[Owncloud] Re: KDE owncloud client

[kunal ghosh]

Hi all , i have been working on UDP hole punching , and now have a fair idea
about how it works :)
I will be implementing a simple file sharing python script, to transfer a
file from a computer behind a NAT
to another behind another NAT.
will keep all posted.

I have a few ideas / suggestions / questions :
1. OwnCloud Could be designed to be either
*1.1 hosted at a webhost*, like goDaddy.com etc. which will make the data
available
via static IP / godaddy(et-al) sub-domain.
Pros : the data is available though an  FTP client , or a nice web
interface, very easy to code too ! :)
Cons: 1. High initial cost 2. The user is not in control of the data ( what
if the web-server goes down !!)

*1.2 hosted on the users' computer behind a NAT*
Pros: 1. All the data is with the user 2. Computers in local network do not
need to access the internet to get the data :)
Cons: 1. Difficult to make data available to outside world (NAT
hole-punching) or (reverse-proxy)
*
*

OwnCloud could be designed to be a two part system:
*One part* resident on the OwnCloud users' home computer behind an always on
internet connection
protected behind a NAT.
This part includes the web based front-end , which ownCloud currently has,
which serves any computers in the Local Network.
Plus the web-based front end can be used by any one who opts for scenario
1.1 above (hosted at a webhost*).*
*
*
*Part Two *could be designed as a sync-client + simple file browser +
NAT-hole-puncher + simple file server
This part is always running on the client's home PC (scenario 1.2 hosted on
the users' computer behind a NAT )
and does the following:
It runs on any device (netbook , laptop, desktop) where the user wants to
edit data (Mobile phones are not included
as user may just want to access data on the phone (*Comments ?*)

a) this application running on any computer on the *local lan* other than
the server : requests for files and if the user
updates the file , sends in the new file back to the server.

b) this application running on any computer outside the NAT : does NAT hole
punching , to reach the application running
on the server and then works normally (first retrieving only the files list
, and then retrieving more files as and when a user asks for it)

c) this application running on the server , facilitates NAT hole punching.
Serves files to clients, receives updated files
if any , triggers the *file versioning mechanism * and then saves the files.

Concerns In general :
1. Authentication : We could use a share-key encryption mechanism , thus
allowing sharing of you cloud resources with your  friends :)
2. Security : We could host OwnCloud inside a Virtual Machine, so in case ,
someone cracks into the system the damages could
be sandboxed.
3. File versioning mechanism : Candidates : 1) git 2) Mercurial 3)
ZFileSystem (an OS based versioning mechanism)
If we go with a virtual machine , we could use FreeBSD as a base OS and ZFS
as a filesystem based versioning mechanism.
ZFS is open Sourced, and is a server grade technology part of Solaris 10.
(video showing ZFS being used in FreeNAS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16v4jNYH0GI )

4. WebDav : This afaik doesn't work if the computers are separated by a NAT.

my 2cents :) Please let me know if my ideas above work towards what OwnCloud
is trying to achieve.
*
*
On Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 4:21 PM, Riccardo Iaconelli <riccardo at kde.org>wrote:

> On Thursday 03 February 2011 23:41:53 Robin Appelman wrote:
> > I experimented a bit with phpSyncML and I managed to get it integrated in
> > ownCloud enough to do some basic pim synchronization done.
> >
> > I didn't do to much testing yet but it looks like I could drop google
> > calendar  faster then I expected
> >
> > I will commit the plugin soon-ish
>
> This is AWESOME!!!
>
> Let me know what I can do, if you need any help. :)
>
> Bye,
> -Riccardo
> _______________________________________________
> Owncloud mailing list
> Owncloud at kde.org
> https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/owncloud
>
>


-- 
regards
-------
Kunal Ghosh
Dept of Computer Sc. & Engineering.
Sir MVIT
Bangalore,India

permalink: member.acm.org/~kunal.t2
Blog:kunalghosh.wordpress.com
Website:www.kunalghosh.net46.net
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