Just looking for some general advice. I have a 36 TB array, dual parity. Currently I use Arq backup running under a Windows VM as well as Backblaze Personal Backup running under the same VM. Backblaze backs up everything offsite (with the magic of VirtioFS). Arq currently is backing up to a local unassigned disk that is passed through to the Windows VM, and then highly critical data also gets backed up using Arq to Backblaze B2 for extra redundancy. My issue is I need more space for my local backup. I have two options, use a share on my Unraid array (which is parity protected). This is just my local first line of defense backup. My other option is to build a separate backup server. I'm curious what others do for local backups, if a Backup share on the array is safe enough or if I should go a build a seperate box to mirror to. If my house burns down (god forbid), I have my two offsite backups with two copies of critical data and one offsite copy of non-critical data that can be recreated.

As I upgraded the drives in my Unraid server from 6 and 8TB to 16TB, I repurposed the original drives and some hardware on hand to build a second Unraid server (as well as throw some of them into external USB enclosures, which I rotate offsite).  The backup server would sleep most of the time, only being woke up 2x a month to rsync data to it (it now also runs my Frigate service, so now a 24/7 operation).

 

Here is the thread I started when I began the build: