The Perfect PeerSync Alternative

We’ve heard from Peer Software customers that Peer Software discontinued PeerSync. Going to Peer Software’s website, they are now only offering PeerSync migration services.  So this is the perfect time to test drive the Resilio Active Everywhere Platform—a perfect PeerSync alternative.  

Peer Software has been pushing its PeerSync customers to migrate to PeerGFS. If your company is on PeerSync and considering PeerGFS, we encourage you to also take a look at Resilio Active Everywhere. Moving to Resilio from PeerSync is straightforward and provides a superior, price-competitive alternative to PeerGFS for most use cases.

This blog compares and contrasts some of the key capabilities offered by Peer Software in PeerGFS and Resilio Active Everywhere.  Of course, we’ve done our best to be objective as we highlighted the key differentiators of Resilio.

PeerSync EOL, Not Forgotten

It’s sad to see PeerSync go, but its time may be long overdue. Like rsync for Windows, PeerSync was designed for the data sets of the mid 90’s, being launched in 1995. PeerSync, like all of Peer Software’s products, only runs on Windows. Windows is then used to mount direct- or SAN-attached storage. Automation is likely the top PeerSync feature. PeerSync automatically synchronizes multiple directories and sub-directories. Like many file synchronization software products, users set source and target folders. PeerSync replicates files by checking the timestamp on each file. For basic file synchronization on Windows, PeerSync worked pretty well. Files and folders managed by PeerSync can be included or excluded using regex, wildcards, and other expressions. Files can also be excluded by date and size. PeerSync also supported real-time source folder monitoring to pick up and sync changes to files and folders. Some basic reporting and management were also supported. 

PeerSync Alternative to PeerGFS: Resilio Active Everywhere

At first glance, the Resilio Active Everywhere Platform and PeerGFS from Peer Software, Inc. seem like similar products. But if you dig a little, peel back the UI and website marketing, you’ll see that both companies and products are, in fact, quite different.

Both companies offer software-only agent-based solutions with centralized management. They support distribution, ingest, and “real-time synchronization.” Both companies claim to work with existing file servers, storage environments, and cloud environments. They also support using cloud storage for cloud backup, online backup, and business continuity.

Well, actually, PeerGFS only supports Windows. Resilio supports running agents on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, BSD, and some NAS operating systems. Architecturally, the approaches between PeerSoftware PeerGFS and Resilio Platform are fundamentally different.

Resilio Active Everywhere distinguishes itself from PeerGFS in a number of ways, including:  

