backups... - best path to automated backup server?

[mastablasta]

i am researching snapRaid. looks interesting option from what i read.

in the mean time i figured otu it might not be possible to use TP-Link TL-PA4010KIT or similar electric adapters well. while i have a free socket in living room the storage room has only one electric socket and that one should be used for server as well. any ideas if these things work with other stuff plugged in? imean manual says no an dit porbably does create some interference. so the only solutions would then be the unsafe wi-fi

[TheFu]

Some other options for media storage http://zornsoftware.codenature.info/...or-mhddfs.html

[mastablasta]

oh yes. sounds interesting.

I also found a nice interface for webserver I need to try out: http://ajenti.org/
but that's later to be decided.

I am also checking more hardware. I wonder why they do not have many fanless servers available? I mean those that are available are either single drive servers or some with powerful CPU which I probably do not need.

checking the ITX boards - you basically don't get any better setup or cheaper if you buy board and put the server together. most small boards that could possibly be used in fanless design do not have enough SATA plugs. strange. if fanless I could keep it in living room solving my issue with connection. as it seems now either keep fan based server in living room and have wired internet (via switch or router) or put it in the storage room and then have wireless connection (not so reliable and much less secure).

I am thinking for start 2 disks will be enough. one disk will have 2 partitions - one smaller (up o max 30 GB) for versioned backups of webserver and similar files that change a bit more often. the other one for data files that don't change (media files). these are just copies of original files kept on desktops. the copies would be accessible by others with access to server and in such way this data is shared). the second disk would just represent a mirror of this backup disk. either with copying or some nightly sync or that snapraid. when the disk get's filled the second disk would be installed with same principle. it should be a while before we fill two disks like that I think). the disks would be from different manufacturers in case any one has serial issue. I don't know how much data other family members have exactly at the moment. i am sure they do not have as much as we do. since we make most photos and videos I believe. so a 2 TB disk should be OK for next 3 or 4 years and then we can add another one... by that time server hardware will need to be changed anyway (8-10 years is the living time, right?). if space get's increased a lot, then older data that is not accessed often could be moved to external USB 2.0 drives. while the newish stuff get's internal sata drive.

[TheFu]

When looking for hardware, I start here: http://www.pricewatch.com/motherboar...s_with_memory/ and start watching slickdeals and bensbargains for deals. I have a fanless XBMC box, silent, APU-based - $150 from a few yrs ago. Don't think anyone can build something similar for that price anymore. The build is on my blog somewhere, if interested. Recently put 14.04 on that box - all is well.

Be certain that you transcode the videos. My camera creates MOV 720p movies and if they are transcoded through handbrake on the high-profile, the resulting mkv/mp4 file is 70% smaller without any perceived change in quality. That is worth it. It is also possible to compress most of the images 75% without seeing any loss in screen viewing ... but I don't do this. Only have 100G of images here.

I'm handling replication with rsync - manually. Of course there are scripts, but they must be run manually. Not at the point where I trust myself to automate this or any storage too to handle the replication.

Looks like HDDs don't have enough competition. Just checked the prices and they've gone up. Too much corporate consolidation.

[mastablasta]

You can buy this stuff so cheap in USA. I am not sure what is wrong here with most of EU. do they add extra taxes or what?

I know they have a nice,small fanless media box for 140 EUR. but these are all small boxes for single disk. where are builds that can accept 4 disks? I checked sinology NAS and they have a weak CPU, very low RAM and they have a fan. energy consumption Is not all that impressive considering the weak CPU.

edit: found the link: http://openelec.tv/forum/41-supporte...i-pc-in-1037ua

and they do not have many boxes with these Celerons. I am not sure why. they have good energy consumption descent GPU...