenario
There is a perfect private cloud design for every type of office. Synology solutions let any organization secure its data, streamline workflows, and use resources more efficiently. Let’s see examples below:
Multi-site syncing through hybrid cloud storage
Synchronize data between multiple locations with Synology Hybrid Share, the one-stop hybrid cloud service that leverages the power of Synology C2.
On-premises solutions for multi-site synchronization
Keep data synchronized between two or multiple Synology systems, or distribute files one-way to branches using only on-premises solutions.
Cloud service synchronization
Connect Synology systems to popular public cloud services for one-way or two-way synchronization, scheduled backups, and cross-site collaboration.
Synchronization and streaming to endpoints
Stream and synchronize files to devices intelligently and on-demand to save disk space and conserve network bandwidth.
Configuration Steps
- Enable Shared Folder Sync on all participating Synology NAS devices.
- Create sync tasks, specifying source and destination folders.
- Configure sync schedules or enable real-time synchronization.
- Set up bandwidth control to manage network usage (optional).
Multi-layered user management
Regulates different user types’ access to shared resources and services.
- Directory service integration: Leverage Active Directory and LDAP integration with Access Control List (ACL) support to maintain unified management of users, groups, and permissions.
- Advanced storage management: Manage access, editing, and sharing permissions for users and groups in detail, audit user behavior and resource use, and set storage quotas in Drive Admin Console.
- File sharing for individuals: Give users intuitive tools to safely share files and folders, set file and folder permissions, and manage team storage, making collaboration effortless and secure.
Advanced Features
- Conflict Resolution: Automated handling of conflicting changes with customizable policies.
- Versioning: Keeps multiple versions of files for easy recovery.
- Selective Sync: Allows synchronization of specific subfolders or file types.
- Compression: Reduces data transfer size for improved performance over slower connections.
Best Practices
- Use a dedicated high-bandwidth, low-latency network connection for synchronization.
- Implement proper access controls to manage data modifications across sites.
- Regularly monitor sync status and resolve any conflicts promptly.
- Perform periodic integrity checks to ensure data consistency.
Limitations and Considerations
- Synchronization performance depends on network conditions and data change rates.
- Large files or frequent changes can impact sync times and network usage.
- Proper planning is required to avoid circular synchronization conflicts in complex multi-site setups.
Conclusion
Synology’s Multi-Site Synchronization offers a powerful and flexible solution for organizations needing to maintain consistent data across multiple locations. By leveraging block-level replication, encryption, and advanced conflict resolution, it provides a robust framework for distributed data management.
Would you like me to elaborate on any specific aspect of Synology’s Multi-Site Synchronization? Click here.
Former Nuclear Engineer | University Lecturer | Technology Advisor | Digital Transformation evangelist | FinTech | Blockchain | Podcaster | vExpert ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | VeeamVanguard ⭐️⭐️ | Nutanix SME | MBA | AWS ABW Grant’23
