Best Backup Solution? NAS?

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jkam

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What does everyone use for their backup solutions? I've never been interested in full system backups just files...docs, photos, videos etc. Up until now I've had a usb enclosure with 2 1TB drives in it that I've copied the contents from one to the other for a little redundancy. Anyway as you can imagine this can be quite cumbersome. I'm looking for something that can do RAID 1 and something I don't have to do much with.

I'm looking at this right now as it also has some other nice features (itunes server etc.)

http://www.amazon.com/Synology-Disk...pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1354822688&sr=1-1&keywords=nas

I've thought of building my own using FreeNas but I don't think I have the time currently and I don't want to have to configure everything.

Any help is appreciated.
 
I don't have too much to offer, but since no one else has replied, I figure I'll give you my $.02 worth...

I have an older Synology DS209 and at this point, I pretty much just use it as a glorified external drive. I haven't really used any of the server features so I can't really comment on those. I did try to use the backup/sync feature to keep my laptop automatically backed up, but I found it difficult to figure out exactly what the client software on my laptop was doing, so I didn't have any confidence in the backups that were being created. I keep all of my photos on it, but I had to save them in a separate folder and not use the Synology photo organizer app. I tried putting them where Synology wants you to store them, but then the box was constantly indexing the photos and the drives would never idle, which I did not like.

I'm several Synology software updates behind, so things may have improved but I don't know...

For a backup solution, I like to decide specifically what files/folders need to be backed up rather than let some program decide what needs to be backed up based on some vague criteria it's given. For this, I use a free tool called Karen's Replicator that can be found here:

http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

This tool lets you define backup sets and run them individually or in groups, manually or on a schedule. You can also create shortcuts that cause a particular set of backups to run so you can use them with the Windows scheduler.

I've created a backup set that includes everything I can't recover by reinstalling windows/drivers/apps, which means all of my personal files, like documents, email, photos, address book, etc. I run this backup on the local hard drive (once the backup has run, I have a duplicate set of personal files on the same drive) then I copy the backup set of files to the NAS. I date the backups and keep the last 2 sets. Once the latest backup is successfully copied to the NAS, I delete the oldest existing backup on the NAS and delete the backup from my laptop. Hope that makes sense.

Oh, and I run the Synology as a RAID 1, so anything I put there is automatically backed up.
 
I use one of my older gaming rigs as my NAS server using FreeNAS. As you said, its a bit more work involved in getting one up and running compared to the off the shelf NAS boxes, but you also get 10x the abilities and control. Once you set it up (and its very easy with all the helpful guides and tutorials online), it really shouldn't take you that much time to configure, compared to one from synology or QNAP.

Plus the Zettabyte file structure that's used on FreeNAS is based upon FreeBSD which is based on Oracle's Solaris, which is one of the most powerful UNIX server OS in the world. It's very technical, but because its file system is paired with the hardware/logical volume manager, it has an incredible fault tolerant abilities for data security that you won't get from Synology or QNAP. It's also nice to have the ability of RAID like drive array's without the need of expensive RAID hardware; even can do a higher three drive bit parity of a volume called RAID-Z3.

The biggest downside with ZFS and FreeNAS, you need lots and lots of RAM. 1-2GB for every TB of storage space. Although, you can use an SSD as a cheap RAM disk if you somehow go over 16 or 32GB of ram on most modern mobo's.


If you want super simple, then get a drobo, but you pay the premium for their simplicity and lack of features.
 
If you're doing only one PC, Carbonite will be cheaper, easier and survive more than an external/NAS will. There's other competitors too, like Mozy which is really good. I know offhand though that Carbonite's customer service is really good.

If you need multiple PCs and want a local box with simplicity, Western Digital's MyBook World Editions (the newest series is called "MyBook Live") are nice. (100-150 for single, 300-400 for 2 drive) the backup software that comes with these is great, will keep multiple versions of files and constantly backup. The only problem with these boxes is that they are slow when compared to other NAS units (that are sold as a unit, you put drives in,) but other NAS units will also be more expensive so you get what you pay for.

The transfer rate on the WD MyBooks are usually about 10-15mb/sec over a network, which is perfectly fine for backup purposes. It may start to choke if you want a full fledged blu ray server.
 
The downside with using offsite/online backup services like Carbonite or Mozy, you will be severely limited by how much data you can realistically backup due to your upload bandwidth, unless you are a lucky SOB and have Verizon FIOS with 150/65 fiber to the house. They are great services if you plan on saving a few gigs of stuff here and there, but when you get to the point of needing TB's worth of data, online can't touch NAS for constant backups.

Anyone who is serious about proper NAS functions on your network should also invest in gigabit Ethernet.

As for WD MyBook Live, 10-15 mb/sec transfer rate is so terrible that my neighbors cat could move files faster than that. If anything, it would be cheaper just to get a few drives, stuff them in your current box and setup a shared network drive. At 300-400 price point, I'd recommend an entry level QNAP or Synology NAS over that... Shit, you can even get a drobo at that price.
 
