I need a storage systen

[LamoidZombieDog]

So I want to create a Storage system for Basically backing up all my data from everywhere, so everything from image backups of my desktop, to manually doing a copy of 250gb or so from my portable SSD to downloading a copy of my onedrive. I currently have two brand new WD Red 12Tb drives, unfortunately I believe 5400 RPM, so I was thinking of using those with raid 1 so if one fails, I lose nothing? Or is there a better option here? I have some other used drives like an 8th and 4tbs, but with Drobo going bankrupt it seems like they are nolonger supported, so I shouldn't waste my time buying a used one on ebay. Should I just find a cheap raid 1 enclosure (preferably with USB C so I can plug in my phone or USB c laptop to directly access files as needed) and use the two drives in raid 1, giving me 12tb which is enough for now, or should I do something else?

[Hinjima]

6 minutes ago, LamoidZombieDog said:

So I want to create a Storage system for Basically backing up all my data from everywhere, so everything from image backups of my desktop, to manually doing a copy of 250gb or so from my portable SSD to downloading a copy of my onedrive. I currently have two brand new WD Red 12Tb drives, unfortunately I believe 5400 RPM, so I was thinking of using those with raid 1 so if one fails, I lose nothing? Or is there a better option here? I have some other used drives like an 8th and 4tbs, but with Drobo going bankrupt it seems like they are nolonger supported, so I shouldn't waste my time buying a used one on ebay. Should I just find a cheap raid 1 enclosure (preferably with USB C so I can plug in my phone or USB c laptop to directly access files as needed) and use the two drives in raid 1, giving me 12tb which is enough for now, or should I do something else?

I use a 8tb external HDD to back up my stuff ( The most important files and photos are on a 2TB external HDD inside a fireproof safe with my passport etc )  Not having the external HDD spin constantly really helps on the wear and its a lot less likely to fail.

[Electronics Wizardy]

Do you want these internal or external?

 

Id get dual single drive enclosure if this was me. Then use software that supports switching between drives and swap the external drives every once in a while. 

 

Id be darn tempted to get. basic nas so it can do the backups over the network and you don't need to plug it in.

[LamoidZombieDog]

8 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Do you want these internal or external?

 

Id get dual single drive enclosure if this was me. Then use software that supports switching between drives and swap the external drives every once in a while. 

 

Id be darn tempted to get. basic nas so it can do the backups over the network and you don't need to plug it in.

External, having two separate enclosures does not solve my problem, unless there is some significant protection of having to manually mirror everything to the two drives, then I see no reason to not just go with raid 1. I want to both put images of my desktop on it, but also manually copy my portable Drives to it as well as copy Onedrive to it to keep an entire backup of all of my files from everywhere. Being external means it would not sit connected to my desktop, should there ever be a virus, the virus would not be able to touch my Drive Enclosure. The USB C is not 100% a requirement but I would really like USB C as it allows me to plug in a phone to do the SSD Copying, and use. A laptop to do the onedrive transferring as my desktop is on a 4 year old windows install which causes a lot of problems such as trying to download my entire onedrive. 

[sk8rs_dad]

A low end Synology NAS gets you the hardware you’ll need as well as all the apps to set up automatic backup and sharing apps.  It can also get you started down the home lab path since it can host other stuff.  There are other vendors like QNAP but I’m not familiar with their products. 

[LamoidZombieDog]

10 minutes ago, sk8rs_dad said:

A low end Synology NAS gets you the hardware you’ll need as well as all the apps to set up automatic backup and sharing apps.  It can also get you started down the home lab path since it can host other stuff.  There are other vendors like QNAP but I’m not familiar with their products. 

What model would you recommend? I currently use Image for windows, but if they have backing up built in that would be fine. I see the DS220+ for $300 and the DS220J for only $189, though it looks like it could be some old model, and the DS223 for $249, which looks similar to the DS220+. both 2 bay, I can't figure out the difference or which I should get, or if I should go for another model all together. I will do research tomorrow on Synologys software. I'm willing to spend more for them if it's worth it. 

[DrMacintosh]

This is what I have, maybe it can offer a bit of inspiration.

