Easy to use cloud backup with local file server?

[josephby]

Hi there; friends of mine run a small business with a local Windows file server and were looking for a backup solution.

I was going to move them to a cloud storage solution, except that they also need to maintain local copies because (1) their internet connection is unreliable, and (2) some of their files are very large, and they need local access to work with them reasonably well.

Alternatives I've thought of:

- Dropbox for teams syncing folders on their local PCs -- ideal, but expensive

- Use a cloud backup service on their Windows file server -- works fine, but isn't exactly turn key. Plus, eventually the Windows machine will melt down and need to be rebuilt.

- Cobble together something on my own using a NAS, rsync, and some remote storage from S3 -- lots of effort, and someone would have to maintain and support it

Does anyone out there have an easy to use solution that lets you setup a local, multi-user file server, transparently backs it up in realtime, and comes with consumer/SMB level support?

[eveith]

If you want to cobble something together, an old PC running Bacula and USB drives might even do the trick. Together with VChanger, you have can have a full backup plan in effect without much investment. Just remember to rotate the USB drives and store at least one of the full backups offsite (e.g., in a steel casette in the basement).

From there you can add cloud storage as another pool.

Just never forget to save your catalog, too. Full backups are always usable, even without a fully set up Bacula installation, but incremental/differential backups need a catalog.

[dholowiski]

I've fallen in love with EaseUS Todo Backup Server, super simple backup software made to run on a windows server. You can back up to multiple locations including cloud, so you can back up to an external hard drive and to various cloud services in the same backup job.

I believe it's $199.

[yurka]

I've heard good things about AeroFS (YC S10), which is sort of like Dropbox except it runs on your network of computers. It's a peer-to-peer filesystem.

[amalag]

Crashplan? I helped a small business do it on the cheap, he keeps offsite storage at his house.

[mschuster91]

For the realtime backup component use Acronis. For storage, Amazon AWS.

[grumps → mschuster91]

We just switch to Acronis, haven't had any issues. I have no clue with the storage provider is.

[merinid]

How big are the "very large files"?

[josephby → merinid]

Objectively, not that large :) ~100MB CAD drawings for instance.