Mirrored NAS 'Sneaker-Net' Backup Solution

[crobs808]

Ok guys...I cannot find a NAS drive that will do what I want!

All I want is a NAS unit, hooked up via ethernet, that does incrimental backups as well as weekly full-backups, and also set up with two drives, so each day, I can take one home, then the next day, pop it back in...it copies all the data over during the day to catch up on it's backup, then I can take it home again at 6pm, and so on...

So I guess I want a mirrored solution, without having to reconfigure the RAID array everytime I swap...is there a NAS drive that will do this?

It would also need a management console login via it's IP on the network, like hwo routers have management software you know. Is there a NAS that will do this? I am trying to keep it under $500...I have found the "VisionVault" that looked like it would work, but can't tell if it it hotswappable, and will mirror the data so I can take any drive I want at 6pm and leave for the day without having to reconfigure anything.

Did I make any sense? I hope so. Bottom line: I want a backup solution that once it is set up will just take care of itself, and at 6pm, I can pull a drive and go home, then stick it back in the next morning at 8am...that's all I want to worry about after initial setup.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!

[crobs808]

Or, instead of a NAS do I need a server? Like a server that has the OS on one drive, then two other drives, that it backs stuff up to depending on which one is inserted? Nevermind, I'm complicating things...any and all help is appreciated on my original post/issue.

THANKS

[johnwill]

How about just using two USB drives? Take the latest backup home each day and bring it back in the morning? I think you're asking for trouble with the removing and installing drives every day!

I suggest you tell us about the whole network, how much data we're talking about, how many machines, and maybe we can suggest something that makes sense.

[crobs808]

There are about 5 other servers/computers to backup including a Mail server, a Storage server which holds all our client files, an application server, etc...all on different 1U server slots that will all be pushing data to this backup solution.

if i have two network drives, then I have to have to install backup software on all the locations that are going to backup...i would rather have the data being pulled to the backup system rather than ushed to it by multiple computers. convenience is the issue here, not backup time.

[johnwill]

Well, this is going to be something more than the traditional NAS box in that case. You're talking about a real server.

Truthfully, I'd go for the backup being installed on each computer, 5 computers isn't exactly a huge task to install them. IMO, you're making this way harder than it is.

[crobs808]

backups on each computer? lol...that defeats the whole purpose of convenience making everything backed up to one location (that can easily be taken home each day). it is imperitive to have a daily takehome harddrive, weather that be the same one at 6pm when everyone leaves, or an A and a B drive that alternate day to day to be taken home, but any good network manager knows you have to have dusplicate backups, and one kept offsite. i mean noone in their right mind would do a remote backup over the internet to a remote location, so this is the only way to do it.

plus, how is having a mirrored server, with hot swap harddrives complicated? they have been around forever and pretty easy to setup.

if going with a server rather than just a NAS drive is the way i need to go then i will do it....it's just like $200 or $300 more, but easily done. thanks.

[johnwill]

You really are missing the point. The backup process running on each machine can obviously all backup to one shared drive, right?

As far as having the server rebuild the drive every day after you yank it out, that procedure is bound to fail way sooner than other measures. The rebuilt functionality is designed for occasional use for drive failures, not as an everyday event. There's no way I'd let any client of mine go for a scheme like that.