Centralized backup app

crackhammer · 15 Sep 2021

I am in an odd situation.

I have 8 hard drives varying from 250GB to 4TB. 4TB HDD has everything that I back up, and the small chunks of data from 4TB is copied on smaller hard drives just to make a copy and access when required. 4TB drive is WD MyBook is tricky. AFAIK, you lose the USB port on the enclosure, you lose the data. I didn't know this when I bought the drive. So I use these tiny drives to access regularly.

I don't always remember which disk has what data, unless I plugin.

I was wondering if there is any app that would centralize all backups, so I fire up the app and I know which drive I need to pull for what data. It will also be great if I attach the drives to a (powered) USB hub and every drive will sync with 4TB drive in one click.

At the moment, I am using SyncBack free version and sync each and every drive individually.

OR

Is there any better way of using these small drives together? I am not exactly interested in buying NAS but if there is any other method, would love to know.

Thanks in advance.

Matthew Wai · 16 Sep 2021

SyncBackFree creates logs, which can be saved and will let you know which disk has what data.

Try3 · 16 Sep 2021

I suggest you use your drives differently.

Backup everything to the 4TB drive.
Backup the 4TB backup onto the set of smaller drives using any of the backup utilities that can be defined beforehand so you know the same sub-set is always sent to each individual one. You won't have to worry about what is where because your backup definitions will tell you.
Access the 4TB for your routine backup & retrieval purposes. You won't have to worry about what is where because it will all be on the 4TB.
Only connect the set of smaller drives when you want to do the backup of the backup.

You'll have a wide choice of backup utilities including syncing utilities and the built-in RoboCopy.

Denis

Matthew Wai · 16 Sep 2021

I have been using SyncBackFree, which allows users different profiles for different sources and backup devices. The profiles let users know which disk has what data.

Berton · 16 Sep 2021

you lose the USB port on the enclosure, you lose the data

True, it's the interface between the computer's USB port and the drive itself. Adding to the issue is that the External drives that are packaged as usable on either PC or Macintosh has the interpretation in that interface, my 2 x 4TB drives came marked that way on the box. Another situation exists with NAS drives attached to a Network that along with those 2 systems also work with Linux, loss of that interface prevents access to the files.