Online backup integration with FreeNAS

[Antioch18]

I would like to integrate an online backup service with my FreeNAS install and have my important files backed up remotely automatically.

Does anyone know of any good, inexpensive services like this that can easily integrate with FreeNAS?

CrashPlan looks nice, but a quick search shows that it's not easily made to work with FreeNAS... :\

Thanks!

 

[cyberjock]

Not really. The reason for that is that FreeNAS was designed to allow for huge storage arrays. If you have an array of that size, you'd need a VERY VERY expensive internet connection to be able to upload to the online backup as well as download if you needed to recover. Even with a 1Gb connection you are talking days and days to upload and download. I'm fairly lucky with my 50Mbit connection and it would take me weeks to backup any respectable amount of data.

 

[Antioch18]

Cyberjock, thanks for your response.

Of course I don't plan on mirroring all of my data online, I would simply like a way to backup the family photos and homevideos. Those can easily be handled by our net connection.

Thanks!

 

[cyberjock]

Yeah, I don't have a recommendation. :(

The best idea I can come up with is to setup a file share to a desktop machine and then use the Amazon tool or whatever to do the sync between your file share and the cloud. The forum has discussed cloud based backups before and only a few of us think the cloud is a smart place to do backups. Sure you pay a fee but if your data suddenly ends up corrupt all you'll get from them is a "We're sorry" but you are out your data. I'd rather take a spare hard drive and hide it under my bed or do snapshots over SSH to a home machine for off-site backups.

 

[Antioch18]

Yeah, unfortunately I don't have a vacation home or anything off-site to save backups at. :(

 

[sqwob]

Yeah, unfortunately I don't have a vacation home or anything off-site to save backups at. :(

Personally i take a copy to my parents house ;)

 

[JaimieV]

I use www.crashplan.com's tool to sync my important data to a relative's computer over the Internet. I do that from a workstation though, not from the FreeNAS itself. That works well enough.

The Crashplan tool is Java, so I wonder if it's possible to massage into shape onto the FreeNAS itself... *noise of websearching* hmm, almost certainly not in an easy way since it requires a *lot* of installed packages:
http://www.1stbyte.com/2011/01/26/how-to-install-crashplan-on-freebsd/

While searching for that, here's an interesting thing - it does require you to supply an SSH-recieving destination of some sort though:
http://joepaetzel.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/freenas-remote-backups/

 

[ElephantDrive]

Hi there,

ElephantDrive has implementations designed specifically to run natively on number of NAS devices (Netgear ReadyNAS, QNAP TurboNAS, Thecus NAS). ElephantDrive also has amore generic linux-based solution (Debian). I believe this will work on your freeNAS, allowing you to automatically backup your files to our remote data centers.

You can download the Linux client right here: http://home.elephantdrive.com/Linux/

If you have any other questions or need additional assistance, just let me know.
joti@elephantdrive.com
(800) 778-4055 ext. 129

http://www.elephantdrive.com

I would like to integrate an online backup service with my FreeNAS install and have my important files backed up remotely automatically.

Does anyone know of any good, inexpensive services like this that can easily integrate with FreeNAS?

CrashPlan looks nice, but a quick search shows that it's not easily made to work with FreeNAS... :\

Thanks!

 

[CAlbertson]

Hi there,
ElephantDrive has implementations designed specifically to run natively on number of NAS devices (Netgear ReadyNAS, QNAP TurboNAS, Thecus NAS). ElephantDrive also has amore generic linux-based solution (Debian). I believe this will work on your freeNAS,

Really? It "will work on your freeNAS," Even if FreeNAS is not Linux based? I've not yet looked at your client software but if it is some kind of script, perhaps rsync based then it might work.

One thing I know is that if you can show it working on FreeNAS people will use it.

The other thing people need to know is how well funded you company is and if it will still be here in five or more years. Is it turning a profit and has a sustainable business plan. Right now I trust Amazon's cloud and Apple's but these smaller ones, I can't say.

But the first thing is to actually see this run on a FreeNAS.

 

[cyberjock]

Hint to ElephantDrive: It's not Linux at all. It has the word "Free" in it.. just like "FreeNAS". :)

When i first heard of FreeNAS I thought it would be linux too, but if you read the manual or search the forums at all you should quickly realize it's not Linux.

 

[pirateghost]

Hi there,

ElephantDrive has implementations designed specifically to run natively on number of NAS devices (Netgear ReadyNAS, QNAP TurboNAS, Thecus NAS). ElephantDrive also has amore generic linux-based solution (Debian). I believe this will work on your freeNAS, allowing you to automatically backup your files to our remote data centers.

You can download the Linux client right here: http://home.elephantdrive.com/Linux/

If you have any other questions or need additional assistance, just let me know.
joti@elephantdrive.com
(800) 778-4055 ext. 129

http://www.elephantdrive.com

Oh My Fail....

 

[JaimieV]

It's a shame, I've used the software (under the name ReadyNAS Vault) and It Just Works, as they say.

But without a FreeBSD port, or better still a FreeNAS jail package, it's just badly-targeted spam. Joti, surprise us!

 

[CAlbertson]

This is not something most people understand. After all, the folks running a NAS might be videographers or film editors or maybe they have a music recording studio. Most people cannot tell you the different between Linux and the the Shell and don't know what an OS really is. Few have heard of unix but now Linux is popular. It's OK not to know this stuff, after all, could you make intelligent comments on an xray crystallography forum? I think a major purpose of FreeNAS is so that you don't have to learn about unix and ZFS.

