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Backup Solutions For The Home - Opinions Needed

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  • Backup
  • Storage
  • Video
  • Digital
Last response: in Storage
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December 20, 2013 5:19:57 AM

As most people have these days, I have a growing collection of digital photos and videos. The rate of growth on digital video is obviously the fastest. I've taken regular videos (especially with the onset of better smartphone video) since my daughter was born (now 6.) I couldn't fathom losing these videos.

I am looking for storage suggestions. Let me tell you my current setup.

My main PC has a 2TB C drive, which hosts the OS and most of my Windows 8.1 libraries (Photos, Documents, Music.) I have 2TB D Drive which has my digital videos.

I currently backup with FILE HISTORY to a Western Digital My Book Live DUO NAS. While I've been questioned about this, I run my backup drive as a RAID0 so I can get the full 8TB that this device offers for backups. My comfort level was that the chances of both my system drives and backup drives dying at once would be slim and I can always rebuild/repair/replace the RAID0 NAS if needed. I also "auxiliary copy" my documents and photos backups through iDrive online backup and SkyDrive. I do not have an auxiliary copy of my digital videos. I am considering a weekly dump to an external 4TB drive and keeping at work.

So, here's the meat of my question. Too many people think it is suicide for me to remain on RAID0 even if I think I am OK with rebuilding it if and when it fails. I remain on RAID0 because I want the SPACE. However, I may be better with some JBODS and a different backup program so I can selectively choose when I back up...how long to keep the backups...which drives they should go to, In this, I've considered changing my NAS to RAID1 just for the extra redundancy. But then, do I trust the NAS OS to not fail me (which I've read many bad reviews on just about all NAS units when the NAS OS fails and how hard it is to recover).

So, looking for suggestions for a good backup program that doesn't slow my system down, options for storage and if I should have RAID drives at home or JBODS for backing up.

Thanks...
Brian

More about : backup solutions home opinions needed

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a c 133 G Storage
December 20, 2013 5:36:56 AM

You can't rebuild RAID 0, except for blowing it away and starting from scratch. I'd be looking at a NAS with more than two bays, and RAID 5.

Personally, I use Syncback. It's very customisable, and quite fast.

Offsite backups are good. If you've got a friend with a NAS and decent internet connections, you can sync what you consider important directories.
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December 20, 2013 5:55:22 AM

garak0410 said:
As most people have these days, I have a growing collection of digital photos and videos. The rate of growth on digital video is obviously the fastest. I've taken regular videos (especially with the onset of better smartphone video) since my daughter was born (now 6.) I couldn't fathom losing these videos.

I am looking for storage suggestions. Let me tell you my current setup.

My main PC has a 2TB C drive, which hosts the OS and most of my Windows 8.1 libraries (Photos, Documents, Music.) I have 2TB D Drive which has my digital videos.

I currently backup with FILE HISTORY to a Western Digital My Book Live DUO NAS. While I've been questioned about this, I run my backup drive as a RAID0 so I can get the full 8TB that this device offers for backups. My comfort level was that the chances of both my system drives and backup drives dying at once would be slim and I can always rebuild/repair/replace the RAID0 NAS if needed. I also "auxiliary copy" my documents and photos backups through iDrive online backup and SkyDrive. I do not have an auxiliary copy of my digital videos. I am considering a weekly dump to an external 4TB drive and keeping at work.

So, here's the meat of my question. Too many people think it is suicide for me to remain on RAID0 even if I think I am OK with rebuilding it if and when it fails. I remain on RAID0 because I want the SPACE. However, I may be better with some JBODS and a different backup program so I can selectively choose when I back up...how long to keep the backups...which drives they should go to, In this, I've considered changing my NAS to RAID1 just for the extra redundancy. But then, do I trust the NAS OS to not fail me (which I've read many bad reviews on just about all NAS units when the NAS OS fails and how hard it is to recover).

So, looking for suggestions for a good backup program that doesn't slow my system down, options for storage and if I should have RAID drives at home or JBODS for backing up.

Thanks...
Brian



Someone Somewhere said:
You can't rebuild RAID 0, except for blowing it away and starting from scratch. I'd be looking at a NAS with more than two bays, and RAID 5.

Personally, I use Syncback. It's very customisable, and quite fast.

Offsite backups are good. If you've got a friend with a NAS and decent internet connections, you can sync what you consider important directories.


Thanks for your input. Interesting you recommend RAID5 when I've seen so many others say RAID1 is good for home use. We have a RAID5 Archive NAS here at work and as luck would have it, it had two drives fail at once and we lost the array. But luckily, since we run Archives monthly, we also run a copy off site so we restored it all.

A 4 Disk Array will cost me more and provide me less storage (budget) but it may be the best. Was looking at the WD Sentinel or a NetGear ReadyNAS.
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