NAS for BDR, File Server, and Cloud Access?

[Enquiries]

Rob, wow, great website (nascompares.com) and YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFyP17HoU-vpxhIpGXnXx2g). Thank you!

We are an SMB with a small IT budget. We have an older Windows 2003 "File and Print" server. It's out of support, and hardware-wise, on it's last legs.

Focusing on Backup & Disaster Recovery (BDR), in our efforts to find an affordable (for us) solution, we stumbled on Synology DS1018+ vs QNAP TS-673-8G-US. (6 bays for future growth, 4 x 4TB drives, RAID-6). We are thinking of getting two of these NASs: one for on-premise, one for offsite.

Note: we will not be using the extra functionality, eg- surveillance or media server. Our focus is BDR, file server and cloud accessibility

Goals - Can these NASs meets these needs?

1) For backups -- Backup data from a Windows 2003 server to NAS, guessing via SMB shares (first-party or third-party app is fine)
2) For BDR -- Synchronize data from one on-premise appliance to another offsite appliance)
3) For file server -- if Windows 2003 server does have a hardware failure and dies, could we use the NAS as a replacement file server on our Windows network (via LDAP or Active Directory integration)? With the added possibility that I could remap Windows users drive letters that point to shares on Windows 2003 to "shares" on the QNAP.
4) Now that users are working from home because of COVID-19, offer users the ability to access the NAS (with all of our company's Windows-based data) from a cloud portal.

Thank you, KJS, Sys Admin

[ed]

Yes, Qnap and Synology will easily back up your Windows server and even replace it if you want to. Built-in Active backup for business package will make sure you not only back up your data but also server system files. You can then recover quicker if there is a need for it.You can read more here https://www.synology.com/en-global/knowledgebase/DSM/help/ActiveBackupBusinessAgent/activebackupbusinessagentand here https://www.synology.com/en-uk/dsm/feature/active_backup_business#pcAn app called Synology Drive is Dropbox's alternative, but I think it is even better. You or a group of you can sync the same folder.You can also you RSYNC function to replicate in real-time certain folders. So if disaster strikes you can use other NAS to access your data.https://www.synology.com/en-global/knowledgebase/DSM/help/DSM/AdminCenter/file_rsyncThere also a shared folder sync option https://www.synology.com/en-global/knowledgebase/DSM/help/DSM/AdminCenter/application_backupserv_sharedfoldersyncIf you do replace your Windows server, Synology will have the very same functionality available if not more. You will be able to not only see versions of edited files, but also folders.Synology comes with an Active directory server package and no monthly costs. Here is a little more about thishttps://youtu.be/YQoXTlqzzDwIf you need to access it from home, you can connect to it via browser or VPN. You can set up user rights for each user. This will limit them of what they can or can not do.I hope this helps.