# Backup options? (SSD vs. Cloud)



## BenG (Jan 4, 2020)

Does anyone have any options or suggestions on a good, easy-to-use backup system? 

- Was looking at Backblaze as an affordable online option, but am a little hesitant as it may effect DAW performance.

- SSD is another possibility depending on reliability and performance. Perhaps with some accompanying software where I'm just copying the new/altered files over. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!


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## Zero&One (Jan 4, 2020)

If it's just backups, local HDD is enough. Acronis (has online also), Carbon Copy Cloner do the job.
Move/copy anything critical to online.


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## MartinH. (Jan 4, 2020)

Backblaze imho doesn't work for anyone who doesn't live close to their data centers. I tried it and the upload speed was lower than the rate at which I create new data. Support told me that the low bandwidth comes from the latency I have to their data centers because I live in Germany.

I now use a Hetzner Storage box and HDDs in a bank vault.


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## brojd (Jan 4, 2020)

I have all my samples and project files
backed up in ”realtime” by dropbox, and the system drive and everything else backed up on a local NAS (Raid 1 mirrored)

If the house burns down and those NAS drives are lost i will have to do some re-installing and re-authorizing, but everything needed to make that happen is available online or saved on dropbox folders.

EDIT ————> The local drives also backup the samples and projects, so I can perform a full system restore and get back to work directly, the dropbox solution is more of a ”just in case everything goes to hell” insurance.


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## tack (Jan 4, 2020)

I have a pretty nerdy backup solution that's not for the faint of heart. Since you asked for something easy to use, I can recommend:

Cloud backup: Sync.com as a reasonably priced and robust cloud backup option
Episode 734 of Security Now reviews various cloud backup solutions and ran into some issues with all of them (mainly in terms of client reliability) except for Sync.com
Note: Sync.com does not yet have a Linux client (necessary for me, but I'm not a typical user)

Self backup: If you want to sync data between systems you control (whether attached via a LAN or Internet), Syncthing is pretty awesome and I use the hell out of it.
I use a hybrid solution: Syncthing to move data from my DAW to my NAS server, and then I perform twice-daily cloud backups from my NAS to cloud storage for disaster recovery


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## vitocorleone123 (Jan 4, 2020)

NAS (Using Macrium Pro) in the house for everything, plus Cloud (using Arq Backup) for key project files but not library/sample backup.


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## BenG (Jan 4, 2020)

Thanks for all of the info!!

As for online options, I've had the same issues with upload speed on Dropbox and kind of gave up. Hoping some of these options are better suited and will be sure to save only project files. 

At the moment, I also backup all of my projects via a 1TB USB which is fine but far from ideal. Would love an automatic option similar to Acronis and CCC which I will definitely chekx out! 

Is CCC Mac only?


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## Pictus (Jan 4, 2020)

For backup to external drive HD/SSD, ICY DOCK DuoSwap MB971SP-B



To create an image for Windows BOOT drive I use Macrium Reflect from a BOOTable USB pendrive








Download Sergei Strelec's WinPE - MajorGeeks


WinPE creates a bootable DVD or thumb drive for computer maintenance, partitioning, backup and restore, diagnostics, data recovery, and more. Backups include Acronis, Nortons Ghost, Disk2vhd, Macrium and more. Drive utilities include MiniTool, Macrorit, Defraggler, Auslogics Disk Defrag...



m.majorgeeks.com





To back DATA, I like FreeFileSync








FreeFileSync


Download FreeFileSync 11.29. FreeFileSync is a free open source data backup software that helps you synchronize files and folders on Windows, Linux and macOS.




freefilesync.org


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## Zero&One (Jan 4, 2020)

BenG said:


> Is CCC Mac only?



Yeah it's for Mac, wasn't sure what you had so I mentioned both.

Found this on Acronis, not sure of the validity as I only use their local version and not cloud.






