NAS Question-Backup?

[brn2rnjk1]

Thanks for all the helpful posts on NAS. I am thinking like many of buying a synology NAS to run iTunes for both movies and music (with my Sonos player), plus keep home made movies and photos. My wife's Imac which does this now is almost at 1T and I think a centralized NAS will be a good solutions.

However, as I have learned, NAS is not a backup. So, what do people do for backup of the media they have on NAS. Right now, we use standalone portable HD for each computer and Crashplan. But I am wondering if people use to backup their NAS.

Thanks

 

[flynz4]

Thanks for all the helpful posts on NAS. I am thinking like many of buying a synology NAS to run iTunes for both movies and music (with my Sonos player), plus keep home made movies and photos. My wife's Imac which does this now is almost at 1T and I think a centralized NAS will be a good solutions.

However, as I have learned, NAS is not a backup. So, what do people do for backup of the media they have on NAS. Right now, we use standalone portable HD for each computer and Crashplan. But I am wondering if people use to backup their NAS.

Thanks

This is exactly why I do not use any of our NAS boxes for storage of primary data. There are backup solutions for NAS boxes... but they are limited compared to the backup solutions available in a full computer.

NAS is ideal for sharing data between family members... or to media players. Personally... that is how I choose to use them... but the data is NOT primary... just copies of my data.

I choose to keep all of my primary data on a Mac.

At some point, I will probably get a Mac Mini Server w/external DAS storage... and use that as my NAS... and get rid of the NAS boxes that I already own. The main reason is because it would allow me the full range of backup options... both local and cloud.

/Jim

 

[brn2rnjk1]

So, you keep all media both on you NAS and also local individual macs? Isn't the MacMini just an expensive NAS that is non-expandable?

 

[brentmore]

I've got a Synology NAS for my media, but my computer's backup data goes through my APE USB attached HD. Synology's software will also enable backing up the media on the NAS to a USB connected HD. It's a lot of devices floating around, but to me it's the safest method and doesn't take up too much room, especially when tucked away in a cabinet.

 

[flynz4]

So, you keep all media both on you NAS and also local individual macs? Isn't the MacMini just an expensive NAS that is non-expandable?

I keep primary data on one main computer (iMac). From there it is double backed up (local + cloud). I have a wide range of backup choices. I have used different combinations of Time Machine/Time Capsule, Crashplan+, Mozy, and CCC.

I also have a couple of different NAS boxes... and I only keep copies of data on the NAS. Therefore... I do not need to worry about backing up the NAS. I am not really satisfied with the backup options available for NAS. Local backup is OK. Cloud backup is limited.

I do not have a Mac Mini yet (I said that I might move to that over time). The big advantage (for me) of using a Mini as a home server (and NAS)... is that it is a full OSX machine... and I have the choice of the full range of backup options. At that point, I *WOULD* be open to keeping primary data on the Mac Mini (NAS). The reason is because it also could be double backed up to any backup destination with just about any backup program.

/Jim

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I've got a Synology NAS for my media, but my computer's backup data goes through my APE USB attached HD. Synology's software will also enable backing up the media on the NAS to a USB connected HD. It's a lot of devices floating around, but to me it's the safest method and doesn't take up too much room, especially when tucked away in a cabinet.

Do you backup your NAS to the cloud as well? Personally... I want my data backed up locally, and to the cloud automatically without any human intervention.

/Jim

 

[= bluntman =]

I have a Synology 412+ in a RAID 10 configuration with 4x 2TB WD Red drives. Right now I have less than 1TB in data on the NAS but as a backup device, I am using a 2TB Lacie D2 Quadra connected to one of the USB 3.0 ports on the NAS with regularly scheduled weekly backups.

 

[drsox]

All of this depends on how much data you have and how valuable it is. It's easy to get anal about data, but think of this. I presume you have a valuable-to-you collection of DVDs, possibly of books and maybe of CDs. Do you worry about fire and/or theft ? Do you keep a copy of all this in another secure location ? I guess not.

Data that is unique and can't be replaced (photos, accounts, personal documents) clearly are something else - IMO that's the stuff that needs a more careful backup strategy.

I do the following :

I have 9TB or so of stuff, mostly video with 350GB of audio and 50GB of data. I keep this on a 6drive NAS with another exactly the same 6drive NAS as a mirror that is turned on once a week. Both units are UPS protected. Most active data is on the NAS, which I access from my MBA. I back-up changed local MBA data every day with CCC (there's not very much of this) and run an off-line backup to a USB drive every few months. That way I am protected from most SW and HW failures and partly against fire/theft/catastrophe etc.

 

[Ifti]

As the above poster stated, it depends on how much data you need to backup. Also, can you be selective with the data that needs to be backed up?

I had a 5 bay Synology with all of my data. I connected a DX510 expansion unit, also 5 bay, with the same size drives as the NAS (all 2TB) - hence both units were the same in size. The expansion unit can be used to expand the original volume, but I wanted to use it for backup. As a result, all my data on my NAS was synchronised and backed up to the expansion unit regularly. All worked flawlessly.

