I have ReadyNAS Duo and would like to get a friend to buy one, so we can do off-site backup for each other. Is it possible to do the following (and if so, how)?
All local users use one disk, while the remote user's data are one the other one. (So I would "own" one disk in my NAS and one disk in my friend's.)
Make the remote user's data unreadable to all local users, inclusive admin, either by user access or by some compression. (I do not need a very advanced security, just something that prevents us to "accidentally" peek at the other's data.)
All local users use one disk, while the remote user's data are one the other one. (So I would "own" one disk in my NAS and one disk in my friend's.)
you can do this, but then you would not have any local redundancy, you would need to choose FLEX-RAID mode during a factory reset, and you would lose expansion capabilities. As an aside, the duo/nv+ are limited to 2tb drives max anyway.
Make the remote user's data unreadable to all local users, inclusive admin, either by user access or by some compression. (I do not need a very advanced security, just something that prevents us to "accidentally" peek at the other's data.)
You can not. As admin of the device, you have whole access to anything on it. As will your friend for their device. The only way possible would be to store the backups encrypted, but there is no direct support for that, and the duo does not have the cpu power to do it internally. In other words, you would have to create an encrypted backup file with some other program on your pc, then send that file to be stored on your friends duo, and vice versa.
Any other issues I should be aware of?
off site backups are a good thing, but your suggested approach has several downsides and I wouldn't be recommended it.
Other problems include internet access speed, the duo's low power cpu and speed will make for long backups.
well with the hardware you have, you can have offsite backups, you just a) can't keep your friend from accessing your files, nor you his. b) if you perform a local backup first (ie both device on same network) it will be faster, then use rsync for incremental updates. It will still be slow, dependent on your internet connections and the slow sparc cpu, but if the data does not change alot then it could be usable.
buying x86 devices (ultra/plus/pro) could make the backups faster (and local access way faster), but still won't prevent you/your friend from accessing each others backups.
the most reasonable price backup is simply using an external usb hardrive (or 2) and backup every week or so. With 2 or more usb drives, you can simply alternate them keeping one off site.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions, I will have to think about it.
By the way, do the Duo's USBs have enough power for an external 2.5'' drive? An can Duo spin-down the drive when it is finished (or do they spin down themselves - I have no experience with (modern) external usb drives)?