 

Home Server: 2018 Intel Core i3 Mac mini

Storage: OWC Mercury Elite Pro Quad (Seagate Ironwolf 12TB, Seagate Barracuda 2TB, Crucial 1TB SSD, WD Blue 6TB

 

I use this Mac primarily as a Plex Media Server. My Plex libraries are on my 12TB drive. I also am signed into iCloud on this Mac and have configured Photos to download a local copy of my iCloud Photo Library to my 1TB SSD. I have a VirtualBox Linux VM running on the same SSD which is downloading/uploading data on my 2TB drive.

 

The Mac's internal SSD is being backed up to Time Machine (USB HDD hooked up to my router) and the whole computer (including my attached storage) is backed up to Backblaze. 

 

I could easily add OneDrive and configure it to download local copies of my files which would then get backed up to Backblaze.

 

TL:DR Centralizing your data can make it much easier to create a backup. A simple "server" that syncs and downloads copies of all your data can be backed up much easier than trying to backup multiple devices separately. You could also get a NAS and back that up to Backblaze.

[LamoidZombieDog]

8 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

This is what I have, maybe it can offer a bit of inspiration.

 

Home Server: 2018 Intel Core i3 Mac mini

Storage: OWC Mercury Elite Pro Quad (Seagate Ironwolf 12TB, Seagate Barracuda 2TB, Crucial 1TB SSD, WD Blue 6TB

 

I use this Mac primarily as a Plex Media Server. My Plex libraries are on my 12TB drive. I also am signed into iCloud on this Mac and have configured Photos to download a local copy of my iCloud Photo Library to my 1TB SSD. I have a VirtualBox Linux VM running on the same SSD which is downloading/uploading data on my 2TB drive.

 

The Mac's internal SSD is being backed up to Time Machine (USB HDD hooked up to my router) and the whole computer (including my attached storage) is backed up to Backblaze. 

 

I could easily add OneDrive and configure it to download local copies of my files which would then get backed up to Backblaze.

 

TL:DR Centralizing your data can make it much easier to create a backup. A simple "server" that syncs and downloads copies of all your data can be backed up much easier than trying to backup multiple devices separately. You could also get a NAS and back that up to Backblaze.

I don't use iphones, Samsung cloud now dumps some data into Onedrive, which means all my 500gb of photos and videos go into Onedrive. Backblaze cost money, I already have $650 in drives, I'd like to get an enclosure and finally utilize what I bought and have sitting for two years without some monthly cost, I don't mind manually backing everything up as needed, I just need to know the best option for an enclosure. I know Synology is good, and probably the best alternative to the now gone Drobo, owc seems to have some two bay enclosures that cost as much or more than a Synology one, is there any advantage to them over Synology? 

[DrMacintosh]

3 hours ago, LamoidZombieDog said:

is there any advantage to them over Synology? 

OWC makes DAS devices. The benefit there is speed as you’ll need a faster than gigabit network to to get full speeds out of HDDs. That’s the only benefit though, the enclosures need to be connected to a PC to work. 

[thewelshbrummie]

16 hours ago, LamoidZombieDog said:

 but with Drobo going bankrupt it seems like they are nolonger supported, so I shouldn't waste my time buying a used one on ebay.

Definitely avoid Drobo going forward. I bought one in 2012 and it's been near perfect but apart from bankruptcy last year (and an apparent inability to get more stock due to chip shortages prior to that) Drobo support since Jan 27th is now "self-service". As in, our chat & phone support is no longer available, go somewhere else, ask your questions there and hope someone can help.

 

I intend on keeping my Drobo but I do intend on duplicating all of the data on it to another drive ASAP as if it fails, there's no way to recover the data without buying another 2nd hand...

[sk8rs_dad]

21 hours ago, LamoidZombieDog said:

What model would you recommend? I currently use Image for windows, but if they have backing up built in that would be fine. I see the DS220+ for $300 and the DS220J for only $189, though it looks like it could be some old model, and the DS223 for $249, which looks similar to the DS220+. both 2 bay, I can't figure out the difference or which I should get, or if I should go for another model all together. I will do research tomorrow on Synologys software. I'm willing to spend more for them if it's worth it. 

I think the 223 is the current model.  The 220+ is the previous generation. The 220 is older still.  You’d have to look at the specs to see if there’s any significant difference. TI’ve got a 920+ 4-bay unit since I wanted to have RAID-5.