But it is very surprising that a person who is involved with a backup company and who knows enough about FreeNAS to get to this forum would think his Linux client could work. I'm sure it could be ported to run in BSD. One would have thought a person in the business would know this.

I've been wanting to run Crash Plan on my FreeNAS box. I think I've come to the conclusion that I need to run FreeNAS on a VMware Hypervisor so I can also run Linux on the same box. FreeNAS would export some files to Linux and then The Crash Plan software and a web server and whatever else I need would run on Linux.

 

[cyberjock]

It's OK not to know this stuff, after all, could you make intelligent comments on an xray crystallography forum?

Nope, but I wouldn't jump in a forum about xray crystallography and start throwing words around I don't understand. And if it had a manual I'd read it. If you read the FreeNAS manual its on the front freakin' cover!

Ok, ok.. some people don't "read" the front cover. So let's go to chapter 1, "Introduction".. the first sentence...

FreeNAS® is an embedded open source network-attached storage (NAS) system based on FreeBSD and released under a BSD license.

Let's not mention how many times this FreeBSD versus Linux thing has been hashed out in the forum. Quite frankly if someone shows up in the forum and says or implies that FreeBSD is based on Linux should NOT be allowed to post in the forum anymore. This, by default, means they didn't read the manual or much of ANY material on FreeNAS at all and are wanting a quick fix without learning anything.

I think a major purpose of FreeNAS is so that you don't have to learn about unix and ZFS.

I disagree, partly. Sure, I might not be able to use the CLI like a boss, but you'd better know enough about ZFS to understand what kind of redundancy you want, advantages and disadvantages to ZFS, and what you can and can't do with it. There is a certain level of knowledge you'd better meet before you start throwing together a server or you'll be sorry(or very lucky).

But it is very surprising that a person who is involved with a backup company and who knows enough about FreeNAS to get to this forum would think his Linux client could work. I'm sure it could be ported to run in BSD. One would have thought a person in the business would know this.

That is my problem with the post. That is clearly someone that spent zero time trying to understand FreeNAS. They showed up, made an account, threw in their advertisement, and split. They didn't read the manual(see above), didn't peruse the forum(again.. see above), and weren't interested in actually making a meaningful post that would benefit the user. They just wanted their advertisement. They look like fools to me, and while I can't remember what their company was called right now I assure you I'll remember it if someone asks me what I think of it in the future(ahh.. the great things about having good brains). And what I will have to say won't be too pretty. When their employees aren't familiar with even the most basic IT stuff but are posting garbage like they did I'd never give them a dime of my money or trust them with a MB of my data. This would be like a Dell employee trying to tell me their latest Dell server is the answer to my problems when I'm having issues with my Android based Motorola cell phone.

 

[JaimieV]

I've been wanting to run Crash Plan on my FreeNAS box.

Did you see the link I posted on page 1? It seems it can be done, though whether it's simpler than the VM shift you describe is debatable!

 

[ElephantDrive]

Hi Folks,

I work in Sales with ElephantDrive and I was not well acquainted with FreeNAS. My intention was to help out FreeNAS users with their backup needs. Obviously, I am promoting ElephantDrive since I work here. However, my intention is not to spam this forum at all. I hope you guys can accept my apology for the inaccurate information.

I realize that the lack of an online backup solution that works with FreeNAS is a prevalent issue. My take-away from this thread is that perhaps ElephantDrive can help FreeNAS users by providing a cloud backup solution. I am going to take this to our Engineering Team and see if they will package a build for the BSD OS.

If our Engineering Team agrees to do a build for the BSD OS, I will keep you guys posted on the progress.

Best,
joti@ElephantDrive.com
(800) 778-4055 ext. 129

 

[JaimieV]

Thanks for the followup Joti, very gracious. You'll now be aware that technical forums tend to be a bit prickly when non-techs jump in all bright and shiny - that'll stand you in good stead with further promotional efforts without having been too painful.

However, if you guys *are* interested in bringing a build to FreeBSD, you'll likely find people here very interested in helping test it out - and probably some help in packaging too, over in the Plugins forum.

 

[pirateghost]

Hi Folks,

I work in Sales with ElephantDrive and I was not well acquainted with FreeNAS. My intention was to help out FreeNAS users with their backup needs. Obviously, I am promoting ElephantDrive since I work here. However, my intention is not to spam this forum at all. I hope you guys can accept my apology for the inaccurate information.

I realize that the lack of an online backup solution that works with FreeNAS is a prevalent issue. My take-away from this thread is that perhaps ElephantDrive can help FreeNAS users by providing a cloud backup solution. I am going to take this to our Engineering Team and see if they will package a build for the BSD OS.

If our Engineering Team agrees to do a build for the BSD OS, I will keep you guys posted on the progress.

Best,
joti@ElephantDrive.com
(800) 778-4055 ext. 129

Thank you for 'coming clean'
Please have your engineers visit the FreeNAS forums and learn a bit about FreeBSD....

 

[seanwayne]

Hello,

I am not pretty much sure about FreeNAS option but i can suggest some reliable and best online backup services to backup your data on a green environment, which is the cloud. In my suggestion, services like; ElephantDrive and Carbonite are reliable enough to trust on. You can explore further options as well to cater your online backup need.

 

[RvdKraats]

Have you tried StrongSpace? I think there's a writeup on that site how to rsync your directories to their site.
http://www.strongspace.com