I don't back up major files like I use to anymore. I just use email. I email myself files that I think are important and call it a day.
 
Well I have a double backup.

Has a 1TB Windows Drive and a 3 TB backup drive. That 1TB does Windows Backups and files backups to that 3TB.

I also pay 50 dollar a year to CrashPlan, unlimited backup data and it backs up online without any issues. So I sleep better at night knowing I have a double backup plan.
 
[quote name='JBaz']The downside with using offsite/online backup services like Carbonite or Mozy, you will be severely limited by how much data you can realistically backup due to your upload bandwidth, unless you are a lucky SOB and have Verizon FIOS with 150/65 fiber to the house. They are great services if you plan on saving a few gigs of stuff here and there, but when you get to the point of needing TB's worth of data, online can't touch NAS for constant backups.

Anyone who is serious about proper NAS functions on your network should also invest in gigabit Ethernet.

As for WD MyBook Live, 10-15 mb/sec transfer rate is so terrible that my neighbors cat could move files faster than that. If anything, it would be cheaper just to get a few drives, stuff them in your current box and setup a shared network drive. At 300-400 price point, I'd recommend an entry level QNAP or Synology NAS over that... Shit, you can even get a drobo at that price.[/QUOTE]

Carbonite works great even with DSL connections with 1m/256k speeds (which is the norm for older installations around DC)

10-15 isn't fast but it's what you get for the price.

Both Carbonite and the WD backup software only upload what's changed. So if all you do is edit 10 Word documents today, that's all it uploads. So slow connection speeds or slow NAS isn't really a big deal. The only time you have a problem is if you have monster PST outlook databases, or monster video files.
 
If it was between Carbonite and WD backup crap, I'd go with Carbonite.

But seriously, the backup abilities on FreeNAS is way more powerful. Any backup sessions you do will create a seamless image of any sized volume multiple of times without adding any unnecessary space over time. Because the file system knows what files are exactly what, when and where; the same file that's referenced in multiple places from multiple backup points would all get referenced to one file instead of it being copied 3 or 4 times. This saves an incredible amount of space.

This way you get to see hundreds of backup points of a whole volume at any given period like a timeline (snapshot) in case a file was recently misplaced and lost, then found and edited without the original in the most recent backup. Some of these backup software programs would just replace an old document with the new one if you saved over the original. The only backup software that I know of that mimics this is True Image 2013, but I'm not entirely sure how the software does it since this feature is built within the way the file structure of ZFS works.
 
I think I'm going with the Synology NAS,well I asked for it for Christmas anyway. There is a part of me that feels I might regret not building a little FreeNAS box but after thinking about what I really need right now it's my time over building and configuring something. Overall I need a few things:

1. More Space - I plan on going with 2 3TB drives for this (This will triple my storage space from the current 2 1TB drives).
2. Something that is always on as opposed to leaving my gaming desktop on constantly (which I don't normally do anyway).
3. Somewhere to store everything to take the load off my desktop's hard drive and laptop hard drive. I think at this point I'd rather have my data elsewhere and no longer on local drives. I can stream music and videos.
4. Simple backup solution that I don't have to manage. (in this case Raid 1 so one drive backs up the other).

I'm guessing this NAS will fit my needs for now.
 
Honestly, if you need simple two drive NAS with some functionality, prebuilt NAS boxes like Synology is the way to go. If you are a power user and need a NAS with 4 or more drives, then building your own NAS server box would be cheaper (4-5 drive NAS is in the $700+ price point, more and it reaches 1100+).
 
[quote name='JBaz']Honestly, if you need simple two drive NAS with some functionality, prebuilt NAS boxes like Synology is the way to go. If you are a power user and need a NAS with 4 or more drives, then building your own NAS server box would be cheaper (4-5 drive NAS is in the $700+ price point, more and it reaches 1100+).[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the replies and info. I'm glad my current thinking in using the Synology was on track. If I do decide to build it out at some point I'll know who to ask for help :)
 
I prefer having an external drive which is dedicated to backups as it doesn't saturate my network but you can eliminate/manage a lot of that saturation anyhow. (BITS if it supports it/advanced task scheduling/third-party software/etc.)

Either way I personally just use an online solution as well as local manual backups. For someone who just wants to set-it-and-forget-it for a single PC I'd recommend something along the lines of a Seagate Backup Plus.

I download/stream a lot of data constantly though and I'm old-hat so local manual with an online redundancy suits me best. (the last thing I want is something using up cycles or saturating my network when I'm trying to play some game and especially an online game)
 
A simple external drive is not an easy solution for constant backups, specially when you have multiple computers you want to backup on a regular schedule, unless you are very diciplined and determined like an IT sysadmin (but today's sysadmins are lazy and rather spend the hour to setup a script to save time down the line, which is what most backup software will easily do). It also increases the risk of data loss with a single drive that's use to store your more sensitive data, documents, pictures or videos.

