2012/05/13

Cloud sync and backup

I have been using http://wuala.com for couple of years to keep ca 80GB in safely synced and backed up in the cloud, for free. But they changed from p2p storage to commercial centralized server model, as a result, I am going to loose that  free storage. What are my options at the moment?

I took a look at

- Windows Live Mesh (will become Windows SkyDrive and loose p2p sync ability). Storage limit is good though at 25GB.

- I have beta invite from Cubby (by LogMeIn) – only 5GB in the cloud, but promise of free and unlimited p2p sync

- Google Drive – only 5GB, but good gmail/gdocs integration, no p2p sync

- Dropbox – up to 16GB storage after referrals, hmm. Plenty of mobile clients, but nothing else going for it, other than ability to game it easily to grow storage.

- Ubuntu One, SugarSync, Megacloud – 5GB free cloud, some mobile clients

- Bitcasa – speaks about unlimited cloud storage for $10/month, using p2p similar to wuala?

I am sorry, to see wuala go nuts like this. Theirs was the best option for owners of 24x7 servers (e.g. home NAS + torrent server + wuala cloud peer). After fallout, not many options are left, most of them are good for usual users, who do not have own server and fully depend on the cloud for sync. However, I see opportunity to achieve most of what wuala did for free by combining various parts of different services.

Here is what I’m going to try

1) for unlimited p2p sync (which provides backup too) between my server and several laptops

2) to raise protection bar – e.g. unlikely event that both laptops and server are destroyed by fire at the same time – p2p sync to my parents PC – this is good for anything, bar nuclear strike :(

3) Google Drive for my working docs (5GB)

4) Dropbox/SkyDrive for my music/photos files (16+25GB)

Other services, like UbuntuOne, SugarSync, MegaCloud, Bitcasa – I do not see much use for, with current pricing. I will however, try them to see if I missed anything.

5 comments:

  1. Hi, I'm very interested to hear what your current set-up is. I've also checked out SugarSync, AeroFS, Cubby, Dropbox, SkyDrive and Google Drive but no good p2p unlimited sync (that I've seen)

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  2. Cubby wants money, same with Bitcasa (free now, but will cost something later).

    So I use AeroFS to sync folders between various computers - this is unlimited p2p sync, but your data has to go into the AeroFS folder.

    And just yesterday I received invitation to private beta of BitTorrent Sync. This is alpha, going to install it next week.

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    Replies
    1. Hi. I'm in similar search. Have tried most. Would appreciate an invite to BitTorrent Sync on e-mail efemeride [at] sese dot ro.

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    2. Sorry, do not have invite. But SyncApp is very alpha-ish. I went with AeroFS for syncing hundreds GB betweens server and several laptops. Beta is promised in April/2013, sign up, and their will be dishing out invites when beta comes out.

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  3. While AeroFS is good, I think that in the coming months I will be switching all my data sync over to BitTorrent Sync. I am currently using it to sync one folder between my laptop and a server in another country and see that it matured to the point that sync is reliable. Moreover, it offers some serious advantage over AeroFS (which is going to focus on enterprise), and it is that it works on Windows, Linux and Android/iOS. I now spend more time in Linux, but my shares are on NTFS volume, and AeroFS refuses to work with fuse-mounted volumes, while BT Sync just keeps going. And Android/iOS apps perform real syncing, which is a pure win.

    ReplyDelete