• Peer-to-Peer (P2P) vs Point-to-Point architecture. The Resilio Platform is based on a peer-to-peer architecture.  Peer Software (somewhat ironically, considering the name) employs a “point-to-point” architecture. Resilio excels in reliably scaling out data movement at network speeds by utilizing all agents participating in a file replication job, such as file synchronization. Connect combines peer-to-peer and WAN-optimized protocols, splits files into blocks, and sends them concurrently and independently to several destinations. This P2P architecture utilizes network capacity among all machines (agents) into a single meshed network, which is significantly faster than PeerGFS. Simply increasing the transfer speed leads to faster delivery of the files.
• Global File Lock:  Resilio’s peer-to-peer architecture revolutionizes distributed file locking, delivering sub-second response times and true offline support, solving the remote work challenges that traditional solutions can’t. PeerGFS provides a proprietary file locking capability built into PeerGFS (the successor to its PeerLock product). Their traditional file locking solution involves a client-server architecture with a centralized file-locking server. Given the architecture, this solution has scaling limitations, and its performance is less than ideal.
• Resilio offers native LAN and WAN Optimization modules for both TCP and UDP to ensure predictable multi-site data replication and synchronization performance for all file data over any local network or wide area network, irrespective of latency, bandwidth, or distance. This comes in handy both when using unreliable networks (VSAT, LTE/5G, WiFI) and scaling to support high-speed networks such as 1-10Gbps and even 100Gbps networks.
• Automation. Both vendors offer some level of automation. Resilio enables automation for all jobs (distribution/replication, ingest/consolidation, and synchronization). In the case of Resilio, automation can be configured in the UI, scripted, or managed through a well-documented API.  
• Synchronization flexibility. Uni, bi, and multidirectional n-way or full mesh. Resilio is the hands-down winner here. This flexibility is especially useful in multi-site server-to-server replication (or high-speed intra-site sync), where all agents are able to participate in data movement. This flexibility, combined with P2P performance, proves exceptionally beneficial in high-speed server-to-server synchronization, multi-site distribution, and other use cases requiring scale-out file synchronization or supporting unique synchronization requirements.  
• Real-time synchronization performance support for numerous operating system platforms (Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, Linux, and strategic Resilio NAS partners). Real-time means immediately replicating changed data, automatically.  Both companies support diverse storage environments, yet Resilio Active Everywhere runs natively on popular NAS vendors, Windows, Apple Mac, Android, and other Linux and even BSD variants.  
• Hardware- and OS-Independent Architecture. PeerGFS only supports hardware that runs Windows or is mounted by a Windows server. Resilio supports a diversity of operating systems natively (as stated above), as well as the same servers, storage, desktops, and edge devices your company already owns and operates. Any storage type is supported (Dell EMC, NetApp, Nutanix, IBM, HPE, et al.)
• DFSR Replacement. Resilio Active Everywhere is arguably a superior DFSR alternative. Like PeerGFS, Resilio is a good alternative to DFSR for DFSN. What differentiates Resilio Platform from PeerGFS is the Resilio peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture combined with turnkey network optimization, automation, centralized monitoring, and N-way synchronization flexibility. In multi-site or wide area network deployments, for example, Resilio ensures files can always be replicated at predictable rates no matter the bandwidth; data is hashed across all agents participating in the replication, synchronization, consolidation, etc.
• Turnkey multi-cloud provider support for file management across AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Wasabi, Backblaze, among others. Resilio’s support for a diversity of cloud file and object storage out-of-the-box is unprecedented. Resilio agents (running on any number of devices and operating systems) can efficiently transfer files into and out of any supported cloud vendor. Conversely, a Resilio Active Everywhere Platform storage gateway may also be used as an efficient caching gateway.
• Selective Sync is a key feature that enables end users to efficiently download and/or synchronize only the files they need. Resilio’s storage gateway can be used as an intermediary cache. Selective Sync ensures only the needed files are cached; changes to the cache are propagated back to the cloud or “single point of truth” data set. The gateway supports SMB and NFS, for example, in situations where local on-premises users or applications require fast file sharing or specifically need to use SMB or NFS.
• Price competitive. Depending on the use case, PeerGFS may be cost-prohibitive for certain customers. At least that’s what Resilio customers have told us.
• Resilio sales and support. Resilio is friendly and easy to work with.
• Business continuity and disaster recovery. Resilio Active Everywhere enables multi-site high availability for business continuity, continuous data protection, and disaster recovery. With built-in WAN optimization, sites may be located anywhere in the world. Like PeerGFS, the solution uses on-premises data center IT infrastructure (servers, storage, networks), but Resilio supports running natively on a diversity of operating systems (Windows, Linux, Apple Mac, Android, and a variety of NAS devices). Moreover, Resilio’s multi-directional replication enables extreme scalability for nearly any number of endpoints, including cloud storage. Like PeerSync and PeerGFS, there’s no need for proprietary data backup or business continuity software, and both solutions work with Microsoft DFS as a DFSR replacement.

Use Case Comparisons

There are a number of use cases to consider when comparing Resilio Active Everywhere to PeerSoft PeerGFS.

Use Cases for PeerGFS vs. Resilio Active Everywhere

Price-competitive, easy replacement for PeerSync (Resilio Wins)

Resilio Active Everywhere is priced aggressively to accommodate a range of deployment options for Peer Software customers. The solution is agent-based and can be licensed based on the number of agents and the type of agents. Volume-based discounts are available.