And you shouldn't have to worry about saturating your network with a NAS once its setup and working, since you would configure backup times during low usage, just like you would with online/offsite storage such as Mozy or Carbonite.

The added benefit with many pre-built NAS boxes now is to allow for video streaming to smart tv's, dvd players or streaming devices like the Roku so you in it self become your own netflix, plus you can easily set them up for offsite access as your own cloud storage when you are not home. When I was doing pro photography a lot, I'd have my server at home online 24/7, FTP in and access my years of photo collection if I need high res, raw image of files when I'm on the road for a client or whatever project I was working on.


Also, if you have issues with QoS (quality of service) when playing games due to bandwidth issues, then you really need to upgrade your router/switch or the very least setup/configure what you have better. Even when stressing out my bandwidth, having priority over network packets for certain applications (like games) allows me not lag out, even if I'm downloading gigs of files. And seriously, 99% of American's broadband abilities will not even stress a 100 mb/sec network or even a home wireless network.

As for "using up cycles"... you setup the backup tools from the NAS. You just connect to the NAS like a router, follow their guidelines on how it can see your computer(s) on the internal network and setup times to when it should pull files from your computer(s). Some may have backup software to install on each computer if you wanted to, but its nothing more than a simple way for network discovery and runs as a service, barely taking out any cpu cycles...

And seriously? worried about a service using up "precious" cpu cycles when half of today's modern gaming engines barely stresses out most quad core cpu's from 3 years ago?
 
The funny thing is I don't even want to "backup" my local computers. I just want to throw all my data into the NAS (have it back itself up) and be able to access the data from which ever computer. I think I'm just tired of my drives filling up with stuff. I'd rather have the freedom of not worrying that if my computer crashes I lost a video or picture. I also want the freedom to change the OS in my main rig if I feel like it. I think once I get the NAS up and running I'll put a SSD in my computer and dual boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu. I guess the other part of my issue is I have a 1TB drive in my computer now that is filling up with stuff. I just want to keep it simple at this point.
 
raspberry pi + selfpowered usb external drive = cheap lowpowered NAS with linux OS and you can access your files remotely
 
[quote name='shosh']raspberry pi + selfpowered usb external drive = cheap lowpowered NAS with linux OS and you can access your files remotely[/QUOTE]
If someone is not tech savvy, this is a terrible DIY idea for a beginner who wants simplicity.
Not everyone can cook, but they can watch the food network channel and imagine that they could... same principle applies here.

Best thing for an average person is to get an off the shelf pre-built NAS box instead of spending hours figuring out how to do this himself. OP didn't want to mess with research or spend excessive amount of time in configuring or learn something if he doesn't have to. At least if something does go wrong with a real NAS product, he can easily call CS with Synology, QNAP or whomever to get his NAS up and running instead of running to some internet forum that may or may not have an answer to his problem.
 
you dont have to be tech savvy to use a raspberry pi. if you know linux (and really, you should by now) you can easily use it. and there are so many uses its insane, including making a mame machine or a xbmc device for your tv. its cheap and does a ton more.

and keep in mind, this was made for children to learn python language.

and if you want support,
forum support is crazy for rapsberry than any old NAS, and way better than calling CS from some company.
 
[quote name='JBaz']
And seriously? worried about a service using up "precious" cpu cycles when half of today's modern gaming engines barely stresses out most quad core cpu's from 3 years ago?[/QUOTE]

I keep a tyrannical stranglehold on my home network and main machine.;)

I do work with a lot of video though and that stuff gets so far out-of-hand so quickly.
 
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You do realize that even my cousin's 4 year old daughter is more technically experienced than my parents do when it comes to PC's... Shit, I know plenty of children that are smarter than college degree holding adults, specially when our culture switched to the "instant gratification, facebook/twitter 24/7, bitch & moan like a baby until it works again" generation...

Even then, some people just don't have the patience or time to deal with a DIY project, no matter how simple or "easy" it could be. Time is money.

Of what I've learned over the years, easy to one is rocket science for another. Popularity of Apple products proves this theory (as in apple fanatics believe a computer runs on fairy dust and magic; tell the same people that their mac's need windows/unix to run properly over the internet, they will argue that you are a "stupid poopyhead with no taste in fashion").

^Get a proper network management tool or router/firewall with network management functions builtin. Your idea of control is actually less control than you think.
 
I agree.

Clients pay me good money to do sometimes seemingly trivial computer things. I don't mind even the easiest of jobs because they keep the bills paid xD

(that's also why it's hard to solve problems on the net sometimes, there isn't one solution, it's based on so many variables)
 
I'm guessing I'd be better served by upgrading my router to a gigabit one as well since my main rig and this will be on the same router. Then again I've procrastinated for quite a while on that front so might not be a bad thing. That's the problem with upgrading though, I guess the search begins.
 
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