request for ideas/recommedation for remote offsite repository

[nd39475]

We currently have a small repository in a remote city for off-site backups. This is equipment we own, but is hosted at a contracted service provider. We are in considerations of potential options for replacing this, as the hardware is aging and the storage is very limited at 8.6TB. Also, we do not have easy access/travel opportunities to maintain such. (We do, but it's a hassle especially the time-delay in doing so.)

As a relatively small state-funded university, we have very limited funding resources. We are essentially a "Dell house", but are considering something more affordable like a Synology 3200 series; However, I have no experience with Enterprise Synology, only home devices of which i'm not fond of.

I also know about BackBlaze, and given the choice and funding I would choose it, but management prefers owned equipment and believes that such will cost less in the long run. (But i'm having difficulty knowing how to estimate costs.)

We currently store 61 RP's in <= 62TB for our onsite Veeam "Copies" repo. Management asked me to price an equivalent capacity for off-site (but i believe such to be vastly over-kill).

I'm looking for (asking/open to) options and recommendations for remote-city (i.e. offsite) backups and that i should consider costing comparisons at a 5 year span.

[Gostev]

What about a general purpose Dell server with a bunch of drives? No other approach checks all the boxes. And with v11, you can turn it into a hardened Linux repository with immutable backups.

[nd39475]

Yes sir, that's what we have now... dying Dell R320 (Linux) + dying MD1200.
Looking at Synology SA3200D, but i have no experience with enterprise-level Synology. I'm not personally a fan of my decade-old home Synology.

[Gostev]

First time I hear Synology has enterprise-grade hardware. Is this for real and recognized by industry analysts like Gartner, or just their wishful marketing?

However, even if you were looking at a NAS from a top-tier enterprise storage vendor, I would still recommend going with a general-purpose server instead. You can't pretend ransomware is not an issue, and since you're not allowed to have an immutable copy of your backups in a cloud object storage, v11 hardened Linux repository is really the only option you have for ransomware protection (besides tape).

Which reminds me to ask: do you consider tape? Because I would confidently recommend that too. And it will be even cheaper in the long run, too.

[nitramd]

I'll second what Anton is recommending and add the suggestion that you should consider sticking with what you know, i.e. Dell.

To be honest, I don't think of Synology, or any other provider of this type hardware, as Enterprise class; no offense intended. A quick review of their website indicates they may be making a push toward the Enterprise market.

Another way to look at this is Dell has a longer track record for providing such storage as well as support.

Hope this helps.

[nd39475]

We've discussed and agree, at only $1000 difference, it's well worth Dell warranty/support.
That said, i'm still going to "try" to push BlackBlaze as a solution if i can .
Thank you very kindly!