Introduction

In today’s digital age, safeguarding your small business’s data is crucial. A robust backup strategy ensures that you can quickly recover from data loss due to hardware failure, cyber-attacks, or other unforeseen events. This article explores a comprehensive backup strategy using Tailscale for secure remote access, Synology NAS devices for primary and remote backup storage, and external USB hard drives for additional redundancy. We’ll also cover RAID configurations, specifically RAID 5, which is ideal for balancing performance, redundancy, and storage capacity.

Backup Strategy Overview

1. Primary Storage: Synology NAS at the primary business location
2. Remote Backup Storage: Synology NAS at a remote location
3. Local Backup: External USB hard drives

Components and Sizing Considerations

1. Synology NAS: A reliable Network Attached Storage (NAS) device for primary and remote backups.
2. Tailscale: A VPN service that enables secure, remote access to your Synology NAS.
3. External USB Hard Drives: For local backups and additional redundancy.

Sizing Considerations

• Primary Synology NAS: The capacity should be based on your daily storage needs plus a buffer for future growth. A good starting point is at least 4TB, considering RAID 5 for redundancy.
• Remote Synology NAS: Similar capacity as the primary NAS, but ensure you have sufficient bandwidth for regular data transfers.
• External USB Hard Drives: The size should match your largest single volume or be large enough to store your most critical data. At least 2TB is recommended.

RAID Choices for Synology NAS

RAID 5 (Striped Disks with Parity) is chosen for both primary and remote NAS setups due to its balance of performance, redundancy, and storage efficiency. Here’s a detailed look at why RAID 5 is suitable for your backup strategy:

Description

RAID 5 uses three or more disks to store data and parity information. Parity data allows for the reconstruction of data if one disk fails.

Advantages

• Redundancy: Can withstand a single disk failure without data loss.
• Efficiency: Provides a good balance between usable storage and redundancy. You get the capacity of all disks minus one (for parity).
• Performance: Offers improved read performance and reasonable write speeds compared to other RAID levels.

Disadvantages

• Complexity: Slightly more complex setup and maintenance compared to RAID 1.
• Write Speed: Write speeds can be slower compared to RAID 0 due to parity calculations.

Use Case

Ideal for businesses needing a balance between performance, redundancy, and storage efficiency. Suitable for both the primary NAS for day-to-day operations and the remote NAS for off-site backups.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Setting Up the Primary Synology NAS

1. Purchase and Setup:
   • Source: Synology DiskStation DS220+
   • Setup: Follow the Synology Quick Start Guide to install drives, connect to your network, and power on the device.
2. Configure RAID 5:
   • Access the Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) via your web browser.
   • Go to Storage Manager > Volume > Create.
   • Choose RAID 5 and follow the on-screen instructions to configure your disks in RAID 5. This will ensure that your data is protected with redundancy while optimizing storage capacity.
3. Set Up File Shares:
   • Go to Control Panel > Shared Folder > Create.
   • Define shared folders for different types of data (e.g., Documents, Backups).
4. Enable Remote Access:
   • Go to Control Panel > External Access > DDNS.
   • Set up a DDNS hostname for remote access if you don’t have a static IP.

2. Setting Up the Remote Synology NAS

1. Purchase and Setup:
   • Source: Synology DiskStation DS220+
   • Setup: Follow the same steps as the primary NAS.
2. Configure RAID 5:
   • Use the same RAID 5 configuration as your primary NAS for consistency.
3. Enable Remote Access with Tailscale:
   • Install Tailscale: Follow the Tailscale installation guide.
   • Configure Tailscale: Set up Tailscale on both your primary and remote NAS devices. Ensure both are connected to your Tailscale network.
4. Synchronize Backups:
   • Use Synology’s built-in Hyper Backup tool to set up remote backup tasks.
   • Go to Hyper Backup > Create > Data Backup Task.
   • Select Remote NAS Device and follow the wizard to configure the remote Synology NAS as the backup destination.

3. Setting Up Local Backups with External USB Hard Drives

1. Purchase and Setup:
   • Source: Western Digital My Book 4TB
   • Setup: Connect the USB hard drive to the Synology NAS using one of the available USB ports.
2. Configure Local Backup:
   • Go to Control Panel > External Devices.
   • Select the USB drive and format it if necessary.
3. Create Backup Tasks:
   • Use Hyper Backup to configure local backups to the external USB drive.
   • Go to Hyper Backup > Create > Data Backup Task.
   • Choose Local Backup and select the USB drive as the destination.

4. Testing and Maintenance

1. Test Backup and Restore:
   • Regularly test your backup and restore process to ensure data integrity.
   • Simulate data loss scenarios and verify that backups can be restored without issues.
2. Monitor Backups:
   • Use Synology’s Notification system to alert you about backup statuses and potential issues.
3. Update Firmware and Software:
   • Keep your Synology NAS and Tailscale up to date with the latest firmware and software updates for security and performance improvements.

Conclusion

Implementing a robust backup strategy using Tailscale, Synology NAS with RAID 5, and external USB hard drives provides small businesses with a reliable and secure way to protect their data. RAID 5 offers an excellent balance of performance, redundancy, and storage efficiency, making it a suitable choice for both primary and remote NAS setups. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure that your business data is well-protected and easily recoverable in case of any disaster.

Sources

• Synology DiskStation DS220+
• Tailscale Installation Guide
• Western Digital My Book