5.7 Understand How Data and Synchronization Affect Performance

Filr synchronizes data between the file system and Filr, and between Filr and the Filr desktop application. The following sections describe various factors related to synchronization and how these factors can affect performance:

5.7.1 Data Location (Net Folders vs. Personal Storage)

Users who access data on Net Folders consume more resources than users who access data on Personal Storage.

5.7.2 Home Folder Synchronization

Filr can now be configured so that a desktop client can trigger an initial home folder synchronization. This improvement in the Filr user experience can also increase system load during initial home folder synchronizations.

5.7.3 Net Folder Synchronization

Consider the following when planning Net Folder synchronization:

Content Indexing for Net Folders (Full vs. Just-in-Time Synchronization)

Whether you want data to be immediately searchable might influence the type of synchronization method that you implement for the Net Folder, because data cannot be indexed (and therefore is not returned in searches) until after the data is synchronized.

In a full synchronization, the synchronization process begins when you configure the Net Folder. In a Just-in-Time synchronization, the synchronization process begins after a user accesses a folder for the first time.

For more information about the considerations to make when deciding between Full synchronization and Just-in-Time synchronization, see Planning the Synchronization Method in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

Schedule

The frequency of Net Folders synchronizations can affect performance. For more information, see Planning the Synchronization Schedule in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

Load

The amount of data that is synchronized can affect performance. For more information, see Planning the Amount of Data to Synchronize in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

5.7.4 Desktop Synchronization

By default, the Filr desktop application polls the Filr server for changes every 15 minutes (synchronization interval). Changes made to a document from the desktop are immediately synchronized to the server after the document is saved and closed.

Changing the synchronization interval from the 15-minute default to a shorter interval can increase the load on the Filr system and can therefore adversely affect system performance. However, if the nature of user interaction demands that the interval be set to synchronize more frequently (such as every 5 minutes), it can make sense to adjust the interval. If you do, ensure that you also increase system resources to accommodate the increased workload.

For more information about configuring the Filr desktop application, see Configuring the Filr Desktop Application to Access Files in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.