Hi there!
I’ve moved from a Synology NAS setup to a G-Raid 20tb configured to RAID 1. I’m a photographer and store all our photos and other misc onto the RAID 1. I bought two 10tb G-Drives to do backups of the RAID and store one offsite.
With Synology I was able to use their software to do nightly backups with only the newest date changes (like Time Machine) onto the backup drive. I would then swap the backup drive with our offsite drive and replicate this process daily.
I’ve searched but could only find posts about hot swapping the internal drives of the RAID. I do not want to do this. I would like to know how to use the G-Drives externally to backup the RAID.
Thanks so much!
Hello! It’s great that you’re taking proactive steps to back up your data. While G-RAID and G-Drive don’t have a built-in backup application like Synology, you can use third-party backup software on your computer to achieve a similar result. Here’s a general guide on how you can set up backups with external G-Drives:
- Choose Backup Software: Decide on backup software that suits your needs. There are several options available, such as:
- Windows:
- File History
- EaseUS Todo Backup
- Acronis True Image
- Mac:
- Time Machine (built-in)
- Carbon Copy Cloner
- SuperDuper!
- Connect G-Drive to Your Computer: Ensure your G-Drive is connected to your computer.
- Install and Configure Backup Software: Install the chosen backup software and configure it to perform regular backups from your RAID to the G-Drive.
- For example, if you’re using File History on Windows, you can set it up to backup specific folders from your RAID to the G-Drive.
- If you’re using Time Machine on Mac, connect the G-Drive, and it should prompt you to use it for backups.
- Schedule Regular Backups: Set up a schedule for your backups. Ideally, you want to perform nightly backups, similar to your previous setup.
- Monitor and Verify Backups: Regularly check the backup logs and verify that the backups are successfully completing. This ensures the integrity of your backup data.
- Offsite Backup: To create an offsite backup, you can manually transfer the backup data from one G-Drive to another and keep the offsite G-Drive in a secure location. Alternatively, you could use a cloud storage service to store a copy of your backups offsite.
Remember that the specific steps may vary based on the backup software you choose. Be sure to follow the documentation provided with the software for detailed instructions.
This approach allows you to keep your external G-Drives separate from the RAID, avoiding the need for hot swapping internal drives. It also gives you control over the backup process and allows you to tailor it to your specific requirements.
