So I've had a 314 for close to two years now and have been happy with it. Bought it when it first came out in 2013 so I did experience the early teething pains as OS6 was debugged and polished.
The NAS works well in a mixed environment of Macs and PCs, iPhones and iPads and does everything expected.
EXCEPT accurate backups -- because the Frontview (GUI) backup is missing some critical functionality: there is no option to delete files on the destination that have been deleted on the source. I'd consider this an obvious and essential function of backup software/functionality.
My backup routine is to do backups of each share nightly with a full one each week and incremental ones the six other nights. Everything is also either mirrored to Carbonite or uploaded periodically as needed to Amazon Glacier.
Two weeks ago I did a factory default (seemed reasonable to do after 18 months) and restored everything from backups. All went fine . . .
EXCEPT . . . I ended up with several duplicate folders and what at first PANICKED look appeared like incomplete folders and whole bunches of missing files . . . Since we're talking about several terabytes of photos and academic research and accounting stuff I was panicked.
As I sorted things out and remembering how I'd set the shares and folders on the NAS (and changed some over time) I realized that the OS6 backup was NOT deleting files on the destination that had been deleted on the source. UGH! So I spent some time cleaning up the mess . . .
and am writing this post.
I purchased the 314 to use it. Not to become a Linux programmer (been there and done that with several other OSs over the past 45 years).
I realize that I could solve this functionality gap with rsync but I'm not keen on spending a bunch of time setting this up. Like I said, I bought the NAS to use it not program it.
(As an aside, I do wish the ReadyNAS documentation was better . . . And I am very grateful for this forum and everyone who works to fill in the gaps!)
So an open request to NetGear: please in the next OS release make sure that there is an option for backups to delete files/folders on the destination that are no longer present on the source that is a clear part of the process in Frontview (the GUI) of setting up a backup "job." That way we all will be creating truly clean, accurate backups. Thank you!
If you select rsync as the backup protocol there is an option to delete files/folders in the target that aren't on the source. It's on the advanced tab on the backup job settings.
I'd like to have clarified what is "Frontview"? Is it another name for the OS6.2.3 web interface, i.e. the admin page?
I am seeing the same lack of being able to delete files on the destination if not on the source. The check-boxes for being able to do that seem to indicate it ought to work, but no matter how I try, nothing gets deleted from the destination! As I am in the throws of trying to create a full and incremental backup of NAS312 to usb drive, I could use a fast pointers from someone. Should I use the Rysnc method as Stephen indicates. I don't even know if I can.
You can use rsync to backup to the USB drive, the trick is to use 127.0.0.1 for the destination IP address (specifying the right path to the USB drive).
