I'm trying to figure out the best way to back up files on one unraid server to another in a different geographical location, but I had the thought to see if anyone else has been down this route before and see if they're willing to share. The process should be automatic in that new files on Server A are sent to Server B but not a mirror in which files deleted aren't deleted on the remote server.

 

Have you? Will you? 

I don't have any exact steps or tutorial to provide, but when I've wanted to do this kind of thing in the past, I've always used rsync.

I use SyncThing to backup from my Dad's PC to my Unraid Server.... Not quite what you asked but may be an option.

wouldn't BTSync work also?

wouldn't BTSync work also?

 

I don't see any reason why not, I don't use it.  Prefer the free open source version.

wouldn't BTSync work also?

 

I don't see any reason why not, I don't use it.  Prefer the free open source version.

 

Are they pretty much the same?

So, BTSync and SyncThing aren't usually considered backups because they replicate file/folder deletions. If you accidentally delete something on your PC, the backup copy also gets deleted when the sync operation catches up to the change. That's pretty much the opposite of what you want your backup to do. Files sometimes disappear due to corruption as well ... BTSync would delete those from the backup also.

 

I've found the best way to do remote backups from one PC to another is Crashplan Desktop. It's free to use for that purpose (you only pay a service fee if you backup to their cloud). When you install the application, just configure your PC to backup to a "friend's" computer. It will ask you for the other computers ID (available in that PCs crashplan app) and everything will be automated from there.

So, BTSync and SyncThing aren't usually considered backups because they replicate file/folder deletions. If you accidentally delete something on your PC, the backup copy also gets deleted when the sync operation catches up to the change. That's pretty much the opposite of what you want your backup to do. Files sometimes disappear due to corruption as well ... BTSync would delete those from the backup also.

 

I've found the best way to do remote backups from one PC to another is Crashplan Desktop. It's free to use for that purpose (you only pay a service fee if you backup to their cloud). When you install the application, just configure your PC to backup to a "friend's" computer. It will ask you for the other computers ID (available in that PCs crashplan app) and everything will be automated from there.

 

That's a fair point, I use Syncthing to get stuff onto my Unraid then archive it, Synchthing also has version control as well which helps...

So, BTSync and SyncThing aren't usually considered backups because they replicate file/folder deletions.

 

Interesting. There are tutorials floating out there about how to use Rsync with the links option to create incremental backups of limited size.

 

I think they usually pop up if you google Rsync Timemachine... this does involve a bit of command line and linx fu.