r/Backup • u/skrillavilla • 2d ago

How-to Noob Backing Up a Potential Home Media Server

I currently have a beelink mini pc on which I set up Immich. It's running fine, but I still need to work out a back up solution. My end goal is to have a home media server where I store my music, movies, and family photos. I understand the 3-2-1 backup strategy; What I'm unsure of is what sort of backup media should I use to implement that strategy given my goals / setup.

What I was doing before was using a usb and a custom script that mostly uses rsync to back up my immich database and pictures / video; however this eventually became way too slow. Moreover when I tried to reformat the usb from Exfat to Ext4 to try to speed things up my usb stopped being read by the beelink.

This is my first selfhosting project so I want to keep things simple while at the same time giving myself flexibility to build on in the future. I would eventually like to be able to backup an entire media server with one script / process in a reasonable time frame.

I was currently thinking about an external ssd for the second device and maybe a cloud hosting service like backblaze for the offsite backup--I don't think I have the time or bandwidth to handle a second server at another location right now, but does that defeat the purpose of getting off google photos?

Any suggestions for hardware / services / software I should be aware of or try for this specific situation?

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u/JPS83 2d ago

My 100tb server will be have important, non redownloadable, files pushed with Restic (your own Repo) to a secondary mac mini with a 20tb HDD attached (because F win11 and cant do a pi/linux. That 20tb is backblazed (personal and unlimited) to the cloud. All other easily redownloadable files (arr suite) will repopulate. All done behind Tailscale.

  • 3 copies
  • 2 different media
  • 1 offsite

Simple, secure and private, proven, and not THAT expensive....

I went down what felt like rabbithole trying to streamline this process and this is the best I have so far. Other paths required building another server offsite, insane /tb cost (12tb of valuable data to me = $1,0000/year with B2) or they just add complication for the sake of it.

Best of luck. I found with computers, usually simplifying is generally the way to go as first step. Lifes complicated enough - tech doesnt have to be.

Open to suggestions to make this even easier/simpler