Hybrid cloud methods, apparatus and systems for secure file sharing and synchronization with backup and server virtualization

A method for establishing and maintaining at least one secure communication link between a private server apparatus for a trusted local area network (LAN) protected by a firewall and a relay server cluster outside of the trusted LAN and beyond the firewall so as to allow inbound data traffic to flow, via the Internet and the relay server cluster, from at least one remote web-access client device outside of the LAN and beyond the firewall to the private server apparatus behind the firewall, the method comprising:

• requesting and retrieving, by at least one processor at the private server apparatus, via the Internet, records associated with a first Device Access Services (DAS) server and a second DAS server;
• selecting and designating, by the at least one processor, one of the first DAS server and the second DAS server as the elected DAS server and designating the non-elected DAS server as the failover DAS server;
• transmitting, by the at least one processor via at least one communication interface of the private server apparatus, a first request to the elected DAS server over a first external port number, wherein the first request body contains a second external port number, and further wherein the first request causes the elected DAS server to establish a first reverse encrypted tunnel for data transfer on the second external port number for facilitating data transfer between the private server apparatus and the elected DAS server;
• monitoring, by the at least one processor, the at least one communication interface to determine if the first reverse encrypted tunnel for data transfer breaks;
• determining, by the at least one processor, that the first reverse encrypted tunnel for data transfer breaks;
• in response to the determination that the first reverse encrypted tunnel for data transfer breaks, transmitting, by the at least one processor via the at least one communication interface of the private server apparatus, a second request to the elected DAS server over the first external port number, wherein the second request body contains an updated external port number to communicate with the private server apparatus via the Internet;
• determining that the elected DAS server fails to respond to the second request;
• in response to the determination that the elected DAS server fails to respond to the second request, transmitting, by the at least one processor via the at least one communication interface of the private server apparatus, a third request to the failover DAS server over the first external port number, for a failover external port number of the failover DAS server used to communicate with the private server apparatus via the Internet;
• determining that the failover DAS server responds to the third request;
• and
• in response to the determination that the failover DAS server responds to the third request, transmitting, by the at least one processor via the at least one communication interface of the private server apparatus, a fourth request to the failover DAS server to open a second reverse encrypted tunnel for data transfer between the private server apparatus and the failover DAS server using the failover external port number of the failover DAS server, wherein the second reverse encrypted tunnel for data transfer serves as the at least one secure communication link between the private server apparatus and the failover DAS server to allow the inbound data traffic to flow from the at least one remote web-access client device to the private server apparatus.