Question Is my implementation plan sound?

[CheapDad]

Hello everyone! Santa gifted me a DS-718+ and I'll likely spend this weekend getting it set up. I'm starting from an ancient NSA-320, but Santa brought the Synology because he knows that I'm at a place where I just want sh*t to work without a huge amount of work.

I currently have 6 computers in the house. I'm using Macrium Reflect to back them up to the NSA-320, which is simply acting as a file server.

What I'm interested in the Synology doing is:

1. File share (including google drive/dropbox like functionality);
2. Backing up the household computers;
3. Centralized itunes server;
4. Centralized media server.

My plan is to get everything set up as a basic file server first. Then, add capacity one task at a time to ensure it works and to ensure I like using the Synology for that purpose. For example, I like Macrium, so I may not want to migrate away from that.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this general plan?

Any thoughts on the Synology software for backup or itunes serving?

Any thoughts on using Plex versus the Synology software for media serving?

Anything I'm missing?

Thanks in advance,
CheapDad

 

[jeyare]

welcome here @CheapDad!
First, the Synology DS718+ is from different universe vs the Zyxel NSA-320 when you take into consideration their:
- possibilities
- security
- continuity or scalability.

I appreciate your interest to know how-to before time waste shoot into dark.

I have just problem with your expectations to place all the really different kind of services into two bay NAS. Could you pls. clarify your expected disk operation:
a) JBOD - single disk group for all the services
b) two different BASIC disk groups for the services (pls. define)
c) RAID1 as single (mirror) disk group.
Then we can speak about how-to.

Next point - Macrium reflect backup SW. Basically it supports Win OS only. Even when you have free Home version, you can totally wipe this SW, because with Synology Active Backup you will get more features (for free) than from maxed (paid) Macrium product.
Don’t worry, we will help you.

 

[Rusty]

Welcome! your plan is sound, no question about it.

Would recommend using Plex over video station because it just works better.

For back up tasks I would recommend using Active Backup for Business, especially if your computers are mostly PCs.

regarding file sharing tasks, you can use Synology Drive application. it has a desktop client version as well as a web interface.

If you get stuck, or have anymore questions do not hesitate to ask.

All in all that NAS is a real beast and it will serve you well.

 

[Rusty]

Haha double post!!

 

[CheapDad]

I have just problem with your expectations to place all the really different kind of services into two bay NAS. Could you pls. clarify your expected disk operation:
a) JBOD - single disk group for all the services
b) two different BASIC disk groups for the services (pls. define)
c) RAID1 as single (mirror) disk group.
Then we can speak about how-to.

Thank you and Rusty for the help! I have one old 4 TB disk in the Zyxel and a brand new one. I plan to transfer the data from the old to the new and set up DS on the old. I then plan to install the new 4 TB in JBOD with old copying to new fairly frequently. My next purchase will be a larger disc, at which point I will likely retire the old 4 TB and likely move to some sort of RAID configuration.

 

[jeyare]

Just to be sure:
- for fresh DSM installation you need clean disk (disk will be formatted)
- same for the second disk (you can’t connect new disk contains data)
- then you need take care about your existing data migration from Zyxel to Synology
- When one of your JBOD disks fails, the data on that disk is probably partially or fully lost. Then you need care about your valuable data (backup to another device or cloud).
- you can’t migrate from JBOD to RAID w/o full data backup to another device
- in two bay NAS is SHR = RAID1. Synology Hybrid Raid (SHR), then no need long consideration about which one for such usage.

When you will operate JBOD (single disk group from two disks) or RAID1 with these disk mixture (new and old) your final performance (write, read) will be same as for the slower from them.
JBOD isn’t bad, specially for data backup, but only when you have another instance of the data backup (when the JBOD fails).

 

[jeyare]

when you’re looking for a cheap solution, then you need just purchase external USB3 HDD connected to Syno NAS for backup of the valuable data from the NAS. Then you can operate JBOD securely. There is a solution from Synology for a backup of selected data to external HDD (or cloud) - Synology Hybrid Backup for free.

When you need really great backup/restore solution for your Windows environment, then you need setup your disk with BTRFS, not with ETX4 filesystem. It’s mandatory. There isn’t possible a conversion from single to another filesystem w/o full data backup of the NAS disks.

 

[CheapDad]

The old drive works; it’s simply so old I’m thinking that retirement is a smart move. The new drive is still in the box. The plan is to grab an 8 or 10 TB drive to add to the NAS, but that’s not something I’m in a position to do do immediately. I have a usb external drive, but it’s not large enough to hold all of the Zyxel data. Given those constraints, how do you recommend I proceed?

 

[Rusty]

I have lost you a bit here. what drive is in the old nas? What drive is in the new 718?

