Empower Mac users in your Windows environments

Frequently asked questions

• How does AFP file sharing work?

  Network Reshare allows Acronis Files Connect AFP file volumes to give access to folders located on other servers and NAS devices on your network. Mac clients continue to connect to Acronis Files Connect by using the standard AFP file-sharing protocol, while Acronis Files Connect utilizes the SMB/CIFS file-sharing protocol to access files that are requested by Mac users from remote servers and NAS systems. By doing so, Mac users retain all the benefits of AFP file sharing and nearly instant Network Spotlight full-content search, while gaining access to resources that have traditionally only been available through SMB/Windows file sharing.

• Will Acronis Files Connect recognize clustered configurations?

  Acronis Files Connect is a cluster-aware application that can be run on active/active clustered configurations. You set up an Acronis Files Connect cluster using Microsoft Cluster Servers (MSCS) – specially linked servers running the Microsoft Cluster Service. Multiple instances of Acronis Files Connect can run on a single server node. The configuration of multiple virtual servers provides server consolidation and load management benefits. Running multiple instances of Acronis Files Connect on a server node provides high reliability because each instance runs in isolation from the others.

• How do I upgrade?

  As long as you have an active maintenance contract, you can use your current license keys to download the Acronis Files Connect upgrade installer from the Acronis website here. Follow the instructions and in six easy steps you’ll be up and running with the new version.
  If you don’t have an active maintenance contract, but wish to benefit from the new features, and your contract expired within the past two years, you may purchase a maintenance renewal. This will enable you to keep current with free updates for the duration of the new contract.
  If your maintenance contract expired more than two years ago, please contact Acronis sales to discuss your upgrade options.

• How is DFS supported in the Enterprise License Program (annual subscription) licensing option?

  Acronis Files Connect subscription (ELP) licenses include our Network Reshare feature, which can be used to give AFP access to the root of a DFS namespace. This option presents the namespace as one AFP file share, so the user only has to connect to this single AFP share, which displays that contents of the DFS namespace. They can then browse into any DFS target share, similar to the DFS browsing experience on Windows.

• What types of licenses can I order and how?

  To order “Cluster Server,” “Enterprise License Program,” an Annual Subscription, or “Education” licenses, please contact our sales team.

• How many Mac and mobile clients can connect to my Acronis Files Connect server?

  Your Acronis Files Connect license includes a specific client count. As an example, you might own a 100-client license for Acronis Files Connect. This license will permit 100 Mac computers to connect to the server and access file shares. It will also allow 100 mobile users to connect to the server and access these same file shares. There is a separate pool of licenses for these two types of clients. So, with a 100-client license, you could have 90 Mac computers and 75 mobile users connected to your Acronis Files Connect server. A “mobile user” is defined as one named user and that user is allowed to connect up to three mobile devices to the server. If they have a phone and a tablet, they can use both with no problem and only use one mobile client license.