Creating Back Up Plan, 3-2-1 including extended family

[jedicommander01]

Hello Everyone,

   First time posting and would like the feedback from the community. I am currently planning a back up plan for my personal device. For my main computer, I have 5TB (really 4.55TB) of storage, in which I am currently using 2.1TB in saved documents, photos, video, music, games and program files. My plan for my physical backup of my PC is to use a SABRENT USB 3.0 to SATA I/II/III Dual Bay External Hard Drive Docking Station and purchase a internal Hard drive to clone my current storage. I plan on disconnecting the drive from the dock and storing in my house safe or at my parents house. They are close so I could back it up monthly, or twice a year. Besides sedimental value and memories, nothing is really work related/mission critical so I do not believe that need the cost or labor of configuring a RAID or NAS set up. 

 

   What I am currently struggling is for an online cloud based storage solution. From what I was able to research online is there are many companies that do this at with various perks and prices.  First, what I would really like is a service that can update the cloud backup as I add, modify, or reorganize photos and files (does not need to be instant, but what I do not want to have to do is manage two file directories independently). In order to save time and storage, I would only need to save documents, photos, personal videos and music in the cloud (Estimated storage need would be then just 1TB of data). Secondly, my parents are currently digitizing a lifetimes worth physical photos (which would be stored on their computer) and would like to find a service in which we can upload those to as well. I would like something that multiple users (parents, siblings and myself) can have access to, could view them and download them if they want.

 

   Initially was thinking of using google drive/one as most of us already have accounts. I could primary owner, but was hoping if we made a shared folder everyone could view and save the various family pictures from their personal devices. I just was not sure how easy google drive/one would be to access/share the files. If I took new photos of the kids and stored it on my computer, can I set up that google can look for new files in a particular folder (ie C:, users, name, photos) and automatically upload them?

 

   Other services I was looking at were Acronis and Backblaze. What I was not sure about these products was, can multiple users gain access to the shared repository and use it to back up their files? I also am not familiar with how easy it is to access individual files. For instance with google, if someone wanted to pull up a photo from 2019's covid Christmas, they would be able to see the see the photo either through desktop or the mobile google/drive app.

 

Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

Joshua

[jaslion]

So what you are looking for cloud wise is cloud storage and not cloud backup.

 

A backup cloud is meant to hold a backup of a single certain pc, directory,... and most are somewhat accesible online but this isnt a primary focus. Backlbaze is such a service.

 

Cloud storage means it is focused on having online file management and use whilst also being usable as a backup. Google drive and onedrive are like this and tend to be easily shareable.

 

Id opt for option 2 and if you have complexer backups than the default sync app provides there are PLENTY 3rd party programs that will allow you to specify xyz no sweat. I used to use goodsync for this way back when as back then free stuff wasnt too great and the license was 8€