Storage vs backup?

Put questions that seem to be of non-product specific nature here.
Most software related issues should go here unless it is related to a service provider like backup backends and DNS services.
Post Reply
richard
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 3:36 am

Storage vs backup?

Post by richard » Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:55 pm

Hi guys,

I have the OPI in front of me, but have not yet plugged it in. As soon as I can get a free network slot...

Question: what is the difference between the storage on the SD-card and the USB storage? Are all the current up-to-date files stored on the SD-card, and the USB device just used for back-up and version control? Only using a USB device is thus not an option? And I guess the USB device must have a size at least that of the SD-card?

Cheers!

User avatar
tor
Posts: 120
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2014 3:42 am
Contact:

Post by tor » Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:44 am

Hi Richard,

Sorry for the somewhat late reply.

The SD-card is used for "current up-to-date files", correct :) This is where OPI stores your files, emails in an encrypted filesystem.

Then you can optionally use an USB mass storage device to do daily backups. (Alternatively using our cloud based encrypted dito.)

The USB device has to be at least the size of the files stored on OPI. Preferably 2-3 times that or more though. This is due to OPI doing daily backups and OPI will then store the difference from the previous backup. That means that the backup will grow if you change or add new content.

If you have any further questions regarding this. Let us know!

/Tor

richard
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 3:36 am

Post by richard » Mon Sep 29, 2014 7:09 am

Thank you for the answer, Tor!

Just to make it crystal clear: the number of file differences/version I can go back to depends on my storage? Does the OPI have any upper limits in this regards. Will it add versions until a 2 TB drive is full, and only when reaching that limit start to overwrite the earliest versions?

User avatar
pa
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:44 am

Post by pa » Tue Sep 30, 2014 6:19 am

OPI will cycle backups and remove old ones in a scheme that will give you (one time has passed):

A backup that is 0 to 1 cycles old (i.e, the most recent backup)
A backup that is 1 to 3 cycles old
A backup that is 3 to 7 cycles old
A backup that is 7 to 14 cycles old
A backup that is 14 to 31 cycles old

Most of this data will only be links and diffs, so the actual space used is a lot less than 5x the space used. The total can actually be smaller depending on what you store since the backup is not only encrypted, it is compressed as well.
If the drive is full, the backup will fail, it does not automatically remove files because the drive is full.

If you are running on a USB stick, do not just unplug and remove random files as these files mostly are diff-files and dependent that all files are there. If you run out of space on a USB device, get a larger as this would happen all the time anyway.

/PA

haraldc
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2014 9:45 am

Post by haraldc » Thu Jan 22, 2015 8:54 pm

Hi,

I am using the local USB for backup. It would not be best practice to have only one usb backup stick in the device all the time. The stick should be replaced and one or more backup sticks should be kept in another building.

Is it possible to remove and replace the backup stick today? Is it possible (e.g. through the ssh connection) to request a fresh start of the local backup on an empty stick?

--Harald

User avatar
pa
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:44 am

Post by pa » Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:17 am

Hi Harald,

I do not see any problems with using mulitple USB sticks.
The backup will check what is on the device and make a diff backup to that.
If you insert a blank device, a "fresh" backup will be created, if there already is one it will be rotated.
So you can have two different USB sticks that you alter between, no problem.

/PA

Post Reply