Acronis True Image 2020 Cloud Backups Proven 13х Faster Than Competitors by MRG Effitas


Acronis True Image 2020 cloud backups were proven to be up to 13х faster than the competition in independent testing by MRG Effitas




www.acronis.com


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## CWELLINGTON (Jan 4, 2020)

I love Dropbox and BackBlaze. Maybe your back up doesn't need to be running in the background during sessions but maybe you set to sync after sessions or end of day.


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## BenG (Jan 4, 2020)

CWELLINGTON said:


> I love Dropbox and BackBlaze. Maybe your back up doesn't need to be running in the background during sessions but maybe you set to sync after sessions or end of day.



Hmm, I will try again and see if the upload speed is any better!


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## BenG (Jan 4, 2020)

Zero&One said:


> Yeah it's for Mac, wasn't sure what you had so I mentioned both.
> 
> Found this on Acronis, not sure of the validity as I only use their local version and not cloud.
> 
> ...



Yes, sorry for not mentioning that and that's seems very cool!


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## Damarus (Jan 6, 2020)

Anyone using a Windows based Full image backup solution? I dread the day I might have to reinstall everything.


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## easyrider (Jan 12, 2020)

Damarus said:


> Anyone using a Windows based Full image backup solution? I dread the day I might have to reinstall everything.



Windows 10 pro has the windows 7 backup feature built in. I back up my main PC to my backup server over the network


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## easyrider (Jan 12, 2020)

BenG said:


> Does anyone have any options or suggestions on a good, easy-to-use backup system?
> 
> - Was looking at Backblaze as an affordable online option, but am a little hesitant as it may effect DAW performance.
> 
> ...




I have a Backup Media server with a 30 TB drive pool for all my data and software.

I use this software to create a storage pool of multiple drives in the server so they appear as one single drive.






StableBit - The home of StableBit CloudDrive, StableBit DrivePool and the StableBit Scanner







stablebit.com





On this server is attached some USB 3 backup drives that backup this drive pool automatically using Syncback https://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/syncback-hub.html

This is a backup..If I delete a file on the server It will not delete from the USB backup array.

This server is in my my double garage conversion.

I have a second Backup Server in the study that mirrors the main Media Backup server over the network. 

On this second backup server I run Syncback which once configured backups the main server 

Also on this server I run Crashplan pro https://www.crashplan.com/en-us/?ut...ch&utm_term=+crashplan&utm_campaign=smb_brand

This then backups the backup server into the cloud.

For OS sys image backup I use wndows 7 backup built into windows 10 that backups the my OS SSD drive with windows on it to the backup server.

My laptop OS NVME is backed up the same way.


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## ThomasL (Jan 12, 2020)

Been using Backblaze for 3-4 years, never noticed it slowing anything down. I can highly recommend it.
Also, a tip: if you want to have you (Mac) boot drive uploaded as well, make a local copy to a drive with CCC and then Backblaze will copy that drive as well (it normally doesn't backup the boot drive).


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## easyrider (Jan 12, 2020)

Also remember.

The 3-2-1 *backup rule* is an easy-to-remember acronym for a common approach to keeping your data safe in almost any failure scenario. The *rule* is: keep at least three (3) copies of your data, and store two (2) *backup* copies on different storage media, with one (1) of them located offsite.


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## easyrider (Jan 13, 2020)

Had a thought aswell. With SSD of 1TB being cheap you could clone your OS drive to one and have this in waiting ready to just connect to get back online without the need to run a recovery process.


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## ThomasL (Jan 13, 2020)

easyrider said:


> Had a thought aswell. With SSD of 1TB being cheap you could clone your OS drive to one and have this in waiting ready to just connect to get back online without the need to run a recovery process.


That's exactly what I do, and the copy is then transported to the heavens, or clouds at least.


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## Billy Palmer (Jan 13, 2020)

brojd said:


> I have all my samples and project files
> backed up in ”realtime” by dropbox, and the system drive and everything else backed up on a local NAS (Raid 1 mirrored)
> 
> If the house burns down and those NAS drives are lost i will have to do some re-installing and re-authorizing, but everything needed to make that happen is available online or saved on dropbox folders.
> ...



