Backup Imaging - Strategy for Laptops to NAS ?

[JosephB]

What "Backup Imaging" Strategy do others use, for their Family's multiple windows Laptop pc's ?

1. It would be interesting to contrast and find out what Backup Strategy others have taken for periodically performing or scheduling "Backup Images" of a family's multiple laptop pc's (used most of the time wireless) within a home NAS hard drive setup ?

2. ... and what Backup Interval do the "Image Backups" get performed consistently at:

a. Full only, Full + Differential, or Full + Incremental ?
b. Scheduled Image Backups - what Frequency interval ?
c. If Manual Image backup Interval - how often do they all laptops consistently get backed up ?

 

[stevech]

I use Acronis True Image (TI) to store image backups on the NAS. Don't do this via WiFi! Once you learn how to use TI, as I have for years now, it will save your fanny. I do full backups, not incrementals. I keep the last 2-3 backups. I've tried most all the backup programs and freeware (yikes).

TI 2009 was the best, easiest to use. TI 2012 is what I use with Win 7 x64 and solid state disks; TI 2009 didn't do SSDs properly.

On my main desktop, I have a 2nd drive used only for making a clone of the boot drive (SSD). Cloning is better than imaging, if not cheaper, when you need a fast boot to the last good version. A combo of cloning and imaging is what I use.

To automate backups of key files on PCs (if any), I use SecondCopy from Centered Systems. Super easy program to automate.

I also don't store important data on desktops/PCs - I broke the habit and store it on the NAS so I don't have as much backup to worry about.


I image about every 2 weeks, manually.
I clone the boot disk about once every 6 weeks, manually.
In between, the habit of keeping data on the NAS, not the PCs, is safety.
And SecondCopy (below) deals with recovery in between backups.

I also have the NAS automatically backup its volume 1 (disk 1) to volume 2 (disk 2) every day, using the Time Backup (Synology) so I have the file revisions for many months back.

My 2 drive NAS does not use RAID1.

The NAS makes a backup of key folders once a day to a USB3 drive.

I also use http://www.safehousesoftware.com/ free version to create an encrypted virtual disk on the NAS in which I store financial and other private info. Better than TruCrypt in ease of use. And the free version and virtual disk files can be simply put on flash drives and so on and accessed on any pc.

 

[JosephB]

stevech,

1. I was wondering whether this would be practical ...

Have you tested whether "Daily - Incremental Imaging" would be small enough in size to finish in a reasonable run time over a "wireless" connection to a NAS drive and then only need to do a weekend - Wired connection for Backup of "Full Image" on the weekend to a NAS ?


2. I think, for me, that having to being everybody's laptop to where my router/nas is located to plug into weekend wired/full image backing up to the NAS is going to be a pain, unless maybe I:

a. run some wire to the downstairs rooms where I can plug the laptops in near where they are used wirelessly.

b. maybe try these new powerline homeplug/2 wired connections ?
... Have you tried these ? .... Can I approach at least the mbps speed that I currently get backing up to my local USB 2 external drive ?

... Have you tried any of the above ?

 

[stevech]

I don't know for sure about daily incremental...
Definitely OK if you can get people to store their data on the NAS, not the PC.
That's a habit hard to change. But stops most data loss.

 

[matthelm]

What I do:

1. I have a "system" drive and "data" drive on 7 of the 8 machines I maintain. If this means a single drive partitioned into 2, so be it. (I do have 1 system with just a single partition, but then I don't store any "personal" data on it, it's just a media playback device for the NAS, so just the OS plus a few programs)

2. I try to back up the system partition once per month. (System drives need special software to get a good backup) (Most machines are running about 10GB image, "main" machines about a 26GB image)

3. Use a simple file copy/sync program for all data files, running daily. Not stored in a special file, just copies of the original files. (Data can be copied, so you don't need anything special.) The main reason I started doing this, was I didn't want to waste space on all the media files I had, when I wanted them readable on 2 machines anyway. (I have around 4TBs of backup "data") BTW, if the "data" files on the laptops are just copies from the NAS, there would be no reason to back those up.


Worse case, you loose 1 day of "your" data (some of the sync programs handle multiple versions and real time backups, if you need that) and maybe reinstall some patches and software. These days, that's just a few downloads away.

