Hello. I just joined the CODA list, and I have a very practical question.

We have been attempting to get Veritas software running on Solaris machines
to properly replicate data between two servers that will one day be in
different states and connected via a WAN. Unfortunately, the replication
software attempts to open all inodes on the filesystem at once and reliably
causes a really bad kernel panic. Veritas has admitted that it will not work
in our situation and has bowed out. So we're looking for other solutions.
Storagetek is one possibility.

The deal is, we will have mirrored file servers and mirrored web servers in
two different locations that must be kept in sync. If the D.C. facility goes
out, the Cary facility has to handle all the load until the DC facility
comes online (at which point the DC facility must be synchronized). Also, if
a CGI or other program on a webserver in D.C. updates a file, the
counterpart Cary webserver must see the change. The webservers should not be
able to clobber each other's file changes. Veritas accomplished this by
locking files opened for writing.

It looks like Coda may do what we need, from reading the documentation. Does
anyone have any insight? Or questions about our setup? I'd be very happy to
start using Linux and Coda rather than Solaris and X or Network Applicance.
I'd be happy to use anything that works.

Thanks!

Michael Rothwell
  Director, Internet Application Development
  InterLan Technologies
  111 Corning Road #150
  Cary, NC 27513
  v: (919) 852-0690
  f: (919) 852-0501
  e: rothwell_at_interlan.net