Proper backup of NAS

[Audio_ELF]

Actually there is little more important than your family photos and videos. Mirroring is hardly too expensive for home use! I backup to 3 NAS! each mirrored. last NAS only gets photos.

+1

[EuroChamp]

Actually there is little more important than your family photos and videos. Mirroring is hardly too expensive for home use! I backup to 3 NAS! each mirrored. last NAS only gets photos.

 

Yes, mirroring is good - but not a backup. Mirroring is the first thing, you do not need for a good backup strategy.

 

+1 Three NAS without mirroring are better than two with mirroring.

... for home use. In a company we need a mirror to keep recovery time short.

[EuroChamp]

A good strategy is one NAS for the data, a second one for the backup.

 

And a third detachable drive (NAS) for a second backup from time to time in a regular basis. In a company this would be a tape drive. At home it could be one or more cheaper SATA harddrive(s).

But most of us are lazy and forget about to do that ...

Maybe some people have to learn their lessons first

[davide256]

A good strategy is one NAS for the data, a second one for the backup.

 

And a third detachable drive (NAS) for a second backup from time to time in a regular basis. In a company this would be a tape drive. At home it could be one or more cheaper SATA harddrive(s).

But most of us are lazy and forget about to do that ...

Maybe some people have to learn their lessons first

Was looking at the two NAS's I do have, they both have OS apps for backing up to a second NAS... now if only they didn't require both NAS's to be same

manufacturer...

[jabbr]

Yes, mirroring is good - but not a backup. Mirroring is the first thing, you do not need for a good backup strategy.

 

+1 Three NAS without mirroring are better than two with mirroring.

... for home use. In a company we need a mirror to keep recovery time short.

 

Depends on what type of data errors or failures you are trying to protect against, or are willing to accept.

 

Backups don't prevent bitrot, or the effects of cosmic radiation. Mirrors don't prevent loss from nuclear weapons.

 

Actually there is math that can compare the risk of complete data loss with either approach. Are you just giving your opinion or are you doing the math? In some cases mirrors can actually be a good backup strategy, for example ZFS allows mirrored zvols which can mirror to geographically distinct sites "hot backup" as its called.

 

As always YMMV

[EuroChamp]

Depends on what type of data errors or failures you are trying to protect against, or are willing to accept.

 

Backups don't prevent bitrot, or the effects of cosmic radiation. Mirrors don't prevent loss from nuclear weapons.

 

Actually there is math that can compare the risk of complete data loss with either approach. Are you just giving your opinion or are you doing the math? In some cases mirrors can actually be a good backup strategy, for example ZFS allows mirrored zvols which can mirror to geographically distinct sites "hot backup" as its called.

 

As always YMMV

 

So your solution is a mirror, at least on a different continent?

 

But you are right: We have to define, what we want to protect and how far we want to go! 100% will never be possible.

[EuroChamp]

Was looking at the two NAS's I do have, they both have OS apps for backing up to a second NAS... now if only they didn't require both NAS's to be same

manufacturer...

 

rsync is a onboard linux tool, every NAS should understand - but I do not know, which brands you have. I use rsync between a Ubuntu Linux fileserver and a Synology NAS.

[tboooe]

rsync is a onboard linux tool, every NAS should understand - but I do not know, which brands you have. I use rsync between a Ubuntu Linux fileserver and a Synology NAS.

 

Ok here is my crazy back up strategy. I use a combination of redundant NAS + Amazon Cloud. Using RSync I back up my old Thecus Raid 5 NAS to an even older ReadyNAS RAID 5 NAS. I also back up to a new QNAP NAS located at my brother's house who lives in another state. Finally, I use Amazon Cloud. I figure the liklihood of 3 NASs and Amazon Cloud getting somehow destroyed at the same time is low (I think).

[Audio_ELF]

I figure the liklihood of 3 NASs and Amazon Cloud getting somehow destroyed at the same time is low (I think).

Well perhaps the likelihood of 3 NASs an Amazon Cloud being destroyed AND you actually being in a position to care about the loss of your music is very low.

 

It is only 3 minutes to midnight after all (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - Doomsday Clock)

 

Just so long as you don't NFS mount them all and type rm -rf / as root. What I'm saying is there is always potential for user error!

[Audio_ELF]

oops duplicate!

[tboooe]

HA HA good point. If all 3 NASs and Amazon fail then I think we are in world of hurt!

 

Well perhaps the likelihood of 3 NASs an Amazon Cloud being destroyed AND you actually being in a position to care about the loss of your music is very low.

 

It is only 3 minutes to midnight after all (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - Doomsday Clock)

 

Just so long as you don't NFS mount them all and type rm -rf / as root. What I'm saying is there is always potential for user error!