How to sync files from on-prem linux machine to Windows server in Azure

Question

Hello
We have a linux server on-prem from which we would like the contents of a particular filesystem/directory to be synced frequently with another directory on a windows server in Azure. What is the best way to do this? Can we use something like rsync for this or does Azure provide any ready solutions?

I am considering azcopy but it looks like it can only sync from local to a blob or file share in a storage account in Azure. But what if my destination is a directory in a drive which is attached to a windows server in Azure?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Good day,

You can use Azure Files which can be mounted concurrently by cloud or on-premises deployments and it is accessible from Windows, Linux, and macOS.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/files/storage-files-introduction

You can use Azure File Sync to centralize your file shares with your Windows Server

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/file-sync/file-sync-extend-servers

With that being said, I see no problem in using azcopy with on-prem or Azure VM using linux or Windows server based on Azure Files which are mounted and have folders in the machines.

Answer 2

@Shitij Bagga Apologies for delay in responding here! There won't be any performance issue when you mount on cloud and on-premises concurrently !

Azure Files offers fully managed file shares in the cloud that are accessible via the SMB and NFS file system protocols. This article discusses the scalability and performance targets for Azure Files and Azure File Sync

Additional information: Azcopy is the best tool in data transfer , Fast Data Transfer is a tool for fast upload of data into Azure – up to 4 terabytes per hour from a single client machine. It moves data from your premises to Blob Storage, to a clustered file system, or direct to an Azure VM. It can also move data between Azure regions.

The tool works by maximizing utilization of the network link. It efficiently uses all available bandwidth, even over long-distance links. On a 10 Gbps link, it reaches around 4 TB per hour, which makes it about 3 to 10 times faster than competing tools we’ve tested. On slower links, Fast Data Transfer typically achieves over 90% of the link’s theoretical maximum, while other tools may achieve substantially less.

For example, on a 250 Mbps link, the theoretical maximum throughput is about 100 GB per hour. Even with no other traffic on the link, other tools may achieve substantially less than that. In the same conditions (250 Mbps, with no competing traffic) Fast Data Transfer can be expected to transfer at least 90 GB per hour. (If there is competing traffic on the link, Fast Data Transfer will reduce its own throughput accordingly, in order to avoid disrupting your existing traffic.)

• This article provides an overview of some of the common Azure data transfer solutions. The article also links out to recommended options depending on the network bandwidth in your environment and the size of the data you intend to transfer.

Please let us know if you have any further queries. I’m happy to assist you further.

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