Can someone please explain offline files to me?

Offline files have great potential but I dont understand how it works, its
features seems to be defeating its own purpose.

Offline files can be great for when you are actually offline. However,
working on a slow connection is pain and I would think that offline files is
designed to avoid that trouble as well.

But how do I set it up?

Our network consist of several VPN tunnels connecting to a central domain at
our main office. As a side note: We built our system assuming 100Mbit would
be available everywhere in Sweden. However, it seems we are still living in
the dark ages and 100Mbit/s is so expensive its just silly (costs about
$700/month) what small company can afford such ridiculous costs? In my
hometown I can have a Terrabit connection for about $50 a month :P This is
not even available in the capital of Sweden.

Anyways! I can set up offline files synch files and disconnect; documents
are saved in real-time. Works great! This is what I want even when clients
are connected to our server through VPN. Synchronizing could be scheduled or
only done at manual request.

When I attach the VPN connection files are synchronized automatically. This
is not what I want because now offline files is "disabled" and saved directly
to server. IOW: saving files is extremely slow and users become annoyed and
agitated.

Luckily there is a checkbox on the offline files dialogue: "work online
without synchronizing changes". This is EXACTLY what I want. Working online
allow users to use Outlook and stay connected to Exchange server and more.

BUT, when Ive done some changes to documents and decide its time to
synchronize these files and request a manual synchronize offline files will
perform the synchronize and then stay online resulting in saving files
becoming extremely slow and users become annoyed and agitated once again.

So, I want a way to make offline files synchronize and then go offline again
(go offline automatically, the synchronize is still only performed by choice
by the user or performed when scheduled).

How do I set this up? I would be extremely helpful.

Job Andersson <> wrote:
> Offline files have great potential but I dont understand how it
> works, its features seems to be defeating its own purpose.
>
> Offline files can be great for when you are actually offline. However,
> working on a slow connection is pain and I would think that offline
> files is designed to avoid that trouble as well.
>
> But how do I set it up?
>
> Our network consist of several VPN tunnels connecting to a central
> domain at our main office. As a side note: We built our system
> assuming 100Mbit would be available everywhere in Sweden. However, it
> seems we are still living in the dark ages and 100Mbit/s is so
> expensive its just silly (costs about $700/month) what small company
> can afford such ridiculous costs? In my hometown I can have a
> Terrabit connection for about $50 a month :P This is not even
> available in the capital of Sweden.
>
> Anyways! I can set up offline files synch files and disconnect;
> documents are saved in real-time. Works great! This is what I want
> even when clients are connected to our server through VPN.
> Synchronizing could be scheduled or only done at manual request.
>
> When I attach the VPN connection files are synchronized
> automatically. This is not what I want because now offline files is
> "disabled" and saved directly to server. IOW: saving files is
> extremely slow and users become annoyed and agitated.
>
> Luckily there is a checkbox on the offline files dialogue: "work
> online without synchronizing changes". This is EXACTLY what I want.
> Working online allow users to use Outlook and stay connected to
> Exchange server and more.
>
> BUT, when Ive done some changes to documents and decide its time to
> synchronize these files and request a manual synchronize offline
> files will perform the synchronize and then stay online resulting in
> saving files becoming extremely slow and users become annoyed and
> agitated once again.
>
> So, I want a way to make offline files synchronize and then go
> offline again (go offline automatically, the synchronize is still
> only performed by choice by the user or performed when scheduled).
>
> How do I set this up? I would be extremely helpful.

It doesn't work like that. And offline files sucks, imo. I'd look into
terminal services for most of your remote users. For laptop users, use
SyncToy, Robocopy, SecondCopy or other - you can manually run that as
needed. And you don't need VPN for Exchange alone if youve got RPC over
HTTP ....

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
< hoo.com> wrote in message
news:%...
> Job Andersson <> wrote:
>> Offline files have great potential but I dont understand how it
>> works, its features seems to be defeating its own purpose.
>>
>> Offline files can be great for when you are actually offline. However,
>> working on a slow connection is pain and I would think that offline
>> files is designed to avoid that trouble as well.
>>
>> But how do I set it up?
>>
>> Our network consist of several VPN tunnels connecting to a central
>> domain at our main office. As a side note: We built our system
>> assuming 100Mbit would be available everywhere in Sweden. However, it
>> seems we are still living in the dark ages and 100Mbit/s is so
>> expensive its just silly (costs about $700/month) what small company
>> can afford such ridiculous costs? In my hometown I can have a
>> Terrabit connection for about $50 a month :P This is not even
>> available in the capital of Sweden.
>>
>> Anyways! I can set up offline files synch files and disconnect;
>> documents are saved in real-time. Works great! This is what I want
>> even when clients are connected to our server through VPN.
>> Synchronizing could be scheduled or only done at manual request.
>>
>> When I attach the VPN connection files are synchronized
>> automatically. This is not what I want because now offline files is
>> "disabled" and saved directly to server. IOW: saving files is
>> extremely slow and users become annoyed and agitated.
>>
>> Luckily there is a checkbox on the offline files dialogue: "work
>> online without synchronizing changes". This is EXACTLY what I want.
>> Working online allow users to use Outlook and stay connected to
>> Exchange server and more.
>>
>> BUT, when Ive done some changes to documents and decide its time to
>> synchronize these files and request a manual synchronize offline
>> files will perform the synchronize and then stay online resulting in
>> saving files becoming extremely slow and users become annoyed and
>> agitated once again.
>>
>> So, I want a way to make offline files synchronize and then go
>> offline again (go offline automatically, the synchronize is still
>> only performed by choice by the user or performed when scheduled).
>>
>> How do I set this up? I would be extremely helpful.
>
> It doesn't work like that. And offline files sucks, imo. I'd look into
> terminal services for most of your remote users. For laptop users, use
> SyncToy, Robocopy, SecondCopy or other - you can manually run that as
> needed. And you don't need VPN for Exchange alone if youve got RPC over
> HTTP ....
>