Cross-platform OS Support (Resilio Wins)

Imagine deploying a global file services solution across your Enterprise and only being able to support Windows. What about the diversity of Apple Mac, Android, Linux, and NAS devices that may also need to share or move data? Use cases like remote work, multi-site collaboration and sync, and interfacing with cloud storage demand a flexible cross-platform solution that supports diverse operating systems natively. Resilio wins here, big time.

Large Files and High-Capacity File Systems (Resilio Wins)

Resilio Active Everywhere has no limitations on file size and is optimized to work with large file systems containing (in some cases) millions of files. The solution continuously optimizes for larger capacity file systems with extreme numbers of files of any size and type. Some Resilio customers are transferring and/or synchronizing millions of files daily.

One- and Two-way (bi-directional) Replication and Sync (Resilio Wins)

Both products support one-way (unidirectional) and two-way (bidirectional) sync.  But Resilio’s peer-to-peer architecture hashes file data across multiple endpoints in a sync job. This provides an unparalleled level of resilience for data integrity and scale-out performance. Moreover, Resilio Active Everywhere is cross-platform. PeerSync and PeerGFS run only on Windows.  

Multi-directional Replication and Sync (Resilio Wins)

In cases where high-performance, massively scalable data replication is required, Resilio Active Everywhere can synchronize many endpoints (desktops, servers, cloud storage buckets, edge devices) in any direction, at near-wire speed or a given bandwidth allocation. Again, being based on a P2P architecture where files are hashed across multiple servers in a transfer enables scaling the transfer speed beyond what a single server can transfer to another single server (known as point-to-point).

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Profile Sync (Resilio Wins)

When all-active multi-site high availability is required (for Microsoft FSLogix, Citrix, or VMware) VDI environments, or when the “time-to-desktop” needs to be reduced, Resilio Active Everywhere is the hands-down winner in synchronizing both smaller to larger scale multi-vendor VDI environments. See Resilio’s VDI Profile Sync solution for more information.

Cloud Storage Gateway (Resilio Wins)

Using Resilio Active Everywhere enables fast local access to files stored on both cloud file and object storage. Desktop users at any location can access cloud file shares and enjoy the performance and compatibility of an on-premises local file cache (a gateway) without any additional complexity or the need to be trained on a new application. Typically, this cache may be accessed over SMB or NFS. Resilio also supports Microsoft Azure, Azure Files, Azure Blobs, Azure Drives, and Azure NetApp Files. AWS file and object storage. Google Cloud, Wasabi, Backblaze, among other S3-compatible and/or API-driven cloud providers.

Cloud Storage Direct (Resilio Wins)

When used in combination with a Resilio Cloud Storage Gateway, files are automatically added to the local cache or can be explicitly added by the end user. Alternatively, instead of using a Cloud Storage Gateway, Resilio agents can move data to and from any supported cloud environment directly.  Agents on the different endpoints interface directly to cloud storage using their installed.

Resilio Active Everywhere is 100% transparent to existing applications and workflows. Cloud files appear locally but are streamed on demand when accessed using a selective sync mode. A local copy of the file is cached for a period of time based on configured policies. The combined solution is centrally managed for complete control. Agents on the different endpoints talk to cloud endpoints and retrieve data from the cloud storage.

Global File Locking (Resilio Wins)

The traditional file locking solution involves a client-server architecture with a centralized file-locking server.  Whenever an application tries to open files for writing, a request is submitted to the centralized file-locking server to obtain the necessary locks. If the locks are available, the application is permitted to open the files.

Several companies offer a solution of this kind, including Panzura, Nasuni, and Peer Software. Given the architecture, these solutions have scaling limitations, and their performance is less than ideal. Many file operations require communication with the centralized file-locking server. This architecture introduces long delays in file operations and worsens when servers and caches are geographically distributed, as network latency also impacts communication with the lock server.

In addition, there is no support for offline work or efficient access to files by remote employees. The only way to access files from a desktop is to mount an SMB share on a caching gateway.

