Advice Needed On Backup Solution

[max 13]

Having forked out for a new computer and 1Tb of Cloud space I'm looking for backup solutions.

 

I currently have files in a laptop and a PC which I'm in the process of combining as I've been lazy over the years and created folders with the same name on each machine. I also have a NAS which I use for regular backup.

 

I now want a solution using the 1Tb of Cloud space, the 1Tb of disc space on a new machine or the NAS. I've already moved everything off the laptop to the Cloud but before I complete the housekeeping of the data I would like to ensure that the Cloud isn't the only place holding the files.

 

Is it possible to do a regular backup of the Cloud data to either my PC or NAS? If so, how can I do it with the resources I've got without buying any extra software?

 

All help gratefully received.

[Ghozer 112]

The nas should be easy to set up, and windows has a built in Schedule function, and built in backup settings... SO..

Set up the nas, open a shared/backup folder on it etc... 

Then in Windows, click start and type "Backup Settings" and open that, click "Add a drive" and choose your NAS drive from there..

As for the cloud, the NAS 'should' (most do) have an option to schedule auto-offsite backup, you can set this up to your cloud...

[max 13]

I wanted to backup the data on the Cloud rather than vice versa.

 

Am I approaching this from the wrong direction? Should I be storing everything on my PC and backing up to the cloud?

[Waldo 96]

Have a mirrored backup, so, the same data backed up to your NAS and the cloud? Seems to be what Ghozer is suggesting; so in essence, you  first backup to your NAS, then have the NAS schedule upload of the backup archive to the cloud.

[max 13]

I think we're talking at cross purposes.

 

I've moved all the files from my  PC to the Cloud and will be merging files from the lap top with these so that the Cloud is the main source of my files.

 

Once that's done I would like to use the hard drive on my new PC to backup the Cloud  files. We'll leave the NAS out of the equation for now as I want a simple solution.

 

 

 

 

[Ghozer 112]

That's honestly the wrong way....

But, you should be able to set up your NAS to download from the cloud, just do that and it'll be what you want...

the 'correct' way to do it is local backup to NAS, then off-site (to Cloud) every day or something...

Local storage on NAS, has more space, use to store everything..
Cloud backup, should be more selective due to less space, and should only be your most important/irriplacable files

Edited February 28, 2021 by Ghozer

[soopah 17]

On 28/02/2021 at 16:35, Ghozer said:

That's honestly the wrong way....

But, you should be able to set up your NAS to download from the cloud, just do that and it'll be what you want...

the 'correct' way to do it is local backup to NAS, then off-site (to Cloud) every day or something...

Local storage on NAS, has more space, use to store everything..
Cloud backup, should be more selective due to less space, and should only be your most important/irriplacable files

This is the right answer.  Just because your data is in "the cloud" it's not nessicerily backed up.  There's a reason solutions exist to backup your google drive/onedrive/etc.  They don't care about your data.
The best way is to keep your data local on your nas and back that up to whatever cloud service you're subscribed to.  This will be the fastest solution.  Run it as a proper backup job and not just a file mirror as any changes made on either device will replicate to the other. 

Hit by ransomware?  Both copies gone.

 

Remember, a backup in one location is not a backup.
Public cloud providers do not care about your data and do not back it up.

[Ghozer 112]

3 hours ago, soopah said:

Public cloud providers do not care about your data and do not back it up.

Actually, most cloud providers have copies of your data on many servers, so if one goes down, it's still there...

Once it's on the cloud, even if the company goes bankrupt, you can still get your data.....
and even if you delete something, it's never truly gone

[soopah 17]

I'd disagree.  Unless you're paying for that service.

 

If you delete a file from Dropbox/Googledrive whatever and let it expire from their recycle bin they won't be particularly helpful in getting it back for you.

[alchresearch 214]

Not sure if the free version of Veeam will do what you need.  I use it for NAS and cloud backups.

 

https://www.veeam.com/virtual-machine-backup-solution-free.html

[the_bloke 17]

I second what everyone has said here; the NAS should be your primary backup location from your daily PC, and the cloud your secondary. The only purpose of cloud backup should be in case the primary backup is unavailable (hardware failure, burglary, fire etc).

 

Windows has built in backup software to copy to another device on the network

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/backup-and-restore-in-windows-10-352091d2-bb9d-3ea3-ed18-52ef2b88cbef

 

Backing up from the NAS to the cloud will be harder; if by the cloud you mean you've got a cloud backup solution like BackBlaze, then they should have instructions/support for backing up from a NAS. However some only support backing up from the local system only.  If you don't mean that and you've just got a lump of space in the ether with an app on the Windows machine to access it and you want to schedule regular copies to it, then it's possible you can schedule a windows backup to do that, or just a task/script on the NAS or the Windows machine to copy the backup from the NAS to the cloud.

[HostOX 10]

You could just use dropbox and sync the folders with all the files you want to keep backed up, this syncs everytime you add a new file or change anything + it can be used on mobile phone and laptop too.

 

You only really need to save files and essentials, you can always re-download programs in the case of a new drive.