Skip to main content

Backup to external HDDs

Thread needs solution

Hi!

 

I'd like to use Acronis Backup on a Windows 2012 R2 server in order to backup all data from a NAS (36 TB). The NAS is connected to W2012R2 via network shares, visible as drive letter U. The W2012R2 server has an external USB HDD drive connected to it. 

I would like to backup the data from the NAS to the external USB drives. Whenever the external USB drive is full, I'd like to receive a notification from Acronis Backup to change the external drive, or so. Then replace the full HDD with an empty one and the backup continues from there. This repeats until all data is stored on x external disks.

After that, I'd like to keep another (empty) USB HDD drive constantly attached to the W2012R2 server, backing up incremental changes on the NAS every night.

Does this work with Acronis Backup? If so, how? If not, which other software would you recommend?

 

Thanks for your support!

Regards, Raki

 

0 Users found this helpful
frestogaslorastaswastavewroviwroclolacorashibushurutraciwrubrishabenichikucrijorejenufrilomuwrigaslowrikejawrachosleratiswurelaseriprouobrunoviswosuthitribrepakotritopislivadrauibretisetewrapenuwrapi
Posts: 0
Comments: 82

Hello Raki,

Thank you for your posting! I will be happy to help you!

In this case, you can install both the management server and the agent to the Windows Server 2012 R2 server. This machine will be doing the backups.

As far as the backup plan is concerned, you can choose the NAS as a backup source: Go to Plans – create new – in “what to backup” specify “files/folders“, in “devices” specify your Windows Server 2012 R2 and in “items to backup” select “Network folder”. You can find more information in the article: Acronis Backup Cloud: backing up a NAS (this article is applicable to Acronis Backup 12.5, too). 

Specify the USB HDD as a backup destination. You can rotate the device, but please make sure you set retentions as per instructions: Acronis Backup 12.5 and 12: Backing Up to Removable Devices with Regular Drive Swaps .

Unfortunately, there are some limitations:

  • Only full backups can be created
  • There are no notifications that the storage limit is about to exceed; I will forward it to the team behind it and see what they think.

As for your last question, Acronis Backup Cloud has the same logic, so the same limitations exist. Acronis True Image 2019 does not support rotating USB disks and cannot be installed on a server.