2x nas linked

[Enquiries]

I would like to install 2 NAS solutions (on in Brighton and one in Portugal) and mirror the data (overnight). With the option to also backup the data to cloud storage.

I am looking and QNAP and Sonology. Which is best?

Use case:
We run training events in Brighton. We livestream from 2 cameras in 1080p HD to our studio in Portugal. These 2 camera feeds are recorded here locally. Late we edit the footage to create online training. We use Sandisk Extreme PRO SSD to store the footage while we edit as it is a fast drive.

I don't intend to edit from the NAS drive because it would be difficult to reach the speed.

The NAS solutions will provide mass storage for us as we are starting to film more.

I can also record in 4k locally (in Brighton) and transfer these files to the NAS - so they will sync with me in Portugal. This will allow me to easily replace the HD footage with 4K footage.

The 2 NAS will also provide a backup having the data in both locations. I may also connect to cloud storage to provide a further backup.

I am not sure on costs yet - I am guessing it may be £1,500 to £3,000 per NAS? depending on my storage needs, as this is the drives and not the NAS box I am still calculating for future expectations.

[TribalHound]

The QNAP TS-453D might be good enough for what you need & would fall in budget including HDDs

Personally I'd set both NAS up the same:
Two storage Pools - each from a single Raid1 array
Storage Pool 1 - A pair of Raid 1 SSDs in slots 1&2 for the NAS System & editing will help speed things up.
Storage Pool 2 - A larger pair of SATAs in Raid 1 in slots 3 & 4 for the data you want to store.

( - if that's not enough storage then the TS-672 could work the same Pool 1, Raid 1, 2 disk arrangement, & Pool 2, Raid 1, 4 disk arrangement. )

Two Ethernet connections for Link aggregation or keep them separate so one fails over to the other. Plus an HDMI port so you can plug it straight into a screen at either site.

You can then utilise QNAPs built in Hybrid Backup Sync 3 on a daily timed schedule overnight to sync the two NAS using the Remote NAS Spaces & RTRR.
Each site would then have local network access to all videos, so no internet bandwidth concerns.

For cloud backups - the Hybrid Backup Sync 3 has an array of cloud services you can plug into - just the same as RTRR.

A little planning on shared folders you want in the cloud v NAS only and QNAP can do it all for you. No extra software to buy - just a cloud storage space to pay for (optional).
Since both NAS can be configured for remote access (they will need to be for the sync to work) you don't even need cloud storage. You could just plug an external HDD into one of the NAS and backup locally.
The ideal backup is 2 copies + 1 copy off site. With the above configuration each NAS would have 2 copies (one on each Raid Disk in the Pool) = 4 copies and two sites, so an external USB HDD enclosure at either (or both for extra piece of mind) site should suffice.

One word of caution - don't buy all your disks from the same retailer at the same time. The life expectancy of any disk is 'x' time.... you don't want them all to be failing around the same time later on because they will likely be from the same batch as well. If you have to get them all at once make sure each disk in a pair comes from a different retailer.

Hope this was helpful.

[james_nas]

Thank you so much for the great advice!

I am still on the fence between Sonology and QNAP.

Speed of data transfer between the two devices is important as the video files are very large. Speed of access on the local network does not need to be super fast because I think I should do all of the editing using my Sandisk Extreme PRO SSD which I am getting speeds of 540 MB/s write and 830 MB/s read on my Mac Mini M1.

[TribalHound]

Think of Synology as being like Apple - user friendly, simplified, and just does what it's supposed to.
Whereas QNAP is a bit like Android - far more customisable and requires a certain amount of knowledge, but more than capable of meeting exacting requirements.

Speed of transfer will be governed by your slowest router upload speed when replicating across sites - so if that's less than 500MB then it's not going to be a problem for any modern NAS to cope with.

If there's a lot to replicate initially - then it might be easier to build both NAS on one site and then ship fully loaded and setup the update sync afterwards.

Overnight you only need to sync what's new but if you have less critical data you could setup a separate file share and do that as a different sync over the weekend.

For Synology the DS920+ is comparable to the TS-453D.

But if neither has the guts for what you need then you're looking at an i3/i5 processor version of the TVS-472XT or going into Enterprise grade, which will require a much bigger budget.

Whatever NAS / Drives you settle on - drop Robbie and Ed a line - I'm sure they'll have a referral link and you might just save a bit towards a better internet connection

[james_nas]

Excellent advice, thank you again!

I am sold on the TS-453D and will contact Robbie and Ed