Multi office setup

This document describes a scenario where PowerFolder connects multiple geographically dispersed locations (head, branch, home office and a employee at a customer location). The offices might or might not be connected via a VPN network. The following diagram shows the scenario in an overview.

The following documentation explains the detailed configuration of each computer (Servers and Workstations).

Head office

The head office runs two servers to gain high-availably. Even when one server goes down the PowerFolder clients (workstations in main, branch and home office) continue to sync files. The friendlist is required to maintain (re-) connection to remote computers over the Internet.

Server A

• Operating system: Redhat Linux
• Networking mode: LAN and Internet
• Transfer mode: Backup (Target) or Automatic Synchronization
• Connections: Server B, Server C, Home office, Customer location all workstations in head office
• Friendlist: Server B and Server C
• Runs PowerFolder Server

Server B

• Operating system: Windows XP
• Networking mode: LAN and Internet
• Transfer mode: Backup (Target) or Automatic Synchronization
• Connections: Server A, Server C, Home office, Customer location all workstations in head office
• Friendlist: Server A and Server C

Workstations

• Operating system: Mixed (Windows and MacOS X)
• Networking mode LAN only
• Transfer mode: Backup (Source) or Automatic/Manual Synchronization
• Connection: Server A and Server B
• Friendlist: Servers A and B
• LAN-IP-List: IP of Server A and B (if no direct network broadcast is possible)

Branch office

Server C

• Operating system: Linux
• Networking mode: LAN and Internet
• Transfer mode: Backup (Target) or Automatic Synchronization
• Connection: Server A, Server B, Home office, Customer location all workstations in branch office
• Friendlist: Server A, Server B

Workstations

• Operating system: Windows only
• Networking mode LAN only
• Transfer mode: Backup (Source) or Automatic/Manual Synchronization
• Connection: Server C
• Friendlist: Server C
• LAN-IP-List: IP of Server C (if no direct network broadcast is possible)

Home office

Workstation

• Operating system: MacOS X
• Networking mode: LAN and Internet
• Transfer mode: Backup (Source) or Automatic/Manual Synchronization
• Connection: Server A, Server B and Server C
• Friendlist: Server A, Server B and Server C

Customer location

Handheld

• Operating system: Windows ME
• Access to Server A via web browser

Workstation

• Operating system: Windows Vista
• Networking mode: LAN and Internet
• Transfer mode: Backup (Source) or Automatic/Manual Synchronization
• Connection: Server A, Server B and Server C
• Friendlist: Server A, Server B and Server C
• Note: Make sure to switch to LAN and Internet to allow this workstation to connect over the Internet.