Easiest storage backend to setup/install

[redge76]

Hi,

What is the simplest solution to install a backend on windows (and linux)
Should be:

• simple (no dependency, single user, …)
• light
• easy to install (a single service) Only one “.msi”
• very simple GUI
• something my 70yo mother could configure herself

[leonardo]

Easiest is pretty difficult to define. It depends a lot on what I have already deployed in your system, your knowledge and your necessity.

A external HD disk is the easiest for me. It is only a local drive without any authentication requirements. It is the perfect solution for a quick and easy restore. But it lacks the reliability of a offsite solution, that is based in a more fail proof architecture. It is certainly a very useful piece of a complete backup solution, and for it perhaps you can even skip encryption.

But if you have already a virtual folder configured in your computer, like a dropbox, it is almost the equivalent.

Other solutions are also pretty straight forward assuming you have already signed for the service, and know your user and password.

[redge76]

I meant a backend software. I could use FTP, but I will have to open 2 ports, setup authentication, and FTP is a bit harder to proxy that HTTP.

I would like to have something like this tiny webserver (TinyWeb) but with support for WEBDAV. This thing weight only 54kb. It just lack WEBDAV support.

I need to replace crashplan to backup to some relatives computer.

[redge76]

Ok I think my answer is minio (https://www.minio.io/)
It’s a light amazon S3 server. It does exactly what I need. It’s dead simple to configure and very small.

The only issue is that duplicati seems to fail to connect to custom S3 url.

Does anyone else use a self hosted S3 storage server ?

[tophee]

@redge76

Does anyone else use a self hosted S3 storage server ?

@dpeart seems to be doing that:

@dpeart

I have Minio (locak S3 clone service) setup on my server

[kenkendk]

@kenkendk

Yes, you need to set --s3-ext-forcepathstyle=true to disable the standard DNS lookup system Amazon S3 uses for bucket discovery.

I should note that I fixed this in 2.0.2.6 such that using a non-AWS url will default to using path-style lookups (--s3-ext-forcepathstyle still allows you to choose).

[davegold]

See

DIY cloud backup: Replacing CrashPlan Home Family DIY style - Intermittent...

and

Setting up Minio on Linux and Duplicati on Windows as a service using tls

Note: Most of this comes from DIY cloud backup: Installing and configuring the server - Intermittent Technology, so credit goes to Quindor. This how-to is for installation of Duplicati on Windows, setting it as a service, and connecting to Minio S3 using valid ssl certificate Start by installing Duplicati on Windows. Stop the Duplicati system tray, so the service shuts down. Convert it to a service (following Duplicati Tutorial 02 Install Duplicati as a Service) by: Open an Administrative C…

The first is a really easy walkthrough.
The second is if you want it to be a service instead of an application (so it’ll run when you aren’t logged in), and use TLS for security.

[Gabriel_Ambuehl]

Frankly the DIY solution cannot compete with real cloud storage for a number of reasons

• Storage itself is only marginally redundant (in case of RAID1 or higher) or not at all with JBOD and will not survive electrical strikes or failing PSU very well. Do not even get me started on USB enclosures…
• Physical security is questionable (most residential real estate is far from data center security)
• Few people are knowledgeable AND disciplined enough about actually maintaining this in a safe way
• Availability will be down to luck to a certain degree although that is less critical for backups if it isnt days of downtime

TLDR: Go for any of the established cloud providers instead.

Source: Doing 8 years of webhosting infrastructure in another live.