[SOLVED] Backing up data in a central server using ssh sftp - Windows Server vs Home

[rhlsg]

I have a requirement where we have to supply some PCs for a project which capture data from our devices connected by USB to those PCs. This site wants to save all the data periodically in their central server, so that all data is safe and can be accessed from other locations in their setup. This transfer from the local PC (connected to our devices) to their server has to be using SSH or SFTP, so they are saying that our local PC should have Windows Server for this data backup to happen. I have no knowledge of how networking works and wanted to know if this the only way ? Can't they have Server OS on their central server and connect to our regular Windows Home local PC to backup the data periodically, while using SSH or SFTP ?
They also want to keep the data encrypted while it is on local PC - for that I suggested Veracrypt but we can also provide Windows Pro, so that it can have Bitlocker. Any other cheaper but secure alternatives - in case they do not tryst Veracrypt ?
Hoping to get some advice.

 

[Alabalcho]

So, your customers want to initiate the connection to worker' PC and upload the data? Or your PCs to connect to remote server and upload the data on a schedule? Check this with your client, as this will affect the network setup at the PC site(s) as well.

Whatever the scenario - there are stand-alone application providing for either server, client or both.

 

[rhlsg]

Thanks for your reply.
It will be the server pulling data from the worker/local PC at some schedule.
If this is the case, they would need Win Server only on the central PC, not on the local PC, correct ?
Could you name some other applications which can do this ? I would like to give them some names.
I saw that WinSCP could also do this, is free and probably widely used.
Any other established brand names in this field - free or paid ?

From what I understand - here the application's "server" version should be on their central PC and its "client" version could be on our local PC to backup the data securely.

I read somewhere that even Win Home has SSH - could a Win Server OS central PC then just communicate with a local PC through SSH to pull data on schedule ? Is there any application needed with this ?

Thanks again.

 

[Alabalcho]

If the "central server" will be used only for data collection, an off-the-shelf NAS with SFTP/SFC support would be a better proposal, but still will need someone knowledgable to setup the networking so that the server be reachable from the clients.

WinSCP is a fantastic app, but it needs human to drive it -I don't know of any way to make it upload files on a schedule.

 

[USAFRet]

Instead of 'roll your own', most of the current mid level or higher commercial NAS boxes can do exactly this.
Pull data from the client systems and store as needed.