DSM-G600, DNS-3xx and NSA-220 Hack Forum

Thanks for the recommendations.

No, I didn't confuse it with disk imaging software, what I want is to back up specific files at given time intervals.

To be honest, I only tried the backup solution that comes with Windows Vista, and it doesn't allow you to specifically select what shall be backed up.

I guess I used the one application that isn't very userfriendly :)

I'll check out the mentioned tools.

i use syncback freeware, works without problems, i think also on vista

http://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/freeware-hub.html

Hi all,

Over the past week, I have been on a quest to backup my DNS-323 data onto DVD. I have currently 160GB of data on the 323 running in a RAID I configuration. My total is 500GB of space.

I also run Vista Home Premium which came with my laptop - I am curerntly running Vista RC1 SP1.

This quest has been an exercise in frustration, although I believe that my requirements were quite simple. The solution needed to:

1) Backup directly to DVD with split capabilities
2) Handle unformatted DVDs so there is no need for third-party formatting
3) Provide control over which NAS folders to be backed up
4) Initially do a full backup followed by incrementals
5) Non-proprietary storing of files
6) AES encryption if required

Although several software vendors offer a "complete" solution, many simply do not perform well over networks. At other times, handling DVD formatting etc. did not work and the software simply fault dumped.

I am still investigating but the front runners currently are:

Genie-Soft (genie-soft.com) - as it does DVD spanning and regular ZIP archiving ( no need to re-install app in order to recover)
backup4all (backup4all.com) - does DVD spanning, regular ZIP archiving BUT has some glitches with DVD formatting and thus aborts backup - I am currently checking with them to see if that is easily fixable.

As for your request KyleK, I have successfully used GoodSync (http://www.goodsync.com/howitworks.html) a file synchronization/backup utility which you can use to schedule granular backup by file. I use it to "backup" my local files automatically from our laptops to the NAS-323. I am also researching this option a bit more as it seems to have quite a solid backup strategy as well.

All software mentioned has 30 day trials, is between $60-100 per license. Goodsync is free but has a limit on the number of files that can be synched until you have to buy the full version.

I hope that this thread stays open as I see a good backup strategy for a NAS as important - I have used many corporate solutions before that worked well, but are outside the realm of possibility for many home users.

Cheers,

Peer

Whilst I tend to agree with you on the needs of a home environment - the price of backupexec also puts it out of reach of most home users - and will cheerfully admit to using SyncToy to do what are in effect backups, there is a distinct difference between sync and backup, and folks need to be aware of this.

If you schedule an automatic daily synchronisation and for what ever reason delete or edit a file (or the file becomes corrupted due to a virus) at the next sync, those changes are written to your "backup" - you have to be sufficiently alert to catch the problem whilst you still have the ability to recover.

I know someone is going to point out that this can also happen with backupexec or NTBackup - and in fact I have seen it happen with NTBackup when a large organisation, who really should have known better was in the habit of backing up their server to tape every night and only had one tape.  Backupexec on the other hand can be configured to prevent the same media from being overwritten for a specific number of days (the default is infinite - ie, it will not allow the media to be accidentally overwritten).

I prefer to use SyncToy as Microsoft intended - to maintain files in sync between my laptop and my desktop.

pdischle wrote:

Hi all,

Over the past week, I have been on a quest to backup my DNS-323 data onto DVD. I have currently 160GB of data on the 323 running in a RAID I configuration. My total is 500GB of space.

I also run Vista Home Premium which came with my laptop - I am curerntly running Vista RC1 SP1.

This quest has been an exercise in frustration, although I believe that my requirements were quite simple. The solution needed to:

1) Backup directly to DVD with split capabilities
2) Handle unformatted DVDs so there is no need for third-party formatting
3) Provide control over which NAS folders to be backed up
4) Initially do a full backup followed by incrementals
5) Non-proprietary storing of files
6) AES encryption if required

Although several software vendors offer a "complete" solution, many simply do not perform well over networks. At other times, handling DVD formatting etc. did not work and the software simply fault dumped.

I am still investigating but the front runners currently are:

Genie-Soft (genie-soft.com) - as it does DVD spanning and regular ZIP archiving ( no need to re-install app in order to recover)
backup4all (backup4all.com) - does DVD spanning, regular ZIP archiving BUT has some glitches with DVD formatting and thus aborts backup - I am currently checking with them to see if that is easily fixable.

As for your request KyleK, I have successfully used GoodSync (http://www.goodsync.com/howitworks.html) a file synchronization/backup utility which you can use to schedule granular backup by file. I use it to "backup" my local files automatically from our laptops to the NAS-323. I am also researching this option a bit more as it seems to have quite a solid backup strategy as well.

All software mentioned has 30 day trials, is between $60-100 per license. Goodsync is free but has a limit on the number of files that can be synched until you have to buy the full version.

I hope that this thread stays open as I see a good backup strategy for a NAS as important - I have used many corporate solutions before that worked well, but are outside the realm of possibility for many home users.

Cheers,

Peer

Might be worth looking at Ahead Nero Backup.  Not sure if it will do non-proprietary backup format, but worth a look.
Can I also advise you that DVDs don't last forever.  Keep them out of heat, light, etc.  Not all DVDs are created equal.  Only use Verbatim for backups, its the only brand I can recommend (they have a "100 years" guarantee, if you believe it).  Also burn at the slowest speed you can set the burner at.  The faster it burns the more errors the disk will need to correct with checksum bits, when it is eventually read back.

M