Data replication is one of those capabilities that sounds straightforward, until it isn’t.
For many organizations, keeping multiple sites in sync is essential for resilience, business continuity, performance, and compliance. Whether it’s active-active data centers, regional hubs, or disaster recovery environments, the expectation is simple: the right data should exist in the right place, at the right time.
In practice, replication often becomes fragile, inefficient, and operationally expensive.
We recently had the pleasure of working with one of our trusted partners, Timspark, an IT Services Provider, with a solid track record of deploying bTrade’s TDXchange for several of its clients. Timspark reached out to us for help with a critical data replication issue faced by one of its major healthcare clients.
The client operates both on-prem and cloud infrastructure, along with a disaster recovery (DR) environment. The client was frequently running into problems replicating data between these systems, which posed a serious risk to their operations and DR processes.
This is where bTrade has helped to rethink replication and not as raw file copying, but as a governed, intelligent data movement process using TDXchange with both AFTP and SFTP.
bTrade’s TDXchange offers a unique solution that combines Managed File Transfer (MFT) capabilities with robust data replication features. It supports replication using standard SFTP for smaller files and bTrade’s proprietary Accelerated File Transfer protocol for larger data sets. This flexibility was exactly what the client needed to ensure seamless replication across their infrastructure.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸
Across banking, media, retail, and government environments, replication underpins critical objectives:
• Business continuity and disaster recovery
• Regional data availability and performance
• Regulatory and data residency requirements
• Operational resilience during outages
When replication breaks down, teams see:
• Excessive data movement and wasted bandwidth
• Long synchronization windows
• Inconsistent datasets across sites
• Manual reconciliation after failures
From an executive perspective, the real question becomes:
“Can we replicate data efficiently, predictably, and defensibly without copying everything, every time?”
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀
Many replication solutions focus on brute-force transfer:
• Full directory mirroring
• Repeated transfer of unchanged files
• Limited visibility into what actually differs between sites
• Inefficient use of network bandwidth
This approach might work at small scale, but it quickly breaks down as data volumes grow and replication windows shrink.
The issue is not the protocol alone, it’s the lack of intelligence and orchestration around replication.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆
bTrade’s approach centers on treating replication as a controlled workflow, not a blind copy operation.
Using TDXchange as the orchestration and control layer, organizations gain visibility into what exists at each site, what has changed, and what actually needs to move. This enables differential replication, where only new or modified files are transferred.
TDXchange supports replication using:
• SFTP for secure, standards-based interoperability
• AFTP (Accelerated File Transfer Protocol) for high-volume or time-sensitive replication scenarios
The choice of protocol is driven by operational requirements and not limitations.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗗𝗫𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
TDXchange maintains awareness of file inventories and transfer state across sites, enabling it to:
• Track what files exist at the source and destination
• Identify differences between locations
• Replicate only missing or changed data
• Monitor progress and failures in real time
• Provide audit trails for all replication activity
This eliminates unnecessary transfers and significantly reduces replication time and bandwidth usage.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗣 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗙𝗧𝗣 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿
Different replication scenarios demand different tools:
• SFTP for Standards-Based Replication
SFTP is often used where interoperability, partner compatibility, or strict security policies are required. TDXchange leverages SFTP while still providing orchestration, monitoring, and governance.
• AFTP for High-Volume or Time-Critical Replication
For large datasets or tight replication windows, AFTP delivers a significant advantage. Built on UDP, AFTP is designed for sustained bulk data movement and can efficiently utilize available network bandwidth fully or at a configurable percentage without the constraints of traditional TCP-based protocols.
This makes AFTP particularly effective for:
• Large-scale site replication
• Media asset synchronization
• Analytics and data lake replication
• Disaster recovery scenarios with strict RTOs
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗲
Organizations using TDXchange with AFTP and SFTP for replication consistently achieve:
• Faster replication cycles
• Reduced network congestion
• Lower operational overhead
• More predictable recovery behavior
• Greater confidence in data consistency across sites
Most importantly, replication becomes repeatable and manageable, rather than a constant operational risk.
𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀
This approach has been applied across:
• Banking environments replicating regulatory and transactional data
• Media organizations synchronizing large production assets
• Retailers maintaining regional data hubs
• Government agencies supporting multi-site continuity
While each environment has unique requirements, the architectural pattern remains the same: intelligent change tracking, protocol flexibility, and centralized orchestration.
𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆
Replication is not about moving more data faster, it’s about moving only the data that matters, when and where it’s needed.
By combining TDXchange with AFTP and SFTP, bTrade helps organizations replace brute-force replication with a governed, efficient, and scalable model. The result is lower risk, better performance, and greater operational confidence across sites.
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿
Andrei Olin is Chief Technology Officer at bTrade, where he leads product strategy, delivery, and security across the company’s B2B, Managed File Transfer (MFT), and security platforms. He brings over 30 years of experience in enterprise technology, including designing and operating mission-critical MFT and messaging platforms for global financial institutions such as Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank. Andrei holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Information Technology with a focus on Information Security.
𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (𝗙𝗔𝗤𝘀)
𝗤: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗗𝗫𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲?
A: TDXchange tracks file inventories and transfer state at each site, allowing it to identify differences and replicate only new or changed data.
𝗤: 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗣?
A: No. TDXchange supports replication using both SFTP and AFTP. AFTP is used when higher performance or large-scale bulk transfer is required.
𝗤: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲?
A: Full replication wastes bandwidth, increases replication windows, and raises operational risk. Differential replication is faster and more efficient.
𝗤: 𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆?
A: Yes. TDXchange supports controlled, auditable replication workflows that align well with DR and business continuity requirements.
𝗤: 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀?
A: Yes. TDXchange supports on-prem, cloud, and hybrid deployments with consistent replication behavior.