NAS Family Album, Media Server And Backup

[AussieboyDK]

Heysan To Yall here from Denmark

 

I have been watching a bunch of your video's on how to get a good NAS/Server/Cloud Solution. And comming from a home that burned down in 2006, Im sort of getting to a point, where data security and backup is becomming essential.

I have approx 15 TB of data I need secured at this time.

 

So Im looking for a total solution that allows me to do the following:

 - Work from my home laptop localy, which auto or manual backs up to 2 locations.
   1 local server fx my old Synology DS414 or something new... (it currently has 4 x 4tb disks, raided in synologys ovn raid setup)
   1 cloud server (currently Dropbox, but space is far from whats needed). Would like something with cheap backup space for 40 TB. Have been looking at something like crashplan which currently has no limit. And the one device could be my synology server or which ever new device we build

   Both must be secured or even encrypted, so I dont loose all to identity theft or hackers!!!! 

   I have seen multible attacks on the synology server, once it goes online, which kind of scares me. Most seem to originate from China or india, but could be masked IP adress.

 

 - Filetypes or folders I need to access remotely and have backup of: Documents (i write a lot), Videos from training and coaching sessions, My digital audio library, Digitised DVD's, Workfiles like powerpoints etc, Software install files, game install files and maybe a steam and origin library (dont play much, so not essential), backup files from acronis, Our life in film photo and video library (note that all events have a seperate folder/tree struckture, which I need to keep)

 

 - Option to remove the local copy, but still have the 2 backups (to free up local space on phone or laptop for other new stuff)

 - Account management (username and password/single signon) for Direct and remote access from any device android, windows, browser or ios based

 - Content streamable to any device. Fx via app?

 - The Local server can be remote booted and turned off to save power, and keep harddrives working for longer. (this server will normaly only be on a few times pr month, when emptiyng phones for pictures or when access to files are needed)

 

 - Good pictureviewer. Fx Synology has a photostation, that allows to view photos. I cant however get it to work with my filestructure, and I want to be able to allow access to specific pictures and videos from that tree, to certain family member groups, and keep the rest private. Rights will be selected upon upload.

 

 

So my usecase scenarios i want to cover:

1. A hacker takes control of one of our 3 computers, because we clicked one of the clickbaits. We flush the device, and puts the latest acronis image on the device to completely restore all.

2. Latest version of the acronis backup was contaminated and system is taken over again or infected. We flush device and revert to one of the previous images. (normaly I keep a max of 3, but I was told there is such software that only backups 1 original image, and then adds changes to the next backups. Can acronis do this, or is there another?

 

3. We take a picture or video. Once on wifi, the files are auto synced to server. My only issue here is how to sync into my file structure. Folder is called "2019 08 14 - Event name" or "2019 08 14-23 - Event Period name"

 

4. One of the phones is full, and we are not shure all pictures have been synced to server. I want to see all files individual syncstatus like fx dropbox shows. Then I chose remove from this device only. Pictures are now safe on the server and in the cloud backup (after backupplan has been completed)

 

5. One of the images is a good one, i want to share with "family member group". We click picture from any device, and select share with... and then select the group. Group can now se that picture and only that one, as well as the other individual selected pictures or videos. 

 

6. Family Member group log on to app/cloud/other and can now se/download, maybe even comment each picture. They can also send them to a photoframe, that slideshows all shared pictures from all familiy members.

 

7. Other family members like our new solution, and wants to use our setup for their files. We create a useraccount and a folder just for them and admin. They can now also share with the same family member group. Or maybe even connect their own device like apples icloud folder for family or similar. They might also want to backup documents or other stuff. But this is only bonus feature, as most of this will need some sort of privacy filter.

 

8. I do a training/coaching session and safes pictures, audio or event videos from the session on my laptop. Folder autosyncs to server, and I now select share with trainee/coachee. They now have useraccount which allows access to those files. I dont want server to stay running, so a temp storage place like dropbox, might be a good way to have a temporary storage place.

 

9. We want to watch a movie. We start the server remotely via app or other? We select movie and play to chromecast, which is attached to home media center.

 

10. We have sonos in the house and have yousee music service attached. But a number or playlist is not possible to play, as yousee dont have all music in the world, but we have it on cd. We start server, move numbers to fx dropbox playlist folder, which sonos can access. Then we play music like always.

 

11. Same as before, but this time we are at a party, where I want to share some god video or music number. I remote boot the server and select number, then streams online to whichever system is working there. Either via my phone to jackstick or to chromecast.

 

12. Its time for the weekly backup. Server auto boots, and syncs the local databackup files. Server shuts off automaticly once backup is complete. It also syncronise all photos/videos/docs etc, from all devices added to the storage. Before shutdown, data is send to cloudservice backup service as well. 

 

13. A picture was in the wrong folder. Its moved on any device to the right folder, and this change is autosynced, as soon as the server goes online again.

 

14. Server hardware fails. CPU fx. Part is replaced or disks moved to new server setup. Settings are also backed up, so even though the new server might have better options, old settings can still be reused. 

14.1 Disk fails. Alert is send via email or sms, once home, I replace damaged disk, and server initialise the new disk and recreates the raid volume. In case multible disks fail, they are also changed, and backup from cloud is flashed onto the new array.

 

15. I want to share just one or a few large files. A share link is send via email, which grants read right to that file alone. Again a service like dropbox could work for this, however space in the dropbox is very expensive to expand beyond 1 tb. 

 

16. Electric bill is to high this month. Backupplan is changed to once pr 14 days. just to save a little extra.

 

17. Once a year al the old boys come together for a LAN party. Server is booted and all game libraries can now be shared by others. 

 

18. Cloud is hacked/deleted/bombed by terrorists or other. Local server is attached to new backup service, and new deal is made for backup.

 

 

There are probably many more scenarios I want to cover. However my biggest concern is keeping the monthly cost down.

 - Electric bill

 - New disks every 3 years (which is the normal runtime for a servergrade harddrive i supose) is to much. Must last longer. Thus not needed to be on all the time.

 - Cloud service bill must be low. 10$ pr month is okay, but more than that will screw this private server backup initiative up.

 

Today i use 

 - Free dropbox with 12 gb space for file sync. (have been getting 50GB promocodes with new phones, but stil space runs out to fast)

 - 6 local harddrives attached to usb hub, powered on one every 14 days, to create a manual backup

 - Synology server has been taken offline. File management and transfer speeds are anoyingly slow and does not work like windows file explorer. Copy paste fx, or search for dublicates is a nightmare. Much easier from the 6 local harddrives.

 - 1x 4 tb external harddrive has the second backup of all family photos and most important documents. All other data, only has one copy on the 6 harddrives, unless copied to one of the laptops.

 - We have a private group chat on facebook for sharing the few family photos. (i hate this solution, as I dont know what facebook does with our photos, and takes years If you want to go back more than a few weeks)

 

This is just for my family and I as a private solution. Training/coaching sessions is a hobby, which I dont charge for, as I have a fulltime job selling patrolingsystem to manned guarding industry. 
I do keep my workfiles in dropbox for easy sync, but i am very worried dropbox is not safe enough. Not even for private photos.

 

 

I really hope to get some good feedback on how to create such a solution in the best cheapest way possible, maybee even se a comparisson chart, comparing lifecycle vs cost for always online server, vs a server that turns off, for all costs like disks needed, electric bill, hardware failiure after multible years of running, hardware upgrades etc. 

Hope this might also inspire a god video on the subject "Family shared photo and video NAS + Backup cloud service" 

 

Thanks for reading

Benjamin K. M. Withen