Resilio takes a different, more modern approach to file locking: lock information is always available on each server and caching gateway, and desktops and laptops can cache files locally and lock them for editing. Delivering speed, efficient remote file access, and support for offline work. Lock availability is checked locally. Resilio maintains an in-memory index of the file system to enable fast and scalable file synchronization. This index is efficiently synchronized and merged across all systems involved. 

Resilio issues locks almost instantly and propagates locks within a few seconds. This performance is 10 to 100(!) times better than that of competitive solutions.

With latency and communication problems out of the way, Resilio Active Everywhere also offers local file locking on desktops and laptops. Your user’s files can be cached locally and locked if needed. Resilio also allows desktops and laptops to go offline while maintaining the lock.

DFSR Replacement for DFSN (Winner Depends on Use Case) 

Resilio Active Everywhere and PeerSoftware PeerGFS both offer a solid replacement to DFSR for customers continuing to utilize their DFS Namespace, and yet wanting to replace DFSR.  

In situations where multiple servers need to be concurrently synchronized within a DFS namespace, especially across sites, Resilio Active Everywhere outperforms PeerGFS. Active Everywhere combines peer-to-peer and WAN-optimized protocols, splits files into blocks, and sends them concurrently and independently to several destinations. This combines networks between all machines into a single meshed network, which is significantly faster. Increasing the transfer speed leads to faster delivery of the files. So, in terms of reducing recovery times (by keeping data synchronized), Resilio is the clear winner.  

Moreover, the Resilio Active Everywhere dashboard enables centralized management for jobs across any number of edge devices, on-premises data centers, servers, and cloud providers. There are no restrictions on moving data between any on-premises data center and any Microsoft Azure region.

That said, PeerSoftware offers integration with the DFSN MMC. Some customers may appreciate Peer’s MMC approach. Others may prefer to use the Active Everywhere Dashboard to track and monitor all jobs and events related to DFS replication. Another benefit of the Active Everywhere dashboard is that it interfaces and exports event information to frameworks like Microsoft Operations Center and Splunk. Using your existing DFS namespace in Microsoft environments enables customers to seamlessly connect on-premises storage (from any NAS and SAN vendor, such as EMC, NetApp, Nutanix, among others) with the cloud.

DFS Integration with Microsoft Azure Cloud Storage (Resilio Wins)

Resilio offers a universal transfer solution for Microsoft customers that includes a replacement for DFSR and a solution to manage files across multiple Azure Cloud Storage Services. These include Microsoft Azure Files, Azure Blobs, Azure Drives, and NetApp Azure Files. Instead of using numerous ad hoc tools such as Azure File Sync or AzCopy, Resilio offers a comprehensive toolkit for Microsoft Azure Cloud Storage and DFS.

Moreover, Resilio accelerates data movement for massive data sets in real-time and at the speed you allocate. Need to go faster? Increase the bandwidth allocation or add agents to the data movement job.   

Secure Data Everywhere, Airgapped as Needed (Resilio Wins)

Security is built-in and doesn’t rely on any 3rd-party vendors or clouds. Optionally, Resilio Active Everywhere can run “airgapped” and on-premises only. Resilio offers end-to-end encryption (AES256) and is NIST certified.

Summary

For multi-site, multi-directional, real-time synchronization and full automation to unify on-premises data centers, cloud storage, edge devices, and remote workers, including VDI, Resilio Active Everywhere is a superior PeerSync alternative and beats PeerGFS for customers requiring WAN optimization over unreliable networks, or multi-site deployments, or for ingest, distribution, and remote work collaboration. PeerSoftware has done a good job supporting multi-platforms, integrating with Microsoft DFS, and building its earlier product path with PeerLink, PeerLock, PeerSync, and now PeerGFS. Yet when it comes to moving data globally—across any device, location, and cloud—securely and at predictable speeds, Resilio Active Everywhere is simply the perfect PeerSync alternative.

Try it out and see. Request a free business trial of Resilio Active Everywhere and discover how to future-proof your IT team with global file systems and more, designed for the scale of a global enterprise.