Server Backup

[Jonathan .]

I want to backup my FreeNAS to a portable hard drive, the server is 2x 2Tb drives in a mirror what would be the best way to go about doing this? (I have USB ports free if that helps)
Thanks in advance

 

[Redcoat]

Search the forum for "backup to usb" - you'll get lots of hits - here's one example https://www.ixsystems.com/community/threads/backup-a-pool-to-a-usb-drive.72627/

I picked that one partly because it includes a post by @Arwen who wrote a Resource https://www.ixsystems.com/community/resources/how-to-backup-to-local-disks.26/ on the topic of backup to portable drives as well as commenting on the potential frailties of using usb drives.

 

[Chris Moore]

USB can create problems regarding backup because of speed and reliability problems in USB.

 

[Jonathan .]

From what I have seen I have decided that I will back up the server to an external drive through an old laptop, thanks for all help

 

[Redcoat]

From what I have seen I have decided that I will back up the server to an external drive through an old laptop, thanks for all help

Sounds like a good plan!

 

[kiriak]

From what I have seen I have decided that I will back up the server to an external drive through an old laptop, thanks for all help

Many people, especially home users, do not have the knowledge or the resources to backup to a server at a remote site.
In the case that the backup to external drives is the only available choice,
why not somebody use the snapshot replication to a usb drive?

Every time, one should import and export the pool,
but in the backup drive will be the previous versions of files, there is the advanage of ZFS filesystem (even with no self healing capability) and the backup procedure will be lightning fast.
I am a noob in computers and maybe I'm missing sth, but isn't it better the snapshot replication vs the backup through a PC?
Just wondering....

In any case, there should be at least 2 seperate backups to the external media and every single time, on of these should be at a remote site.