Now why do you hate Offline files? :-)

Ace

"Job Andersson" <> wrote in message
news:151DC852-B52B-4899-8496-...
> Offline files have great potential but I dont understand how it works, its
> features seems to be defeating its own purpose.
>
> Offline files can be great for when you are actually offline. However,
> working on a slow connection is pain and I would think that offline files
> is
> designed to avoid that trouble as well.
>
> But how do I set it up?
>
> Our network consist of several VPN tunnels connecting to a central domain
> at
> our main office. As a side note: We built our system assuming 100Mbit
> would
> be available everywhere in Sweden. However, it seems we are still living
> in
> the dark ages and 100Mbit/s is so expensive its just silly (costs about
> $700/month) what small company can afford such ridiculous costs? In my
> hometown I can have a Terrabit connection for about $50 a month :P This is
> not even available in the capital of Sweden.
>
> Anyways! I can set up offline files synch files and disconnect; documents
> are saved in real-time. Works great! This is what I want even when clients
> are connected to our server through VPN. Synchronizing could be scheduled
> or
> only done at manual request.
>
> When I attach the VPN connection files are synchronized automatically.
> This
> is not what I want because now offline files is "disabled" and saved
> directly
> to server. IOW: saving files is extremely slow and users become annoyed
> and
> agitated.
>
> Luckily there is a checkbox on the offline files dialogue: "work online
> without synchronizing changes". This is EXACTLY what I want. Working
> online
> allow users to use Outlook and stay connected to Exchange server and more.
>
> BUT, when Ive done some changes to documents and decide its time to
> synchronize these files and request a manual synchronize offline files
> will
> perform the synchronize and then stay online resulting in saving files
> becoming extremely slow and users become annoyed and agitated once again.
>
> So, I want a way to make offline files synchronize and then go offline
> again
> (go offline automatically, the synchronize is still only performed by
> choice
> by the user or performed when scheduled).
>
> How do I set this up? I would be extremely helpful.


Keep in mind, there's two parts of your question, that are separate.
"Working Offline" with Outlook is based on using Cached Mode in the Outlook
profile properties. A local cached copy stays on the client side in an OST
file. Delta updates are made to the OST from the mailbox on the server.

Now as far as offline files go, that's a different feature. As Lanwench
said, that's not how it works. Now I am not sure if you are speaking of, or
have tried to enable Folder Redirection of the My Documents folder, but that
feature allows a cached copy of that folder on the client side, with the
actual files on the server. If there is no server connection, the client can
continue to use the data in the My Docs folder. When the client reconnects,
it synchs up changes.

If you decide to not use folder redirection with the My Docs folder, but you
want to use offline files with mapped drives, you can specifically select
the files you want to have available while a client may be offline, such as
for laptops. Users while not connected can work with those files, then when
they reconnect, they sync the changes to the server.

The following should help.

How To Configure Offline Files to Synchronize When a Particular ...
This step-by-step article describes how to configure Offline Files to
synchronize when a particular network connection becomes active.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/312171

How to use offline files in Windows XPConfiguring your computer to use
Offline Files.
To configure your computer to use the Offline Files feature: Click Start,
and then click My Computer. ...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307853

And if you want to explore using Folder Redirection:

Folder Redirection
http://msmvps.com/blogs/acefekay/arc...direction.aspx


--
Ace

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and
confers no rights.

Please reply back to the newsgroup or forum for collaboration benefit among
responding engineers, and to help others benefit from your resolution.

Ace Fekay, MCT, MCTS Exchange, MCSE, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSA Messaging
Microsoft Certified Trainer

For urgent issues, please contact Microsoft PSS directly. Please check
http://support.microsoft.com for regional support phone numbers.

