If you want to constantly have access to certain files – for example, for work tasks – that first comes to mind modern man? That’s right – cloud storage! My choice – Dropbox, but apart from him, there are other services store information in the cloud: iCloud Drive, Google Drive, as well as a range of lesser-known “Drive”
The current popularity of cloud was made possible by the development of communication technologies – or rather, cheaper and “mobilization” of the Internet. And the idea came largely as a way to compensate for the disadvantages of removable media. Yes, the flash does not take up much space, but for the same reason they are easily lost and forgotten; in fact, the tendency to leave the flash drive anywhere and at one time prompted MIT students Drew Houston’s idea on Dropbox.
At the same time, cloud storage has its drawbacks directly associated with the format operation.
- The need to connect to the Internet. Without having to connect to the World Wide Web the whole idea makes no sense: even between two devices within one lokalki files have to pass through an external server, and the constraints posed online channels.
- Reducing the level of security and confidentiality. Many people do not like the idea of storing personal disk imaging on an external server, and no wonder: what would guarantee the security did not declare the hosts servers, the risk is inevitable.
- Limitations of available volumes. Place in the cloud is not infinite, and each user is allocated space is also limited.
Is it possible that something to do with all this? “You can!” – Said the company BitTorrent, at one time gave the world the same name protocol for the construction of file-sharing networks. And gash BitTorrent Sync tool on the basis of the protocol itself.
This tool allows anyone who wants to organize a device, between which it is necessary to transfer files to a dedicated P2P-network. In fact, BitTorrent Sync – is as an alternative to the classical cloud storage as usual torrent – an alternative to a dedicated file sharing. Instead upload data to a dedicated server and pass them out to all “stakeholders” Soup, Sync makes a server, each of these devices – as is the case with conventional torrents. Only in this case, access to file-sharing network closed to outsiders – it is organized within the equipment owned by one person (or those whom he wants to give access to individual folders).
The difference between the classical and P2P-networks.
Thus, the key difference from conventional BitTorrent Sync cloud storage is the complete absence of an external server, which stores your synced data. This gives a number of advantages.
- Safety. The information does not leave the device on which is stored, which reduces the risk of unauthorized access to it. And the degree of protection is determined not by administrators clouds, but solely by the user.
- No restrictions on the volume of data is synchronized. In fact, the volume of information that can be reached using the BitTorrent Sync, limited to the capacity of the drives in the connected devices.
- High-speed data exchange. BitTorrent has always been distinguished performance when transferring large amounts of data (small too, but it is noticeable at large). If the paper falls to a cloud data transmitted via the Internet connection, the torrent seek out all possibilities, including local communication channels and use them to complete. In addition to this – download file parts from different sources at the same time, the distribution of volumes according to the width of the available channel. In addition to this – the fact that the data is transferred directly from device to device, but not copied first to the external server, and then from it – to the destination. The result – the speed of sharing files on BitTorrent Sync can be more than 16 times the performance of cloud storage (with the same bandwidth LAN and Internet channel).
- Independence from Internet connection. As mentioned above, the BitTorrent protocol uses all available channels of communication and can be operated directly through LAN – it is, even in the case where the Internet connection is not available.
To all this we can add one more thing – is not directly related to the format of the data, but it is very important from the point of view of usability. In contrast to the same Dropbox, BTS does not require the creation of specialized folders and allows you to choose to sync any existing folder on your computer – just point them in the settings. In other words, in the first case synced folder must necessarily lie in your Dropbox, and in the second there is absolutely no difference where it is located.
At the same time say that the BTS bury classic cloud storage, it would be at least naive. This tool is also not without drawbacks, which in some cases can be quite severe. First of all: to the BTS data are only available if at least one device (in addition to synchronized) is turned on and connected to the Internet. Again, we have an analogy with the usual torrent: in order to be able to download something, you need to have at least one Sidera (the dealer). Cloud storage is available all the time, “fall” service – a serious emergency situation.
The second point concerns specifically Dropbox: support for the service is integrated in a huge number of applications for desktop and mobile operating systems, so that in many situations it is more convenient to use option (and sometimes even the only possible).
To sum up: not being a “murderer Dropbox», BitTorrent Sync at the same time offers an interesting alternative to the classic and original service for synchronizing personal data. This alternative will appreciate especially those who have to deal with large volumes of information scattered across different folders, as well as those who would like to achieve maximum privacy.
Download BitTorrent Sync client on the official website of the project. At the time of this writing, the list of supported operating systems include Windows, OS X, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Fire OS, Linux, FreeBSD (plus separate solutions for NAS-servers of several brands).
A revision in the near future plans to test UiP BTS and roll out a full review on the basis of their own experience of use. So do not go very far away. It will be interesting.
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