Unraid ZFS backup questions

Good evening everyone,

I’ve set up my first unRAID server and have the basics working. Before getting deeper Docker and Apps, I want to put a solid backup strategy in place.

I’ve got three ZFS pools:

• NVMe mirror for appdata

• NVMe for cache

• 4× HDD RAIDZ1 for bulk storage

So far, I’m using SpaceInvaderOne’s script for ZFS snapshots and replication to automatically create snapshots of the mirror and HDD pools, and to replicate appdata from the mirror to the HDD pool.

I’ve also seen the Appdata Backup/Restore plugin, which seems to do something similar but stops the Docker containers first. I’m assuming this is mainly meant for XFS, since ZFS (at least as far as I understand) can replicate without needing to stop anything. Is that correct, or would I still need the plugin anyway?

For now, I’m backing up the USB flash drive directly through Unraid Connect. Is that enough?

I’m fairly new to this, and I’ve read that databases should be dumped. Would the ZFS replication I’m using be sufficient, or should I handle DB backups differently?

Lastly, I want to add an offsite backup, but this is where I get a bit lost. Since I think it is not possible to get a ZFS cloud storage, I’d like something with encryption and deduplication so I can keep versions. I've been checking out Duplicati and Duplicacy, but I honestly can’t tell which one would fit my needs better. Is there any better alternative? Any specific provider? I was checking Backblaze because of their unlimited plan, but I think is not allowed for servers.

I’ve watched a bunch of videos, but most of them focus on one or the other, and the few comparisons I’ve found didn’t really clear things up for me.

What do you guys think? What would be the best approach here? Anything I might be missing?

Thanks in advance!

Edited February 13Feb 13 by EddieDS
Correcting mistake