BitTorrent originated as a file sharing and distributed download
technology, powering downloads of content both legitimate (such as Linux
ISOs) and not (Taylor Swift albums).
With BitTorrent Sync, the technology's creators have turned to a new use
case: a decentralized substitute for file sync-and-share services like
Dropbox. The new BitTorrent Sync 2.0 ups the ante by providing a "pro"
tier, with what BitTorrent describes as "additional functionality for
business workgroups and individuals that need more capabilities and
controls from Sync."
BitTorrent Sync itself, even in its nonpro incarnation, is a handy
little tool. Install it on two or more devices -- Windows, Mac OS X,
Linux, iOS, Android, or Windows Phone -- and you can elect to
synchronize up to 10 folders among those machines. The synchronization
process -- the actual shuttling of data -- is done entirely
peer-to-peer. Any folder can be synced, even those on a removable drive.
Versions of Sync are also available for many popular NAS devices from Seagate, Western Digital, Netgear, and others, allowing content on those devices to be synced.
BitTorrent Sync lets you protect folders and files with user-level
permissions and set shared links to expire after a specified number of
days. The QR Code option is for syncing to a mobile device.
Setting up a folder to sync involves passing an alphanumeric “secret
key” between the peer machines. Aside from copying the key as text or
emailing it, you can also scan a QR code if you’re setting up sync on
the mobile-app version of the program.
Once that's set up, the whole sync process is more or less automatic and
silent, in much the same way as Dropbox itself. The main limitation is
the number of separate folders that can be synced, but if you follow the
Dropbox model and have everything to sync in one folder anyway, this
limit isn't as onerous. The speed of syncing is entirely dependent on
the speed of the network between the machines in question. Whenever
possible, BitTorrent syncs only block-level changes in files to speed
things up.
Sync Pro, which costs $39.99 per user per year (there’s a free 30-day
trial), removes the 10-folder limit and adds more granularity to folder
syncing. A folder can have selected files synced (again, Ã la Dropbox)
so that devices with limited storage won't end up suffocating under the
load. Pro also provides per-user controls, so users can be given folder
permissions -- read only, read and write -- and can be allowed to
delegate folder access to other users.
BitTorrent Sync's decentralized structure works both for and against it
in an enterprise setting. The main drawback (or advantage, depending on
how you look at it) is that, like its file storage, its users and
permissions system is decentralized. This means users and permissions
can't be managed by way of, for instance, Active Directory; all access
has to be set at each peer by hand. For small ad hoc teams of a few
people within an enterprise, this isn't bad, but for larger groups,
access control will be far tougher to manage.
If BitTorrent Sync can find a way to allow its peer-to-peer structure to
work elegantly with existing enterprise infrastructure, it’ll be a
major plus. As it stands, it’s best suited for teams of a few people
that don’t mind doing a little heavy lifting.
Hello, my name is Mohd Azahar. I'm a self-employed Pivrate from the India.
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