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[NAS newbie]

Since this got no replies on the shareport forum,  I'm moving it here to see if anyone can comment:
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Can this be done, & if so how?
I know if it can, it would require using the Shareport add-on utility.
However, after reading the forums I'm more confused then before I started on how to do that or if it would even work.

My objective is to plug a FAT or NFTS formated external drive already populated with critical data into the DNS-323 USB port, then use it to transfer a large number of files from the drive to the DNS-323. After this initial one way file dump I would like to use the drive mainly as a backup for the DNS-323 by updating it weekly with any changes to the DNS-323.

It appears that doing this initial one way file dump using ethernet would take days based on what I've seen of that method speed wise. Also not crazy about experimenting to see if something might work as the data on that HDD is critical and the only copy. I know, not a good idea, but I'm trying to mend my ways and would hate to lose that data now while in the very process of trying to back it up.

Any input, experiences, advice, or comments are appreciated.
Appreciated even more would be a pointing to of the step by step verified procedure/documentation to do this. I know, I don't ask for much.

My DNS-323 has firmware 1.08 and is populated with 1 drive running in standard mode (ie no RAID).
I know it's ironic that I'm not using RAID1 as protection, but after reading some of the problems on the forums, decided that my intended approach provides the best protection for me - if I can get it to work.

Thanks

[fordem]

I believe it can be done, however, I believe you'll find it pitifully slow - you're transferring data from a disk, through a shareport server running on a low power, memory limited NAS, transferring it across an ethernet LAN, to a PC running a shareport client, then back across the LAN to a SMB server running on a low power, memory limited NAS.

I would bet that leaving your NTFS disk in the PC and transferring the data across the LAN once will be significantly quicker.

[scaramanga]

It can be done, by installing fun-plug, and loading some kernel modules: usb-storage.ko and ntfs.ko (if you're mounting an NTFS file-system).
Then you can mount that drive and copy the files, directly. It's not that straight-forward, but it works.

[NAS newbie]

Thanks fordem and scaramanga.
Without fun-plug, once the external hard drive is connected to the DNS-323 via the DNS-323 USB port will it be seen as a separate drive on the network? Is that why copying of the data is not directly from external drive to NAS? Per fordem it sounds like the route this data would take is: external drive - NAS - PC issuing copy command - NAS. If that's the case then this would make it at least twice as slow as what I was originally doing since now that data is doing 2 trips across ethernet.

Fun-plug actually allows direct drive to NAS copying and vice-versa at USB 2.0 speeds? How about easy incremental data backups from NAS to Drive?

Thanks again for the info

[scaramanga]

fun-plug + elbow grease allows you to copy directly from the USB drive to the internal drives. I haven't checked the performance, but the H/W is USB 2.0, if I'm not mistaken.
Once it's connected and fun-plug is setup, you can do whatever you'd like with it, including scheduling (=via cron) incremental backup (=rsync).

[fordem]

Thanks fordem and scaramanga.
Without fun-plug, once the external hard drive is connected to the DNS-323 via the DNS-323 USB port will it be seen as a separate drive on the network? Is that why copying of the data is not directly from external drive to NAS? Per fordem it sounds like the route this data would take is: external drive - NAS - PC issuing copy command - NAS. If that's the case then this would make it at least twice as slow as what I was originally doing since now that data is doing 2 trips across ethernet.

Without fun_plug you need shareport to access a drive attached to the USB port on the DNS-323, and using shareport, the drive will be seen as directly attached to the PC with the shareport client.  Shareport is essentially a client/server application that turns the DNS-323 and your network into one long slow USB cable.

Fun-plug actually allows direct drive to NAS copying and vice-versa at USB 2.0 speeds? How about easy incremental data backups from NAS to Drive?

Thanks again for the info

fun_plug is a script that the DNS-323 can be made to execute at power up - what it does and how it does it is entirely dependent on the talent of the person creating the script and whatever applications he/she calls from the script.  You can, using the appropriate kernal modules, mount an external USB disk and have it appear as another drive attached to the DNS-323, and assuming you have shell access to the DNS-323, copy the files directly from one drive to another.  I seriously doubt that you'll see USB2 (480mbps) speeds (even though it is USB 2.0 hardware), but it'll probably be quicker than transferring the data via the ethernet LAN.  fun_plug is third party and not supported by D-Link.

[NAS newbie]

Thanks for the info.