Offline backup solution

[wildfire305]

Noob here. I tried searching, but I'm struggling to find a simple answer. I'm trying out Unraid on a separate Xeon 4 core 8GB test system with 2tb x 2 + 3tb x 2 of my spare disks in a 4 disk usb hard drive dock.

My current "server" is a Xeon 12 core 64GB windows 10 pro system with drivepool + snapraid (3tb x 4). To back this system up, I use another drivepool + snapraid enclosure of (2tb x 2 + 3tb x 2) This enclosure has usb 3 and esata.

After setting up the primary array on the main server using the above 3tb x 4 discs...

Is my understanding correct that I could use the external 4 disc box with btrfs as a "pool" and continue to attach it once a month, rsync to it, shut it down and disconnect it? Will it hold it's pool settings? In the software, will I need to remove each disk from the pool and unmount before disconnecting the enclosure? total span btrfs will likely be used configured as a pool.

I tested this theory with a spare two disk enclosure that I had to see if it works and it seems to work fine. I want to know how fragile is disconnecting and reconnecting pools at will.

 

1. Would it be wiser to full shutdown, connect enclosure and start up, sync, shutdown, disconnect - or will this method produce a bunch of "missing disk" errors on the next boot?

Method 2. If Live, do I need to start and stop array, assemble and disassemble pool, mount and unmount the 4 enclosure disks every time I want to use this offline box?

Method 3. Open to other suggestions - I could also keep the offline backup as it configured because I will have a fulltime blue iris windows 10 computer running (I already know about the docker, don't want all my eggs in one basket). However, the BTRFS filesystem seems like it could be more efficient and less time consuming than snapraid.  I have set up mergefs with snapraid on an omv system gui, and I really don't want to manage that from the command line on unraid (unless it's easier than I think).

My primary skillset is DOS and windows and hardware. I'm a rookie in linux but adapting quickly to the CLI. I'm also still running a very old OMV 5 system because it's 32-bit and runs a very important FTP. I like OMV - very simple and reliable and probably best suited for single purpose applications. However, Unraid is what I want for my main server - a lot more features and the 24 thread xeon would be wasted on OMV in my opinion.

 

I also intend on switching from backblaze personal to B2 (and reducing my backup size) unless I can find a reliable way get the blue iris computer to send to backblaze personal and somehow "lie" about the network share from unraid. I tried a few backdoors and it seems like the devs have thought of everything. Is there no way to mount a unraid share as a physical disc in a w10 VM? does the Mac-in-a-box method work? If there's a secret that we need to keep a secret - PM me.

[trurl]

4 minutes ago, wildfire305 said:

usb hard drive dock

USB is not recommended for array or pool disks since they may not provide permanent connections, may not provide SMART information, may not provide distinct and consistent identifiers for the disks, probably some others.

[wildfire305]

That's just a test rig I threw together from spare parts. The primary server is internal sata connections and an esata card with one disk sitting in a 4 bay esata enclosure. The OFFLINE enclosure would be connected by esata at bootup - hot-plugging esata isn't supported on my setup. All the smart info goes through all the enclosures I own or I stop owning them. I've found all of the items I'm using to have been tested and reliable for a few years or less. The newest piece of hardware is from May. I also have par2 files with all of my important stuff because testing backblaze restores revealed their server data had corrupted 25 files of my 5 TB of data. 3-2-1 off plus parity for the parity and checksums for all is the way I roll since "the incident" in 2001 - RIP 200GB of mp3s.

Edited August 25, 2021 by wildfire305
added offline for clarity

[wildfire305]

To summarize my long winded original post, I'll ask a question: How are all of you doing OFFLINE disconnected powered off backups IF you are using multiple disks?

I don't want to buy a new disk that everything fits on because I need the parity on the offline setup as well which requires multiple disks. Also - not doing a hardware raid box - I don't trust it for what I can afford. I own one, but I have only ever used it as JBOD.

[wildfire305]

43 minutes ago, trurl said:

USB is not recommended for array or pool disks since they may not provide permanent connections, may not provide SMART information, may not provide distinct and consistent identifiers for the disks, probably some others.

Oh, and I agree with what you are saying BTW.