Backup Software on UnRaid - Can someone do this? :-)

Hi Guys,

I've been a loving UnRaid user for about three years now and now I'm ready to get some off site backup.  I've been searching the forums and downloading trial software for about two weeks now - and I've finally found a solution, I think... and it's even available for Linux...  The solution offers these great benefits:

* - Can be used to backup just about any computer to an UnRaid machine (Windows, Linux, Mac OSX, and Unix).  Even has a console mode for batch files/scripters.

* - You can backup Network shares - or backup to network shares (use UNC path, not mapped drives).

* - Data transfer by HTTP or HTTPS for off site backup (and for secure transfer).

* - Does incremental backup and offers sync - and bi-directional sync.

* - Can download files from the backup over the Internet (could be used for file sharing/hosting also).

* - Is easy to use, with a web browser interface!

* - Scheduling capable, so you can have it work in your down time (maybe it can be configured for "set it and forget it mode, like Carbonite/CrashPlan/others).

* - Supports Versioning!!!  (Huge not only for software developers, but for Authors and Photographers as well) - use it if you want.

* - Supports Compression - use it if you want.

* - Supports Encryption - use it if you want - on the folders you want (encrypt tax returns, leave family photos unencrypted)

* - Email capabilities to report status (looks like this could be improved, but better than nothing: I prefer alert style: only let me know if there is an issue).

* - Doesn't require any additional software (for encryption, SSL, compression, etc.).

* - Supports locally SEEDing your backup, before you set it off site (critical for those of us with TBs of storage) .

Oh, and did I mention, it's FREE for personal use?  If you did need the commercial version, it's pretty reasonable at $49 per server machine (clients, the machines which you backup, are free).

I've not fully investigated all of the features - I'm using it on a pair of Windows boxes right now.  It's probably not a 100% perfect fit for everyone (would like to be able to setup read-only downloads for family) but it meets the needs of so many people - because it's so flexible.

It's called Syncrify - and it doesn't seem to get a lot of buzz, but it looks ideal for me - and hopefully a lot of others.  Here's a link to the Linux install:  http://web.synametrics.com/SyncrifyInstallationLinux.htm

Perhaps one of the gurus here can tell us if it's even possible - or what it'll take to have it run on UnRaid so I can take my Windows boxes out of the equation.

Looking forward to the feedback/ideas.

Russell Schutte

Versioning and encryption are not supported for the free version.  These features are active in the pro version, but that's $49 per client or $200 for 5.  I feel more comfortable with Crashplan.

Hi Silver,

Hmmm...  You're right about the licensing...  if you need Encryption, Versioning, or Two Way Sync, I guess it'll cost you $49 for each machine you need those features on - still a pretty reasonable expense if you need those features - and if you just want easy, secure transfer, offsite backup, it's free.  I wish they had done $49 per SERVER instead of licensing the clients...  That'd be easier to swallow.

But to think that I can setup my parents, my inlaws, and a couple of friends' desktop computers to backup on my UnRaid over the internet, on a personal license - at NO COST!.  WOW!  To give peace of mind to all those family photos/videos/memories for free...  Amazing.

I've been specifically looking for a solution that IS NOT encrypted on the remote - so CrashPlan doesn't work for me.  I've also had to run CrashPlan on my Windows machines (I don't think it's supported on UnRaid), and can't always get it to connect to my "mapped drives", since that's kinda a "workaround" - and worse, it doesn't error when it doesn't connect - I'm just left to assume it's working, when it isn't.  Not comfortable.

Lastly, if CrashPlan goes belly-up, and your data is encrypted remote, I think it's unusable to you.  While CrashPlan claims you can still get your data - if you install their software, the very first thing it does, before it'll do anything else, is logon to their servers.  I feel more comfortable without that arrangement.

I'll do a little work tonight to see what else I can find out about this software.

Thanks,

Russell Schutte

Lastly, if CrashPlan goes belly-up, and your data is encrypted remote, I think it's unusable to you.  While CrashPlan claims you can still get your data - if you install their software, the very first thing it does, before it'll do anything else, is logon to their servers.  I feel more comfortable without that arrangement.

This is a very valid concern regarding crashplan (though personally if my backup goes pop with crashplan I'll make a new one with something else. Appreciate that's not a good approach for many) however there is a *small* hope that were such a thing to happen the pro version (or PROe as I think they're rebranding it) can work entirely offline wrt crashplans own servers.

If you have your encryption keys the client for that should be able to access your backups I believe.

Leaving you with two options if restoration of a remote backup in the event of crashplan demise is important :

- Hope they do the decent thing (hmm...) and release the Pro client to allow people to do just that as their swansong

- Buy a pro licence so you have the client to hand

So you do have options.

This is all slightly supposition glued together from various bits and bobs scattered across their forums and knowledge bases but I believe it's accurate and obviously doesn't help if your remote data is actually held on crashplans servers - this would only be of use if your remote crashplan targets were on machines you controlled / had access to.

Did a little follow up research...  The following limitations indeed do apply to the FREE version:

* - Only one user account for the server and only 5 profiles (profiles are backup settings).

* - Encryption, Versioning, and Two-Way Sync only work for thirty days.

