SNAPWebD and SNAPSync: A web desktop and transparent sync of NFS and standalone system logical volumes

Abstract

The web browser is the most ubiquitous software today on all kinds of devices including PCs, tablets and mobile phones. Access to high bandwidth network services has lead to the development of cloud computing where services such as applications or desktops can be accessed from remote servers through the Internet. In this paper, we present our work in developing a Web Desktop for the typical environments found in many corporates and educational institutions. These environments consist of Network File System (NFS) mounted home directories of users authenticated using Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). SNAPWebD, our web desktop, which is a free and open source software, will allow users of such organizations to access their home directories and remote applications through the web browser. SNAPSync is the software that allows transparent syncing of the home directory from the cloud to local or NFS volumes of a user and vice versa. Together, these two applications allow a user to access their home directory from the cloud using any available device and also sync the changes transparently to local home systems. This keeps the information consistent across multiple systems without user intervention while allowing anytime, anywhere access through the web desktop. © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland.