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MWGemini

Caching attachments

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Over the last two days, I have been sending out the same attachment to several people. It appears (and I may be wrong) that every time I send this attachment (all done via PM), that it is uploaded from my hard drive to the server.

So what is happening is that the server now has a dozen or so copies of the exact same file, and has wasted the bandwidth of transferring that file multiple times. Disk space is not a big issue, but bandwidth is expensive. Maybe there is some way to recognize repeated files (which may require special user input) so that bandwidth is not wasted. I'm sure that over time, it adds up.

Mike

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Disk space is not a big issue, but bandwidth is expensive.



My experience in IT and dealing with a major provider of managed hosting services which is also a data/voice carrier tells me exactly the opposite. Bandwidth is the commodity item while disk space is something that most will charge a premium for.

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Maybe there is some way to recognize repeated files (which may require special user input) so that bandwidth is not wasted.



That could be done with a file locker, depot, call it what you will . . . On the other hand, you could always use a different email account when sending attachments (Gmail allows SMTP access to their servers - and POP, too, for that matter), or post the attachment to a personal webpage and send a link.

-
Jim
"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

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Once you upload the attachment the first time, you can read the file number of the attachment, and just provide a link to that url in subsequent transfers. The file is still sitting at that address, so anyone who knows that address (which you can get when you create the attachment or receive it) can retrieve it.
-- Tom Aiello

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SnakeRiverBASE.com

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What Tom said. Or, if it's skydiving related upload it to your personal gallery and provide a link to that.

My issue is in fact bandwidth. I have quite a lot of disk space. The investment of time that will go into devising a caching mechanism for attachments probably does not make sense at this stage. There are not enough duplicate attachments going through the system that this will save me a lot of money and there are good work-arounds. (like Tom mentioned above)

Thanks for the concern. :)
Safe swoops
Sangiro

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Yeah, I figured the amount of duplicate attachments would not be worth the effort in developing a system to stop the transfer of duplicates.

If I ever end up sending the same attachment multiple times in the future, I will do what you and Tom have suggested.

Thanks!

Mike

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