With the Personal version installed, I've done some testing:

The encryption certainly does work - but Syncrify encrypts the files themselves, not the filenames/folders - so that might not work for some people who don't want others to know what the files might contain.  Note that you can unencrypt files locally as well should there be a big failure (or if the company goes out of business - you hold the keys to your data).

The compression wasn't very impressive for the files I tried - misc stuff - and you can't choose levels of compression, so if that's important, you'd want to test it more yourself.  With the cost of drives, I consider this generally unnecessary.

Note that the Versioning setting is Server side - and you can specify how many versions to keep, which is pretty cool (unlimited does not seem to be an option, not sure what the max might be, but it took a whole bunch of 99999999s and then didn't work).  I tried it out with it set to store 100 versions and with a couple of Word docs and it worked perfectly.  And it stores the differences in the files - not new copies, so the storage space required is amazingly small.  (Downloading versions only works with the client software, not with the web browser viewer.)

Two-Way Sync works.  It was super simple, so that's really cool.

You can also do bandwidth throttling and disk allocation, if you want to control how much bandwidth is used and what disk space is used for your backup users/computers.

The browser viewer is kinda cool too - you can preview files from your backup, download files, or download a folder of files - or files that you mark with a checkbox.  Oh, and there's Proxy settings too, if you need them - within the client software.

Overall, this will do exactly what I'm looking for - and I suspect it'll work well for many other UnRaid users who have been looking for an offsite solution (and specifically for whom CrashPlan and online services haven't worked).  I could probably get by on the Personal Edition, but if I can get this running natively on UnRaid, I will definately pay the $50 to support the programmers of this really useful tool.

Oh, and it was decently fast over my local network, while I've got other things running - 1GB took about 7 minutes to backup from my Windows machine to my UnRaid.

Hoping someone can offer to build this into UnRaid for all of us - and even better if we can get both server and client to work.  :-)

Server Install Instructions:  http://web.synametrics.com/SyncrifyInstallationLinux.htm

Client Install Instructions:  http://web.synametrics.com/ClientInstallationStepsOther.htm

Can a Linux/UnRaid Guru tell me how possible this is?

Thanks,

Russell Schutte

There instructions are fairly straight forward, but I will have to do some more reading and testing to actually see what might be involved.

The "http://localhost:5800" part means you are setting up the server on the "local" machine (i.e. unRAID).  unRAID has no browser and no way to display it.  I am not sure if going to http://tower:5800 will work or not, there might be some "stuff" that needs to be done to connect to the server.

I don't think it's (CrashPlan) supported on UnRaid

CrashPlan isn't supported on unRAID but it works and it is supported through this forum.  The nice thing about CrashPlan is the option to backup locally and remote, as each installation is both a client and a server it provides an abundance of scenarios.  Not to mention an easy way to provide remote backups for your friends.

I have a little more faith in CrashPlan being around for the long haul than I do Syncrify.  The Syncrify website doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Silver, I agree it's nice to have integrated server/client in one software - and while some have gotten it running on UnRaid, it doesn't seem like anyone without Linux experience will be able to do it.  Hasn't anyone made easy instructions?  (I've searched the forums and it looks Greek to me.)

Is there a way to setup CrashPlan without Encryption?  It seems it's possible with CrashPlan+, but I thought that was a SERVICE - not a product?

Still looking for that ideal backup solution - I look forward to what you find ProStuff.  I think most people would need the server installed - and an easy way to script the client - both installed on UnRaid.

Are there other competitive solutions out there for offsite backup (not hosted) (with local seeding) and secure transfer to remote that works automatically/scheduled?  (Bonus for sync and versioning support)

Thanks,

Russell

tried to install it, but the script failed... something about cannot create /config.dat file

(installed it to /boot/syncrify directory I created)

Thanks for trying it Rilles.  I appreciate it.

Anyone else have some ideas?  Anyone know the answer about turning Encryption OFF for CrashPlan?

Other solutions?

Thanks,

Russell

Silver, I agree it's nice to have integrated server/client in one software - and while some have gotten it running on UnRaid, it doesn't seem like anyone without Linux experience will be able to do it.  Hasn't anyone made easy instructions?  (I've searched the forums and it looks Greek to me.)

You will have the same problem with this Syncrify thing, if not more difficult. There is a huge thread in these forums that explains how to install Crashplan on unRAID as someone else has already mentioned.

Okay guys, you've convinced me to try CrashPlan, provided I can turn the encryption off somehow?  (There's got to be a setting or INI/registry file setting somewhere).

Ideas?

Thanks,

Russell

Okay guys, you've convinced me to try CrashPlan, provided I can turn the encryption off somehow?  (There's got to be a setting or INI/registry file setting somewhere).

 

Ideas?

 

Thanks,

 

Russell

You can but as you've found you need crashplan+.

http://support.crashplan.com/doku.php/reference_guide/settings#advanced_backup_settings

I'm not really sure what benefits it would bring - I strongly suspect your data will still be archived in crashplans proprietary format just without encryption on top.

So still not backed up as individual files / in a recognisable structure. And I don't know how, or if, you could manually retrieve or view files in the backup without using the crashplan client as the frontend.

If neither of these are issues - then you may as well leave encryption on.

I can't help much further, offsite backups being encrypted is fairly mandatory for me (and indeed one of the reasons I like crashplan) and I suspect that's the most common scenario.