JOloo
Level 1 (4 points)
Desktops

Q: Business Storage Solutions

Hi all,

 

We have a 3D rendering company and so MANY large files to store. We have been using a 3TB time capsule for backups of our Macs, but it's full now in about a year. I'm just not sure where to go from here. Do we invest in a RAID or do we rent tons of cloud storage? Do we use this capsule as "older than 1 year storage" and buy a new one for new backups?

 

Thanks of your insights!

J

MacBook Pro with Retina display, iOS 9.3.4

Posted on Aug 8, 2016 10:53 AM

by LaPastenague,Solvedanswer
LaPastenague LaPastenague
Level 9 (53,016 points)
Wireless
A:

The biggest disadvantage would be access speeds ... especially for Time Machine backups.

Other than iCloud perhaps, no other cloud storage provider I know of can support HFS+ files.. TM backup does not need to be stored on HFS+ format disk.. although it sure helps if it is.. but the sparsebundle must be supported which is HFS+ and the Apple File Protocol is therefore supported.

 

suggest taking a look at Synology

+1.. Synology is easily the best NAS for handling HFS+ and Time Machine.

 

The other solution would be a mac mini.. you don't need the newest one.. 2012 are ideal with Thunderbolt and USB3.. and buy the OS X server extensions for it. You can then use it as a central file store for your network. It is also a central TM storage that has more controls on TM than anything else.

 

Do we use this capsule as "older than 1 year storage" and buy a new one for new backups?

Do not use multiple Time Capsules.. they are a domestic product. Not a business solution.

 

You can dump your current backups to a 3TB USB drive.. erase the current TC and start over.

 

But your existing projects and past projects should be on multiple backups. And stored in multiple locations.. including cloud.

Posted on Aug 8, 2016 3:41 PM

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JOloo

Q: Business Storage Solutions

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Tesserax,

    Tesserax Tesserax Aug 8, 2016 12:00 PM in response to JOloo
    Level 9 (54,913 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 8, 2016 12:00 PM in response to JOloo

    I would suggest that you consider a dedicated NAS system for your company's network. A number of them support Time Machine for backups as well.

     

    There are many choices out there, but I would suggest taking a look at Synology. An example would be their DS916+ model.

     

    As far as cloud storage, this would work as well. A couple of advantages would be if you have a need to access the files from a remote location and need to make sure each remote client has access to the same files. However, this can also be done using a VPN connection to your local network to access the NAS.

     

    The biggest disadvantage would be access speeds ... especially for Time Machine backups.

  • by LaPastenague,Solvedanswer

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Aug 8, 2016 3:41 PM in response to Tesserax
    Level 9 (53,016 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 8, 2016 3:41 PM in response to Tesserax

    The biggest disadvantage would be access speeds ... especially for Time Machine backups.

    Other than iCloud perhaps, no other cloud storage provider I know of can support HFS+ files.. TM backup does not need to be stored on HFS+ format disk.. although it sure helps if it is.. but the sparsebundle must be supported which is HFS+ and the Apple File Protocol is therefore supported.

     

    suggest taking a look at Synology

    +1.. Synology is easily the best NAS for handling HFS+ and Time Machine.

     

    The other solution would be a mac mini.. you don't need the newest one.. 2012 are ideal with Thunderbolt and USB3.. and buy the OS X server extensions for it. You can then use it as a central file store for your network. It is also a central TM storage that has more controls on TM than anything else.

     

    Do we use this capsule as "older than 1 year storage" and buy a new one for new backups?

    Do not use multiple Time Capsules.. they are a domestic product. Not a business solution.

     

    You can dump your current backups to a 3TB USB drive.. erase the current TC and start over.

     

    But your existing projects and past projects should be on multiple backups. And stored in multiple locations.. including cloud.

  • by JOloo,

    JOloo JOloo Aug 8, 2016 3:45 PM in response to Tesserax
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 8, 2016 3:45 PM in response to Tesserax

    Thanks so much for the recommendations. I looked at the DS916+ and spoke to a rep. Sounds like it would serve our needs. I'm considering purchasing this with 4 Toshiba MG04ACA 3 TB 3.5" internal hard drives. These are reasonably priced as compared to the solid states and are 4K native, which I think will be nice. When solid state becomes more affordable we can always switch out the disks.

     

    Now all I need is someone to come set this stuff up. HA!

     

    Any other thoughts are welcome. This has been super helpful.


  • by JOloo,

    JOloo JOloo Aug 8, 2016 3:47 PM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 8, 2016 3:47 PM in response to LaPastenague

    Thanks for the additional thoughts on this. Mac mini is an interesting solution. Do X server extensions allow RAID type capability so we can access via VPN? This is a must for us as we travel quite a bit. Right now we just pack up our time capsule.

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Aug 8, 2016 6:17 PM in response to JOloo
    Level 9 (53,016 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 8, 2016 6:17 PM in response to JOloo

    Do X server extensions allow RAID type capability so we can access via VPN?

    Raid is included.. but I would use a thunderbolt holder.. with raid built into it.

     

    OWC has plenty of this sort of gear.

    https://www.macfixit.com.au/drives-storage/thunderbolt-storage-solutions/storage -drives/raid/

     

    VPN is part of OX server so no issues there.

     

    I don't understand the connection between raid and vpn.

     

    Raid is for how you configure disks for storage.. and is best left to hardware.. since Mac is without SATA ports, or slots these days unless you have an old pro lying around. It is better to buy something that is thunderbolt .. not cheap but definitely fast.

    4 Toshiba MG04ACA 3 TB 3.5" internal hard drives.

    These are enterprise grade drives.. not NAS drives.

     

    They are a good choice.. nothing bad but loud and high temperature and power usage.

     

    There is no speed advantage on a NAS using SSD or super fast 10000rpm drives or even enterprise drives, cf green drives.

     

    The drives now can go faster than gigabit.. so that is your rate determining step.. slowest ship in the convoy.. makes all the rest travel at the same speed.

     

    Make sure whatever drives you buy are suitable for the NAS.. they always have a drive listing.

     

    I am running 3TB toshiba standard desktop drives in the NAS.

     

    Overall I think I would prefer the NAS.. But either option is possible.