BTW, just lost my system drive twice in 2 weeks. (anti-virus mess-up (not my fault) and a update glitch (my fault)) First time it took me 8 minutes to restore the image of my system drive, then about an hour of updates/re-installs (month old image, just before I did the backup), second time, same time to restore and about 15 minutes to finish the update that failed to install the first time.

If you loose your data drive, you just browse to the network share where the backup is, and grab everything and paste it back. I've only done this 2 or 3 times, always for a drive update.


BTW, You can do the same thing with a single drive, it's just the system image will have all the "data" files on them too, so could get rather LARGE depending on the "data"! But you really need to backup the data that is "yours"!!!!!!

I ALWAYS do full backups, keeping a copy of the old on until I have the new one safely backed up.

 

[JosephB]

matthelm,

1. When you backup the system partition of your multiple pc's are you attaching a USB External Drive to them ?

2 Or, are you backing up the system partition image to a NAS drive. If a NAS drive what type of connection to it, when imaging the System Partition - a Wired, Wireless or Powerline Network connection?

 

[matthelm]

matthelm,

1. When you backup the system partition of your multiple pc's are you attaching a USB External Drive to them ?

2 Or, are you backing up the system partition image to a NAS drive. If a NAS drive what type of connection to it, when imaging the System Partition - a Wired, Wireless or Powerline Network connection?

1. Most of my systems have 2 drives, so I just backup to the second drive, and then copy to the NAS. I also keep a 16 or 32 GB (3.0 if you can afford it!) flash drive with a copy.

2. The one machine with only 1 drive, I use the NAS, GB ethernet. I hate WiFi, and it hates me back. The only device in my home that currently normally uses WiFi, is the phone, and even then I make sure I get one with a SD card slot so even it has a second "drive".

 

[stevech]

IMO, best bet for a 2 bay NAS is to NOT use RAID1 (mirroring). there's no protection from file system corruption nor failure of the NAS CPU or power supply.

Two volumes is best. With USB3 external for VVIP folder backups (e.g., no need to backup the backup drive image files)

On the DS212, I use the Time Backup utility in DSM to keep last n months of file versions (excluding backup files).

 

[JosephB]

I am beginning to think that the best way to Backup the multiple Laptops to a NAS (a planned near future purchase) is via a Wired network connection for speed.
Since Router is located (and future NAS also will be) located on the 2nd floor and Laptops with WiFi connection spend most of their time in 1 to 2 rooms on the first floor, for ease of Backup to NAS convenience, I will probably need to setup to Wired connections on the First Floor. .... This won't be easy.
... So, any ideas on how to easily get an Ethernet cable from a 2nd floor room to a first floor room snaked/concealed in the walls of the house, from 2nd floor to 1st Floor ? ...maybe I need an electrician to do it.

 

[stevech]

or use Homeplug IP on powerline, or better, MoCA. see forum here on those.

or use a portable usb drive.

 

[JosephB]

stevech,

I read that existing Powerline networking (Homeplug) would at best, between floors yield only about 100 mbps.

But, then I read that the Next generation of Homeplug Powerline networking will have faster throughput because it will make use of something called "MIMO" and that vendors should be announcing products based on it at the CES 2014 show at beginning of January. So, maybe I should wait to find out what the mbps throughput for these new homeplug powerline networking will be.

... The current homeplug powerline state 500mbps, but reviews say that means that you could only expect 100 mbps actual speed.
... Now the New ones are going to state 1.5 Gbps, so I wonder what their actual mbps throughput speed will actually be. Should be much better than 100 mbps hopefully.

BTW, Briefly, what is MoCA ?

 

[stevech]

stevech,

I read that existing Powerline networking (Homeplug) would at best, between floors yield only about 100 mbps.

But, then I read that the Next generation of Homeplug Powerline networking will have faster throughput because it will make use of something called "MIMO" and that vendors should be announcing products based on it at the CES 2014 show at beginning of January. So, maybe I should wait to find out what the mbps throughput for these new homeplug powerline networking will be.

... The current homeplug powerline state 500mbps, but reviews say that means that you could only expect 100 mbps actual speed.
... Now the New ones are going to state 1.5 Gbps, so I wonder what their actual mbps throughput speed will actually be. Should be much better than 100 mbps hopefully.

BTW, Briefly, what is MoCA ?

Yes, current power line IP is well under 100Mbps gross with a net yield of much less. I use Moca - more reliable- uses existing TV coax. It's fine for ordinary use - iPad, TV and Netflix.

There's NO substitute for cat5e!