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Forum Discussion
Questions About Using RSync To Back Up ReadyNAS
I have OS 6.10.3 on a 628X ReadyNAS. I setup my first share backup to a second 628X ReadyNAS. I have several questions: 1. It looks like you can't schedule an automated backup any less frequent...
Though you didn't ask, you might consider setting up custom snapshots on the destination share (with limited retention). That gives you a way to roll back to older files if you need to.
XrayDoc88 wrote:
1. It looks like you can't schedule an automated backup any less frequently than once per week, correct?
No, you can do daily automated backups (even hourly if you like).
XrayDoc88 wrote:
2. There are several options about how frequently to do a full backup. If you choose first time only, does it then only add incremental file changes to your backups?
Yes. And there is an advanced option that will delete files that are no longer on the source.
XrayDoc88 wrote:
3. If you have periodic full backups, does it just overwrite your existing files without manual permission, or does it add full duplicates of everything?
It will overwrite everything. But there is no versioning, so you won't have duplicates.
XrayDoc88 wrote:
4. If full backups are overwritten, why would you ever check the box that deletes the existing backup before writing a new full backup?
I don't myself. That box is more useful using other backup methods. The full backup doesn't delete files that are no longer on the source. Checking the box is one way to clear them out.
But with rsync, using the advanced option is better.
XrayDoc88 wrote:
5. If you change the content of a file on the source NAS but keep the same file name, is Rsync smart enough to do an incremental backup of that changed file? Or will you only get the updated file backed up with a new full backup?
You'll get the full file. Also in general, the incremental option on the NAS updates the full files when the file is changed.
XrayDoc88 wrote:
6. There was an option for "Wake on LAN" which I don't think I need to use with my second NAS. But what are you even supposed to enter in that field, the IP address of the target device?
Yes. But you don't need that if the target NAS is already on.
Thanks for the quick and helpful reply.
My first question was worded awkwardly. I was wondering if there was any way to do less frequent backups, like every two or three weeks. It looked like once a week was the slowest you could go.
XrayDoc88 wrote:
It looked like once a week was the slowest you could go.
That is true. Though if nothing has changed, then the backup runs quite quickly.
XrayDoc88 wrote:
Can you expand on the custom snapshots on the destination shares?
First of all, the gist on how snapshots work:
When you create a snapshot, it initially takes no space. All the data is held in common between the snapshot and the main share. If you then delete a file in the main share, it remains in the snapshot. If you re-write a block in a file in the main share, the original block remains in the snapshot (preserving the old version of the file). Over time, the amount of space used by the snapshot goes up. Exactly how much depends on how much is being deleted (or changed) in the share. Note adding new files to the main share doesn't affect snapshot space.
So if the files in a share don't change very often then the snapshots don't take much space. On the other hand, if the files change a lot (for instance a share used for torrents), then the snapshots will take a lot of space.
I don't use the "smart" snapshots because the monthly snapshots are never deleted. Over time, the space will build up. Instead, I use custom snapshots, with 3 months retention on most shares. I have one share with image backups that I set to 2 weeks retention (because the image backups are large). Those settings are on both my main NAS and the backup NAS. I think that gives me reasonable retension.
Also, I run rsync daily, and never use the "full" backup cycle. One reason is that re-writing all the files will end with the snapshot using a lot of space (the snapshot space grows even if the rewritten file is the same as the original file).
As far as space goes, the backup currently has about 11.5 TiB of data, and about 332 GiB of snapshot space. I think that's very reasonable overhead for the retention I get. Though the overhead of course depends on the "churn" in the shares.
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