I have now sold the NAS and expansion unit to a business, and will be setting it up for them tomorrow using 10x 3TB disks. Again, they will be using the expansion unit as a direct backup of the NAS.

If you do not have as much data, you could always use an external HDD connected directly into the back of the NAS to backup?

I have just purchased my Mac Mini server, which I will use instead of the NAS as an always on, headless, unit. I will add DAS as and when I need it. For me, it's much more flexible then the NAS as its a full on server running in a full OS, rather then the limitations of a NAS where you have to add packages for certain tasks, if they are even available.
I guess it comes down to your uses and requirements. Although backup is very important and its good you are considering it straight off the bat.

 

[brn2rnjk1]

As the above poster stated, it depends on how much data you need to backup. Also, can you be selective with the data that needs to be backed up?

I had a 5 bay Synology with all of my data. I connected a DX510 expansion unit, also 5 bay, with the same size drives as the NAS (all 2TB) - hence both units were the same in size. The expansion unit can be used to expand the original volume, but I wanted to use it for backup. As a result, all my data on my NAS was synchronised and backed up to the expansion unit regularly. All worked flawlessly.

I have now sold the NAS and expansion unit to a business, and will be setting it up for them tomorrow using 10x 3TB disks. Again, they will be using the expansion unit as a direct backup of the NAS.

If you do not have as much data, you could always use an external HDD connected directly into the back of the NAS to backup?

I have just purchased my Mac Mini server, which I will use instead of the NAS as an always on, headless, unit. I will add DAS as and when I need it. For me, it's much more flexible then the NAS as its a full on server running in a full OS, rather then the limitations of a NAS where you have to add packages for certain tasks, if they are even available.
I guess it comes down to your uses and requirements. Although backup is very important and its good you are considering it straight off the bat.

So, the macmini will be your server for media? What will be your backup?
I understand that downsize of using the macmini as a server is initial cost and leaving it on all the time uses more energy than a NAS? But it seems people here think a full service OS is worth the extra?

 

[Ifti]

So, the macmini will be your server for media? What will be your backup?
I understand that downsize of using the macmini as a server is initial cost and leaving it on all the time uses more energy than a NAS? But it seems people here think a full service OS is worth the extra?

I'll be backing up to a DAS device - probably buy myself a 3TB external USB drive, which are pretty cheap.

I sold my NAS for £950 (with the expansion unit) in total. Thats also without the 6 drives I had in it (all 2TB each).

The Mac Mini cost me just shy of £950 (Mac Mini server, upgraded to 2.6GHz CPU and with Applecare). The 8GB RAM cost me £30.
Hence the sale of my NAS unit covers most of the above.

That still leaves me with a WD Powerline Kit I no longer need (£60), the 4GB RAM I will remove from the Mini, and the 6 Hard drives to sell.
Should be plenty enough to cover a 3TB external drive, and I have my eye on a GoPro Hero3 Black edition as well

In regards to power - The 5 bay NAS has to spin up 5 3.5" drives and draw power for itself. I believe the mini will be much more power efficient - it only draws 11w when idle. The mini should be just as efficient, maybe slightly more then my prevous NAS.

 

[drsox]

I'll be backing up to a DAS device - probably buy myself a 3TB external USB drive, which are pretty cheap.

I sold my NAS for £950 (with the expansion unit) in total. Thats also without the 6 drives I had in it (all 2TB each).

The Mac Mini cost me just shy of £950 (Mac Mini server, upgraded to 2.6GHz CPU and with Applecare). The 8GB RAM cost me £30.
Hence the sale of my NAS unit covers most of the above.

That still leaves me with a WD Powerline Kit I no longer need (£60), the 4GB RAM I will remove from the Mini, and the 6 Hard drives to sell.
Should be plenty enough to cover a 3TB external drive, and I have my eye on a GoPro Hero3 Black edition as well

In regards to power - The 5 bay NAS has to spin up 5 3.5" drives and draw power for itself. I believe the mini will be much more power efficient - it only draws 11w when idle. The mini should be just as efficient, maybe slightly more then my prevous NAS.

And what do you do when your 3TB drive fails ? Or is there a second mirrored drive ?

 

[Ifti]

And what do you do when your 3TB drive fails ? Or is there a second mirrored drive ?

You can buy WD Mirror drives with thunderbolt, which incorporate 2x3Tb drives in a mirrored configuration, although they are pretty expensive and I want a cheaper solution.
If the 3TB fails I have the data on the Mac mini anyway, so will grab another drive and recreate my backup - no different to having the NAS and a single backup of that. Ideally I want to look into cloud backups as well so I have one remote and one local.
Nevertheless, just giving the OP an idea or two, without derailing the thread with my setup too much more!

 

[flynz4]

And what do you do when your 3TB drive fails ? Or is there a second mirrored drive ?

I'll eventually be doing the same... shutting down my NAS boxes and moving to a Mac Mini Server. With this... you have the full range of backup options. At a minimum, I will:

• Backup locally via TM to either a TC, or (more likely) to local HDD array
• Backup to the cloud using my unlimited Crashplan+ family plan

For me... "Backup options" is the beauty of using a Mac Mini (or Mac Mini Server) as my home NAS.

/Jim