fP transaction-based clustering - viability?

[Fairlight]

Hi All,

I'm curious how many people have multiple fP servers out there which have
data on them that they wish to keep synchronised in near-realtime (say less
than 2min propogation) or in -actual- full realtime, in a transactional
fashion.

Several people are using rsync, ftp, scp, et al. as more periodic (nightly
or a few times per day) backup/sync "solutions", but that simply doesn't
cut it if you have two or five web servers, all of which are supposed to be
load-balanced and serving the same data at any given point, or if you have
multiple servers which are used to balance the load of internal operations
but run into the same issue--all data isn't always present on every server
immediately.  And even rsync isn't safe for realtime work when files are in
use.  Too many timing issues.  NFS has its definite downsides--even using
v3 of NFS.

We need transactions, IMHO.  At least -some- places do.  I'm trying to get
a feel for the bigger picture, and whether this is worth the expenditure of
time and effort to design and get it working reliably.  It's not what I'd
call a trivial or even semi-trivial "pet" project that I usually work on in
my Copious Spare Time.  :)

So...I'm asking, up-front and out-loud, whether anyone else here at all is
interested in such a synchronisation scenario coming to fruition (*unix or
'doze...doesn't matter with what I have in mind) as an external hook-in,
since I kind of doubt fP-Tech will be doing this Anytime Real Soon.  I'm
also curious what those that may be interested in such a solution would
consider sucn a solution worth in monetary terms.

Feel free to answer on-list or in private.  I read the list, so either is
fine with me.

TIA.

mark->
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