Sorry of this is common knowledge.
How do you get your samples to backup to dropbox automatically from an external drive?
Is there a tutorial anywhere?

Really what I'd like is for my external sample SSD to be cloned to dropbox automatically.
Is there a good way to do so (with minimal manual steps).


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## JohnG (Jan 13, 2020)

I keep a clone of my local backup in a safe deposit at a local bank, in case of fire.


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## brojd (Jan 13, 2020)

William Palmer said:


> Sorry of this is common knowledge.
> How do you get your samples to backup to dropbox automatically from an external drive?
> Is there a tutorial anywhere?
> 
> ...



In my case they’re all on the same physical SSD drive, I just have an extra online ”just in case everything burns down” solution by putting all samples, recordings and projects in my dropbox folder.

I saw some workarounds online, but nothing I came across felt good.
So I basically got a 4 TB SSD for my laptop and run everything from one drive.


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## easyrider (Jan 13, 2020)

William Palmer said:


> Sorry of this is common knowledge.
> How do you get your samples to backup to dropbox automatically from an external drive?
> Is there a tutorial anywhere?
> 
> ...











Using Dropbox as an online backup only


Note that this isn't the primary function of Dropbox. As you know, the Dropbox site and apps are for syncing files to users and your other devices. However, there is a way using a workaround to keep your files only on the Dropbox site, to keep them safe online, and yet not take up space on...




www.dropboxforum.com


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## toomanynotes (Jan 14, 2020)

JohnG said:


> I keep a clone of my local backup in a safe deposit at a local bank, in case of fire.


And your bank keeps their HD in a different location incase of fire/earthquakes. Nothing is safe.


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## toomanynotes (Jan 14, 2020)

brojd said:


> In my case they’re all on the same physical SSD drive, I just have an extra online ”just in case everything burns down” solution by putting all samples, recordings and projects in my dropbox folder.
> 
> I saw some workarounds online, but nothing I came across felt good.
> So I basically got a 4 TB SSD for my laptop and run everything from one drive.


Does that work for you? Samples + OS on same SSD? Sounds very sensible.


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## brojd (Jan 14, 2020)

toomanynotes said:


> Does that work for you? Samples + OS on same SSD? Sounds very sensible.



It works for me, but I don’t have an ”insane” dfd-based template with hundreds of tracks unlike most members here [/JOKE] 😂


With a modern laptop/desktop with a decent amount of RAM i don’t see why it shouldn’t work as long as you don’t go overboard, it sure as hell made my life a lot easier


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## macmac (Jan 14, 2020)

I use Backblaze and love it. I never notice anything slowing down. When you sync for the first time, it will take a long time depending on how many drives / TB, but once it's done, it just sits there unobtrusively.

I also keep a backup on removable drives. This is a quick remedy if a drive goes down, or if I lost a file, but useless for catastrophe. So that's why I have Backblaze in addition.

I used to do the bank thing too, but it was just too much of a pain to go get them, sync, and then go back to the bank. Too much time went between syncs. So this other way works better.


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## Shubus (Jan 23, 2020)

Speaking of BACKUPS, in the Mac world one should be leery of using TimeMachine as a full system backup. TimeMachine does NOT backup everything. Passwords, logins, library authentications, etc. are NOT backed up as you'll find out when doing a full TimeMachine restore. All those need to re-entered. TimeMachine is extremely useful for file restorations, but if your system crapped out on you and need to get up and running quickly, then consider Carbon Copy Cloner which makes an exact image copy of system including all the password, logins, authentications, etc. My solution is to use both TimeMachine and Carbon Copy Cloner.


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## justinleecooper (May 22, 2020)

It depends on what you need. If you need to backup your G Suite or Office 365, then you can use Spanning, SysCloud, or you can use saas data protection solution for Microsoft office 365 from Spinbackup. There are a lot of options that can fit your needs.


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