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
< hoo.com> wrote in message
news:%...
> Job Andersson <> wrote:
>> Offline files have great potential but I dont understand how it
>> works, its features seems to be defeating its own purpose.
>>
>> Offline files can be great for when you are actually offline. However,
>> working on a slow connection is pain and I would think that offline
>> files is designed to avoid that trouble as well.
>>
>> But how do I set it up?
>>
>> Our network consist of several VPN tunnels connecting to a central
>> domain at our main office. As a side note: We built our system
>> assuming 100Mbit would be available everywhere in Sweden. However, it
>> seems we are still living in the dark ages and 100Mbit/s is so
>> expensive its just silly (costs about $700/month) what small company
>> can afford such ridiculous costs? In my hometown I can have a
>> Terrabit connection for about $50 a month :P This is not even
>> available in the capital of Sweden.
>>
>> Anyways! I can set up offline files synch files and disconnect;
>> documents are saved in real-time. Works great! This is what I want
>> even when clients are connected to our server through VPN.
>> Synchronizing could be scheduled or only done at manual request.
>>
>> When I attach the VPN connection files are synchronized
>> automatically. This is not what I want because now offline files is
>> "disabled" and saved directly to server. IOW: saving files is
>> extremely slow and users become annoyed and agitated.
>>
>> Luckily there is a checkbox on the offline files dialogue: "work
>> online without synchronizing changes". This is EXACTLY what I want.
>> Working online allow users to use Outlook and stay connected to
>> Exchange server and more.
>>
>> BUT, when Ive done some changes to documents and decide its time to
>> synchronize these files and request a manual synchronize offline
>> files will perform the synchronize and then stay online resulting in
>> saving files becoming extremely slow and users become annoyed and
>> agitated once again.
>>
>> So, I want a way to make offline files synchronize and then go
>> offline again (go offline automatically, the synchronize is still
>> only performed by choice by the user or performed when scheduled).
>>
>> How do I set this up? I would be extremely helpful.
>
> It doesn't work like that. And offline files sucks, imo. I'd look into
> terminal services for most of your remote users. For laptop users, use
> SyncToy, Robocopy, SecondCopy or other - you can manually run that as
> needed. And you don't need VPN for Exchange alone if youve got RPC over
> HTTP ....
>


Emailed privately...

You know I was just reading a good explanation of this recently and I
finally remembered where ;-)

There's a free MS E-book on virtualization that has a chapter (#7) on this
stuff:

Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions
By Mitch Tulloch with the Microsoft Virtualization Teams
ISBN: 9780735693371

http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urmvs17u33

--
Allan Williams




Job Andersson wrote:
> Offline files have great potential but I dont understand how it
> works, its features seems to be defeating its own purpose.
>
> Offline files can be great for when you are actually offline. However,
> working on a slow connection is pain and I would think that offline
> files is designed to avoid that trouble as well.
>
> But how do I set it up?
>
> Our network consist of several VPN tunnels connecting to a central
> domain at our main office. As a side note: We built our system
> assuming 100Mbit would be available everywhere in Sweden. However, it
> seems we are still living in the dark ages and 100Mbit/s is so
> expensive its just silly (costs about $700/month) what small company
> can afford such ridiculous costs? In my hometown I can have a
> Terrabit connection for about $50 a month :P This is not even
> available in the capital of Sweden.
>
> Anyways! I can set up offline files synch files and disconnect;
> documents are saved in real-time. Works great! This is what I want
> even when clients are connected to our server through VPN.
> Synchronizing could be scheduled or only done at manual request.
>
> When I attach the VPN connection files are synchronized
> automatically. This is not what I want because now offline files is
> "disabled" and saved directly to server. IOW: saving files is
> extremely slow and users become annoyed and agitated.
>
> Luckily there is a checkbox on the offline files dialogue: "work
> online without synchronizing changes". This is EXACTLY what I want.
> Working online allow users to use Outlook and stay connected to
> Exchange server and more.
>
> BUT, when Ive done some changes to documents and decide its time to
> synchronize these files and request a manual synchronize offline
> files will perform the synchronize and then stay online resulting in
> saving files becoming extremely slow and users become annoyed and
> agitated once again.
>
> So, I want a way to make offline files synchronize and then go
> offline again (go offline automatically, the synchronize is still
> only performed by choice by the user or performed when scheduled).
>
> How do I set this up? I would be extremely helpful.

Thanks all for the replies!

But iow, to sum it up. Offline Files really do suck?

I mean, the potential is there... there is just not a function that allow it
to be used.

Its a huge advantage to be able to store files directly to server. Having
users manage their documents by themselves on their own computer is a horrid
experience I would not want to try again anytime soon.

As the saying goes, "people are smart, users are dumb animals with no thread
of intelligence to them whatsoever"...

Is there another part of the SBS OS that offers the same functionality as
the part of offline files which automatically synchronize a local folder and
a server folder at a specific event (logout for example)?

Any suggestions are welcome!