Until recently our team was working together on a gigabit LAN with NFSv4 file sharing. All clients run Linux and the file server runs Linux. Our workflow and security were designed around a LAN.
We are now working from remote locations, but we need access to the same file server. We need a new network file sharing solution. Research indicates that NFS is not a good option over the Internet. Even if we could solve the security challenges (and there are a few ways to do this), our experiments show that NFS on a slow or unreliable connection is very problematic. For example, the entire client locks up completely when an NFS mount becomes unavailable. You must either wait indefinitely for the mount to become available again or risk a hard reboot of the client.
We are seeking a comprehensive guide to Linux network file sharing over the Internet where all parties are using shared asymetical cable Internet or DSL. None of us have access to higher end fiber optic Internet services. Upload speeds can be as slow as a couple Mb/s on these connections. We found NFS via SSH tunnel to be extremely, painfully slow.
We tried SSHFS, but it doesn't support our file server's permission structure. Another challenge for us is that the file server is not publicly accessible. We see a VPN (possibly using VPN hardware appliances) as part of the solution, but even with a VPN, NFS over the available pipes probably will not work.
I assumed that the current pandemic would have led to numerous articles addressing this networking challenge, but if they exist I have not found them. Does Unix & Linux Stack Exchange want to create a guide for all the people who are forced to work remotely but need access to a Linux file server that they formerly accessed via the LAN?
As mentioned, our entire team is running Linux and the file server runs Linux. And we are out of ideas for solving this challenge.
