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[ottsm]

It's been such a long time since I've had to mess with my DNS323.  I can't remember what I formatted the hard drive types as (ext2, ext3, etc.).  Where does it show what the format type is?

I have funplug running and have it setup to sync my two hard drives every night.  I have three 2TB hard drives, I keep two of them in the system and they back each other up every night and then I swap the 3rd drive out every so often to get a triple backup.  I keep the 3rd backup in a fire proof safe. 

I'm thinking of upgrading to the DNS325 to get faster speeds.  I'm probably going to have to transfer the data the hard way but if it's already in the format that the DNS325 is using it might make life easier.

[ivan]

I have funplug running and have it setup to sync my two hard drives every night.  I have three 2TB hard drives, I keep two of them in the system and they back each other up every night and then I swap the 3rd drive out every so often to get a triple backup.  I keep the 3rd backup in a fire proof safe. 

The mind boggles at the way you are flirting with loosing all your data. 

How is your NAS set up, single disks, raid1 and what happens when you break one of the disk connectors in the NAS?

Rant over.

If it is so long ago that you formatted your disks they are most probably ext2, not that it matters as the 325 should be able to read them anyway.

[ottsm]

I do not use raid, raid is not a good way to backup.  I keep triple backups.  I use an internal copy command that runs at night at 2:05.  It will copy over only the changes that were made.  If you add a file in volume 1, it will add that file to volume 2 at 2:05, if you delete a file in volume 1, it will also delete the file in volume 2.  Otherwise I never touch volume 2.  Once a month I remove volume 2 and replace it with the 3rd hard drive. I will then make the 3rd hard drive identical, again, only the files that have changed will be copied.  All the file dates are kept.

Since the copy is internal to DNS323 versus going across the network, the transfer copy is fast.  A log is kept on Volume 1, you can view the log at any point.  If you ever crash volume 1, you can put volume 2 in place of volume 1 and it will become the primary drive (both drives are identical except for the log file since it is the last file changed and is kept on volume 1 and occurs after the copy is done.

This entire method of backup was covered somewhere out on the web, can't remember where.  It involves the funplug and PuTTy. 

I guess the only problem would be if I lost the DNS323 and they didn't make anything anymore.  I do have a friend that has one.  I would have the same problem with any device such as a tape drive.  As far as DVD's, forget it, I would need an entire room full of them.  I have other backups that are my old 500G hard drives that I do not touch.  I also have a backup kept on my master computer that is the NTFS file format.  It only has the pictures, not the movies.

[JavaLawyer]

You should consider yourself lucky that your swapping method has worked out so well for so long. You really should consider using a second physical device for your secondary backup. The DNS-323 wasn't designed to support your backup schema.

[dosborne]

/etc/mtab should show the format type

Code: [Select]

%root% / unknown rw 0 0
/dev/ram0 / ext2 rw 0 0
proc /proc proc rw 0 0
/image.cfs /sys/crfs squashfs rw,loop=/dev/loop0 0 0
/dev/sda2 /mnt/HD_a2 ext3 rw,usrquota,grpquota 0 0
/dev/sdb2 /mnt/HD_b2 ext3 rw,usrquota,grpquota 0 0
/dev/sda4 /mnt/HD_a4 ext3 rw 0 0
/dev/sdb4 /mnt/HD_b4 ext3 rw 0 0
none /proc/bus/usb usbfs rw 0 0
/dev/sdc /mnt/usb ext2 rw 0 0
/mnt/HD_a2/ffp/ipkg/opt /opt none rw,bind 0 0Personally, I would use a HDD in a USB enclosure connected to the DNS323 to make an offsite backup rather than remove a drive, but it is your choice.

[ottsm]

What is a better method for the home network?  I'm just backing up 3 main things family photo's, family movies, and a spreadsheet that I keep track of my bills.  If I lost a months worth of data it wouldn't be much a big deal.  Chances are the photo's and movies are still on the flash cards and the bills could be typed in again.

Risks are;
1.  Crashing the DNS323 and crashing both hard drives.  Have 3rd backup assuming I can get a replacement DNS323.  Can linux (currently using Ubunta) access the hard drive if plugged directly in a PC?
  
2.  Crash DNS323 and no longer able to get a replacement DNS323.  I do plan on getting a DNS325 or some other NAS.

3.  Corruption of the data.  Only the new data is copied, I'm not cloning a hard drive.  If one drive gets corrupt it doesn't necessary get transferred.  I suppose the file dates could get corrupt and data get transferred to the other drives.  I do look at the log files from time to time. 


What about doing a sync between a PC and the NAS system once per month?  This might be a wiser choice and perhaps this is what you are getting at.

Only other choice for the home network might be something like Amazon S3 or some other internet based site.  Very slow and you always wonder about the privacy.  This might be the wiser choice.  At least do it every month. 

[ottsm]

Thanks DOSBORNE

That's what I needed, can see that I formatted them as EXT3.

Like your idea of the USB drive connected to the DNS323.  That way I could still probably rsync it. 

[ivan]

This entire method of backup was covered somewhere out on the web, can't remember where.

The three disk rotation method was devised in the days of 8" floppy disks and tape -both of which were removable media.  It progressed to the advanced tape drives which are also removable media and is brought up to date with USB accessed hard disks - again removable media.

The rational of a NAS is that the disks are a fixture as long as they work and should only be removed in cases of upgrading size and disk failure.  What you were doing put physical stress on the connecting sockets in the NAS.  While the SATA connector is designed for removability - I have a server that has 6 hot swap SATA caddies - the quality of the sockets varies 'very good' to 'use with extreme care' which is reflected in the cost of the sockets.  I leave you to work out where the sockets in the DNS-323 fit on that scale.

Since you need a separate backup then fitting your third disk into a USB caddy and plugging it into the NAS as and when necessary would be by far the safest way of maintaining a secure backup.

[Wiggs]

Can linux (currently using Ubunta) access the hard drive if plugged directly in a PC?

Yes - this will work.  A windows PC will also read the data on the drive provided you have installed a ext2/ext3 driver for windows. 

I must echo the comments already made by my colleagues.  You are using the DNS-323 in a way that it was never intended (ie: it is not a hot-swappable device).  I do not remove drives from my NAS unless there is an absolute need for it (ie: dead drive).  Better solutions have already been suggested on this forum -> like using a USB drive.
Another suggestion is: if you are considering getting a DNS-325, you could use both the 323 to back up the 325 periodically. 


Regards,

[ottsm]

I do agree, If I upgrade to a 325 I could keep the old 323 with the 3rd drive that is the monthly backup, and keep it stored in the fireproof safe (or a relatives/friends house).  It would be slower but since I'm only backing up the data that has changed speed isn't as important.  If I ever had to do the entire hard drive I could then remove and swap drives.

I don't know if this issue has been resolved in the 325 but in the 323 if you use the built in scheduler application to backup files, it will not copy the file dates.  If I have a picture/file that was taken on 5/24/2001 I want the file date to stay the same.  If you use the scheduler to do incremental backups it will copy the current files that have been added but the file date will change to the current date and not retain the original file date.  Would be nice to have an option to keep the original file date.

If they fixed this file date issue I wouldn't even have to deal with adding the necessary linux code.
Anyone know if this issue is fixed?