Please, recommend software to backup data FROM NAS

In the past, my main storage for personal data was PC. I was using WD external drive to backup purposes and WD Anywhere Backup. I like this software, but there are some limitations exist:

-you can backup ONLY from PC drive to several different destinations (to NAS, to USB, to HDD, to online storage)

-this concept of “smart picks” make me crazy as you cannot backup one WHOLE folder. You can switch, to folder view but WDAB will still skip some files (Smartware is much worse)

Now, due to space constrains on PC I moved some personal data to NAS (MBL) and found that WD do not offer any software to backup data FROM NAS.

So, I’m looking for free or cheep software (<50usd) which do have following:

-folder (and files) backup software (like WDAB without Smart picks and hidden rules about file exclusion)

-backup software (not sync software) to keep several file versions and keep deleted files in backup (like WDAB)

-multiple sources and destinations for backups (PC to NAS, NAS to PC, etc) (missing in WDAB)

Which tool you are using to backup your NAS?

PS: my schema for backup in future will be:

-folders from PC drive to NAS (almost online)

-folders from PC drive to USB drive attached to the same PC (weekly)

-folders from NAS drive to USB drive attached to the PC (weekly)

PPS: I see that WD offer possibility to backup NAS to another NAS in new firmware, but I assume it is not backup but just sync (no file versions and deleted filed will disappear from “backup”)

PPS: For the time being I consider to use two backup programs in parallel to get benefits from both:

-WDAB to backup data from PC to NAS (as it doing backup only from one source)

-Altaro Oops!Backup to backup data from PC and from NAS to USB drive attached to PC (as it doing backup only to one destination)

Thanks!

The firmware for the MBL that was released yesterday allows you to back up the NAS to another device.

TonyPh12345 wrote:

The firmware for the MBL that was released yesterday allows you to back up the NAS to another device.

What he said! - If you have a My Book Live it now has the ability to create a “Safepoint” backup to another NAS. To get to it click on the Backup’s section of your Dashboard, click on “My Book Live Backups”, than scroll down to the “Create” section.

What if you only want to copy two directories and not the whole drive. I have a spare 500 GB that my new MBL has helped me liberate. I only want to backup my music and pictures onto this. I have installed rsync on my MBL but not quite sure how to use it. The 500 GB would be attached to my windows 7 box. I did see something about setting up ssh but not quite sure how to do this or schedule a cron job. Excuse my ignorance.

Sorry for using mentor tone

Let’s be very precise in terminology.

I’m using word «backup» for solution which will duplicate AND protect your data.

«Sync» will not protect your data, it will only duplicate it.

Even «RAID» configuration will not protect you data.

WD Anywhere Backup and WD Smartware are “backup” products. But they do not suit my needs (WDAB – no possibility to select different type of sources, WDSW – “smartpicks” implementation)

For the solution available in new firmware – I have no idea is it “backup” or “sync” solution. I assume it is sync only (for whole drive). I will upgrade in 3-4 weeks time period if no major issues will be reported by other users and will check this.

For the time being, looking forward to see user comments about other “backup” tools avaible to backup data (selected folders) from NAS.

I fail to see your distinction between DUPLICATE and PROTECT.   

How do you PROTECT your data?

The new firmware implements RSYNC.

Hi Tony

Let me explain it this way:

If you (by mistake) or virus (on purpose) will delete file from source - via sync it will be wiped from destination as well.

If you (by mistake) or virus (on purpose) will destroy content of file from source - sync will do the same with file at destination.

In case of “sync” solition, you will permanently loose your file.

In case of “backup” solution you will still have copy of it.

Sync do not have option “back in time” for file content and will not protect from file deletion.

From the example above, I can say that backup solution will do more then just sync and will provide better protection, comparing to sync and in some situation will be the only solution which will keep your data safe.

This way I distinguish solutions for “backup” and for “sync”.

May be it’s sounds like paranoid, but I do care about protection, as I do not want to explain my wife that AGAIN our family photos are gone and no way to restore them.

Added: as example from WD

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1455/

Ahhhh.   Ok, I follow you.    

I agree with your points.   

correct me if I’m wrong but you can set how many previous backups on smartware that you want to keep.

You’re not wrong about SmartWare, but vist1000 is asking about doing a partial NAS-to-NAS backup without using SmartWare so it’s not relevant to the current conversation.  :smiley:

As far as syncing folders removing files, rsync doesn’t work that way.  It’s basically a smart remote (or local!) copy tool that uses analysis to only transfer as much is necessary.  For example, I used to use rsync (now I use zsync) to update my Ubuntu daily image CDs for the development build.  A new 700MB ISO is generated every day but only a few MB have changed.  rsync only downloads the parts that have changed and updates my local copy accordingly.

I have no idea how the MBL-to-MBL safepoint system works yet, but anyone setting up rsync should be safe from deleted files across hosts.

Thanks to all for colaboration.

I’m still looking for cheap program for ms windows to fulfill my needs.

Went to wikipedia for rsync reading and a bit confusing. In the article it is said that rsync it is client/server application.

Do I need to install something on PC if I will run safepoint backup to from MBL to PC share?

Also, nothing explained about file versioning and file deletion with rsync.

I like info about delta technology, and found also that Altaro Oops!Backup is also using delta technology during file backup. The only disadvantage with Oops!Backup  is that it is designed with only one destination for backup. You can not run several backups with several destinations.

Still I see no post about NAS backup PC software for home use. Also search via google did not give info about single product with all functions available at once. Still searching…

http://highlevelbits.free.fr/index.php?lang=en