[ale] Remote file systems and tunnels

[Alex Carver]

On 9/16/2013 14:21, Brian Mathis wrote:
> I've not used it for this, but maybe you should look into setting up a VPN
> between the two servers using OpenVPN.  This is essentially the same as
> what you're looking at using SSH for, except it would actually be a real
> VPN instead of hacking some stuff through SSH port forwards.
>

I've never set up a VPN so I'll likely have many questions when I get 
started.  For example:  if I set up the VPN server on one end and the 
client on the other then get them connected, is the connection 
bidirectional such that an initiator (e.g. ssh, browser, etc.) can be on 
either side or must all connections using the VPN be initiated on the 
client side of the VPN?

As an example, suppose the app server (machine A) is the VPN client and 
the file server is the VPN server (machine B) so that A initiates a 
connection to B.  Can an ssh client on B establish a connection to A 
going backwards from the A->B VPN link?