I have a Synology 213 ordered along with 2 2TB drives. I'm using the NAS strictly for file storage and backup, so I don't think I'll use a RAID setup. Instead, I'd like to use one drive for storage and use the other for backup. It's my understanding that this isn't the best use of RAID since there are numerous situations in which RAID isn't exactly a reliable backup solution (e.g. user error, deleting files by accident). I've read that you can externally hook up a hard drive via USB and use the backup software built into the 213, but can you also backup to an internal drive in the second bay? Or will I need to buy an external closure for my second hard drive and hook it up via USB?
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Quick Question About Backing Up to NAS
- Thread starter adamrobertson
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I can't answer the specifics on the Synology but I would recommend using an external drive for backing up the data on the NAS. That would give you a separate backup that can be placed elsewhere to protect against fire, theft, and hardware disasters.
You "must" have a second storage unit as a fallback for when your individual drives fail. A USB drive will do that provided you make the effort to keep it current.
To help avoid this, RAID NAS users have a RAID 1 setup (two drives), which allows one drive to fail without losing all the data. But the downside is that you need drives of twice the capacity. Even then you also need a second storage unit (USB is fine because your data is not lost, it's just unprotected against a second drive failure). Here, the second unit is to guard against fire, theft, hardware failure of the first unit etc.
You can create a backup task that will backup to an internal drive in the second bay. However, using an USB enclosure allows you to keep one bay free for future upgrade. In addition, your USB disk will have a "simple" formatting (only ext3, ext4 ou FAT32 alas) and if a problem with your 213 arise, you can plug your USB disk directly to a computer.
2 bay Synology - fill both disks and set up Raid0 for performance. Even though its only being used for storage, it'll speed up the rate at which files are moved on and off of it.
Next, use an external drive connected directly into the back of the NAS, depending upon the connection you have available. USB is workable, just slower. The Synology I used to have had 2 esata ports in the back so I connected an external drive via esata.
You can set this up as a separate volume, and use the Synology backup app to schedule a weekly, or daily backup to it. That way its all automatic - no need for you to do anything.
If you want to keep the external drive offsite, simply unplug and take it away. Bring it back once a week, or whenever you want to backup, connect it up, and let the NAS back itself up onto it.
Next, use an external drive connected directly into the back of the NAS, depending upon the connection you have available. USB is workable, just slower. The Synology I used to have had 2 esata ports in the back so I connected an external drive via esata.
You can set this up as a separate volume, and use the Synology backup app to schedule a weekly, or daily backup to it. That way its all automatic - no need for you to do anything.
If you want to keep the external drive offsite, simply unplug and take it away. Bring it back once a week, or whenever you want to backup, connect it up, and let the NAS back itself up onto it.