 

[CheapDad]

Rusty, I have an old 4 TB in the old NAS. I have a brand new 4 TB that I have not yet installed. The DS-718+ is still in the box pending whatever approach I use for setting up the synology and ultimately, migrate the data.

 

[Rusty]

In that case setup a new nas as shr, migrate the data (copy it) and when the time comes out the new drive along side that 4TB one.

 

[jeyare]

The old drive works; it’s simply so old I’m thinking that retirement is a smart move. The new drive is still in the box. The plan is to grab an 8 or 10 TB drive to add to the NAS, but that’s not something I’m in a position to do do immediately. I have a usb external drive, but it’s not large enough to hold all of the Zyxel data. Given those constraints, how do you recommend I proceed?

1. New 4TB disk to NAS (first bay). This will be your system disk. Setup as JBOD with BTRFS.
2. Migration of data from Zyxel (old 4TB disk) to Synology (JBOD disk1)
3. when finished (check all the data availability), put your old 4TB disk from Zyxel to Synology. Initialize this disk as JBOD group with disk 1 (BTRFS).
4. Arrange your final Share folders stage.
5. setup of packages

You will get:
- single space of 8TB disk group. This is only one advantage from such kind of data storage architecture.
- data storage architecture with possible data lose, when you lose single disk from them. When you are familiar with data restoration, you don’t need be worried. But when you aren’t, you need to find a way, how to backup part (all) of the valuable data to another location (external disk, different NAS, cloud space) with Synology standard packages. Otherwise your investment to NAS was useless, because you will lose all the data as from simple external USB disk.
- performance of such JBOD will run up to slowest of the disk from the group. Because physics. But 80MBps disk speed (write or read) is still OK for 1Gbps simple home LAN architecture.

When you are ok with such kind of operation model, go for it. But thinking about the data value, if there some.

 

[CheapDad]

So, I’ve completed step 1 of jeyare’s advice and think I’m going to modify my plan. I think I’m going to leave the old HD in the zyxel and leave it connected to the network. In the short term I’ll back up the synology to the zyxel until I’m able to add hard drives and develop a more long term solution.

I plan to use the synology as a print server. For a variety of reasons, is it best to assign a static IP address or is it okay to allow DHCP to assign an address?

 

[jeyare]

static is static, no doubt

 

[fredbert]

@CheapDad Regarding the iTunes Server feature that many NAS advertise: the server is only accessible within iTunes on Mac/PC (haven't looked at new Catalina Music app etc. but expect from there too). This means that iOS, padOS, and tvOS devices cannot see this iTunes Server. It's a bit less friendly than iTunes Home Sharing in that all TV episodes are individually listed under Films. You will still need a local iTunes library on your Mac/PC for sync to iPhone etc..

I sync up my Mac's non-DRM iTunes media to the NAS and let media indexing maintain the libraries in Audio Station and Video Station. I also run Plex that's pointing to the same folders. Because I'm making a copy of the Mac's media files I sync them to a single external drive connected to the DS218+'s eSata port, otherwise I'd be using the main RAID/SHR1 volume.

Tip for Video Station: to save sanity when the library needs refreshing ... periodically create the .vsmeta files from within an admin user's account in VS. These files will hold the meta data and any changes you made to that which is retrieved from tvdb and moviedb.


And .... manual IP configuration in the NAS, it saves time when trying to find the thing later. You can make a DHCP IP reservation against the NAS's MAC address in your DHCP server

 

[CheapDad]

Fredbert: my previous ancient Zyxel NAS simply hosted the iTunes library, which saved space on my desktop computer. How do you recommend I proceed with the synology?

 

[Rusty]

Fredbert: my previous ancient Zyxel NAS simply hosted the iTunes library, which saved space on my desktop computer. How do you recommend I proceed with the synology?

Are we talking about moving the entire iTunes lib on your NAS? Or something similar to a network iTunes server?

If its the 1st scenario then you can just move your entire iTunes setup from your mac to a custom folder on your nas and reconfigure iTunes (Music) app on your Mac to use a new destination.

Case 2 is that you on top of your iTunes content (local one) have a iTunes server on the network that will present all the content inside a default 'music' and 'video' folders that will be created upon installation of that app in package center.

 

[fredbert]

As Rusty said, you can move your iTunes Media folder onto a network share and then select this in iTunes' Preferences in the Advanced tab. You have to have the network shared mounted in Finder whenever you use iTunes.

The iTunes Server (which is what I thought you meant by 'Centralized itunes server') will present another iTunes library to all running instances of iTunes. This is selected at the end of the Music/Films/TV Programmes/Audiobooks dropdown list, where normally you'll have selected 'This computer'. It you have another computer running its own iTunes app then it will be listed here too.