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XPen on a New Gen8 (Noob Alert)


wigwam

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Hi

Just bought a Gen8 which I plan to do the following with:

Home Media store/download/stream

Backup home machine data (pc - over wired network; and laptops inc Macbook over wifi)

 

From what I have read and seen Xpenology is the way to go.

I don't want to set up RAID but will look to have 2 3TB disks - one running the streaming media and one for the critical data (to back up to a USB driver)

SO - am I correct in thinking my steps are:

1) Get the correct image for a USB; install it to a USB stick and I can use the internal port and run the OS off this?

2) I need additional apps like Plex and Sickbeard etc for the streaming/download side?

3) Do I need seperate apps to back up the PC (win7) and back up the macbook (time machine) to the server?

 

Also I have read a bit about the fan noise issue in the Gen8. Am I right in thinking I need to go into the Bios and change fan to OS controlled and XPen will manage it.

Finally (for now!) if I set it up like this with no RAID, will I be able to take any drive and plug into into a pc (for example) and the data is readable?

 

Thanks for your help!

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Afternoon Wigwam

 

1 ) Yes that's correct.

 

2 ) Yes that's also correct. https://synocommunity.com/ is the place to go for those bad boys

 

3 ) There are backup apps within the existing setup, or within Synocommunity. If the Win7 machine is off/on all the time, why not have the win7 do the backing up, rather than DSM?

 

4 ) I don't have the gen8 I'm afraid, can't help.

 

5 ) No. The drive will be in ext3 or ext4 (I forget which) so it'll only be readable via a linux box. Vanilla Windows won't touch it with a barge pole.

 

Hope that helps.

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Many thanks for the swift and helpful reply.

 

Re number 3: Currently all my data is stored on a "media" partition of my pc so the aim was to move them off that onto something that can sit on all/most of the time streaming/downloading away so the pc doesn't have to (and to protect (for want of a better word) the machine from this environment as my children use the pc more and more now for homework etc

 

Re 5: aah. I am trying to have a "fresh start" with a new pc and a serverand hence a proper backup strategy. Also dealt a crushing blow knowing I can't backup my data from the Gen8 to a cloud solution such as Backblaze as they won't work on a NAS OS; this reduces another layer of protection for me too (potentially)?

I will also plug in an external HDD to back the important stuff to (family pix and home movies)

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Sorry another question

Can I set up individual user folders so that items are backed up into specific places?

So from the pc:

Kids; wife; me go to separate folder on 1 drive

MBP Time Machine goes to its own folder?

 

Probably not a big deal but I thought it might make things easier?

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Sorry - even more basic one!

I plan to run Xpen off the usb drive, but do the packages (Plex etc) need to be installed on a hard drive?

If so I guess I need a separate OS drive different from my data one(s) or perhaps install them to my streaming drive?

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Yes you can do individual folders, with individual permissions too, so you can block access to your own stuff from the kids prying eyes. Syno is incredibly easy to get used too, very little computer knowledge is needed to go a long way with it.

 

You install the packages to a volume. You can buy a large USB drive and use that as a volume, but I wouldn't recommend it. So if you have 3 drives in there, each a separate entity you have to pick which one it goes on.

 

Hope this helps

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Very much so, thank you.

I'll have 2 drives in there to start with so 2 volumes.

Packages will go on the first one which I'll use to d/l to and stream from, hosting plex and couch potato etc

Important data and photos will go on volume 2.

 

Now I just need to crack on and order the drives

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