Tell me the pros and cons of using WebDAV over SSL for file server access instead of SMB

Solution 1:

WebDAV will probably be a little slower than SMB (especially with SSL), but with much fewer headaches since networks are optimized for HTTP access these days. I would definitely do some load testing before making the switch.

Solution 2:

If its only text based files (word, excel, ppt etc.,) why not switch to a CMS like sharepoint/drupal. You could have users login to the VPN and than access this like any other intranet portal.

Might be an overkill for now, but consider the scalability.

Also consider a hosted solution for the above, if infrastructure & bandwidth within your data center are an issue.

Solution 3:

Well, why not run a portal over https? If you do something sensible with authentication and certificates, that's as secure as WebDAV over https. Of course, you could do both.

WebDAV is entirely up to server implementation quality; I've never had much luck, but then I wasn't using Microsoft servers either. And since the MS implementation was initially done by the same person who put the spec through the IETF, I suspect it's pretty good. I suspect, however, that if you have the kind of users who can't handle a VPN, they won't handle DAV that well either, and simply exposing the portal to the net is a better solution.

Solution 4:

While I can't comment on WebDAV, have you considered sharing via NFS on your Windows server?

This link explains how to do it Microsoft Technet