MSP360 Drive is a great solution for day-to-day file transactions between the local computer and the cloud. Being conveniently integrated in Windows Explorer, it provides seamless experience with most cloud storage services. However, to get the best out of MSP360 Drive, it's crucial to know its proper use-cases as well as when not to use it.
Introduction
MSP360 Drive is usually known for its extremely simple configuration and ease of use. Just add cloud storage credentials, map it to your Windows explorer and you're all set. Your entire cloud storage accessible in Windows Explorer as if it were a regular storage disk.
Even though MSP360 Drive can seamlessly move files back and forth between the local computer and the cloud, there are some technical limitations that make it inapplicable in certain situations. That's why in this article we intended to explain when MSP360 Drive works best and when you should examine other solutions from MSP360.
Use-cases of MSP360 Drive
Regular Upload and Download
By far the most popular use-case of MSP360 Drive is regular download and upload of individual files. If you need to download some document, media file, or an archive — MSP360 Drive is the right tool. Similarly, if you need to upload certain files to the cloud storage, MSP360 Drive is at your service.
Modifying Files
MSP360 Drive also lets you edit documents in the cloud by opening them in a regular way and making any necessary modifications. When you hit Ctrl + S, MSP360 Drive will seamlessly upload the modified version to the cloud. It's even possible to repeatedly Ctrl+S on a file while editing and each time MSP360 Drive will upload the modified version.
Sharing Files without Collaboration
Another use-case of MSP360 Drive is file sharing among colleagues. Let's say you have a corporate server running a server version of MSP360 Drive with a cloud folder dedicated to presentations. One day you're working on a PowerPoint presentation and then decide to share it with one of you co-workers. Just put the presentation in that folder and your colleague will be able to grab it from there, as mounted drives are visible to all users within the domain. However, avoid simultaneously collaborating with somebody on the same file because it might lead to unintended consequences. Why? Let's examine this situation more closely.
If your colleague opens that presentation, modifies it and saves it back to the same folder, MSP360 Drive will overwrite your version. And if at that moment you were working on this presentation and pressed Ctrl+S, MSP360 Drive will overwrite your colleague's version with your version. The last modification will always overwrite the current version of the file. That's also true of all other files that you might want to share with other people. You can share the files any time you want; however, avoid simultaneous modification of the same file.
When Not to Use MSP360 Drive
Simultaneous Enterprise-Wide Access
In the last paragraph we urged you not to simultaneously collaborate on the same file in the cloud via MSP360 Drive. The reason we highlight this issue is that many people end up being burnt by having their modifications overwritten by another person working on the same file. MSP360 Drive in this sense is not a tool for teamwork and should best be reserved for individual use.
If you have a corporate server running MSP360 Drive which authorizes all employees to access some cloud storage, instruct them not to open the same files simultaneously. Rather, each should open their copy of any given file at any given moment and perform all modifications without others accessing that same file.
Accessing Frequently-Modified Files
Another poor use-case of MSP360 Drive is accessing frequently-modified files like SQL databases or something of the sort. Sure, it is indeed convenient to free up space on your computer by offloading large databases to the cloud and yet having them at hand with the help of MSP360 Drive. However, if you have some application constantly accessing the database, it means that for every request MSP360 Drive has to download the entire database, modify it, and then upload it back to the cloud. At a certain point the upload queue will become so long that the app will attempt to endlessly upload and download the file, resulting in poor overall performance.
It's crucial to remember that all files are in fact in the cloud even though they're displayed in Windows Explorer. Sending numerous request to a file via MSP360 Drive is not recommended and will invariably end up in poor performance. If you constantly need to update some database or logging files, it's best to consider using MSP360 Backup for such purposes.
Modifying Sizeable Files
Another poor application of MSP360 Drive is modifying sizeable files in the cloud. When you perform such an operation on a local file, it's never a big deal and can be done in no time. Suppose you want to put an extra file in a local archive. Simply drag-and-drop the file into the archive and you're done.
It's different with cloud files though. If you need to put even a small document into a 10-gigabyte cloud archive via MSP360 Drive, just think of all the operations that need to be performed. First, the entire archive has to be downloaded; then the file has to be put inside the archive; and only then the entire 10-GB archive is to be uploaded back to the cloud. It seems like a straightforward operation at first glance, yet it might take you a day to perform all necessary procedures.
MSP360 Drive and Antivirus Software
While not exactly a use-case, it's worth mentioning that MSP360 Drive does not work well with antivirus software running in the background. The issue here results from the fact that most antiviruses constantly scan or observe files and folders in search of some sort of malicious software in them. It's not a problem for local files, but once again — it's different for cloud files. If an antivirus scans the cloud storage integrated into Windows Explorer by means of MSP360 Drive, you can only imagine how this will slow down your personal interaction with the cloud files.
Conclusion
MSP360 Drive is a handy tool that integrates most cloud storage services into Windows Explorer and lets you interact with cloud files the way you would with local files. Uploading, downloading and sharing files are all tasks that MSP360 Drive can effortlessly and seamlessly perform for you. However, more demanding tasks like accessing frequently-modified files or collaboration on cloud files should best be reserved for more professional-grade software that is designed to handle such workflows. Feel free to try MSP360 Drive and share your feedback in the comment section below.
