RNDU4000, use as external HDD?

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StephenB wrote:

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Ahrle wrote:

I wonder if a dust-collecting ReadyNAS Ultra 4 (RNDU4000) can act as a simple external hard drive?  The RNDU4000 runs OS 6, and all four systems have equal setups - 4x2TB in RAID10.

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I don't understand what you mean by "acting as a simple external hard drive".  The volume already acts that way.

 

But you can certainly use the Ultra to backup any of these devices over wired ethernet.  You can't connect to to the server's USB port.

 

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Thanks for reply. What I mean is that I'd like to mount it as a Windows local disk, just like a USB stick or external HDD. Then it's easily encryptable via VeraCrypt, ghostable via Norton Ghost/RAID etc.

 

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Not sure if this is intended literally or not.  

 

If everything is on the same wired network, then there is no need to move anything to make the backups.  There are several utilities out there that can do incremental backups over the network.  FreeFileSync is one free one (among others).  Even a full backup of 4 TB of data can be done in less than a day over gigabit ethernet.

 

If the home PC (and Ultra) are actually in different locations (on different networks), then it is still possible to back up the basement equipment to them - though it does depend on the internet upload/download speeds of the two networks.  You can set up a VPN connection for remote access (for instance using ZeroTier or OpenVPN).  If the server is running linux, then you could also set up rsync-over-ssh (forwarding ports in the routers).

 

 

 

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Well, it's always good to point out that the NAS has to be brought down three stairs, carried about 75 m. to the car, getting the car warmed up, driven to the basement storage, getting unloaded after buying a ticket, carried down and all in reversal order; before getting irrelevant comments that I shouldn't be lazy and just bring the 10x heavier PC there. I'm asking because it's either this, or purchasing an external HDD cabinet I have in mind.

Sadly there's no network at the basement at all, and I don't intend to put one up either (partly because it's only for personal backups, and partly because it's in two different apartment complexes, so I guess it'll be outrageously expensive to install fibre network there). That's why I need the NAS to move the infomation physically. :)

Ahrle

Given you will be setting up the Ultra4 from scratch, you may want to look at upgrading it to OS6 before you get started.  As the older protocols the RAIDiator 4.2.x software supports become more and more depreciated and the OS just gets older, that will give the NAS new life with current OS updates.  You will want to increase the memory to at least 2GB before you do, as there are reports where that seems to be a necessity for the latest 6.10.x versions.  Of course, just used as a backup, the use of outdated protocols isn't quite as critical, but I updated all my legacy NAS that could be updated to OS6 and got rid of the rest.

I store next to nothing data wise on internal hard drives and no longer use USB ones at all.  Everything is on a primary NAS, which backs up to a pair of backup NAS (because their volumes are smaller and it takes two to hold it all) with the most critical data also backed up three states away at my brother's house via a ZeroTier VPN.  I made the initial backup on the NAS at my brother's locally since the data has to go over the internet, but it's not been back in my hands since.  He uses it as a primary NAS and his data backs up to one of my backup ones.  I administer it remotely through the VPN.  All these units are legacy devices running OS6.