Hey everyone! I'm a new IT Admin at my company, and I'm diving into my first big project: setting up a reliable local backup to safeguard our company data. We currently have about 1.7TB (roughly 1,740 GB) of files across various Google Shared Drives, which include PDFs, Excel spreadsheets, AutoCAD files, and some images. My goal is to create a local backup system as a safety net in case we face cloud sync issues or accidental deletions.
Here's what I'm considering for the backup plan:
1. **Initial Mirroring & Storage:** I've set up a dedicated PC with a 6TB HDD (Drive E:). I plan to use Google Drive for Desktop in "Mirror" mode, with the local cache mapped to Drive E: for physical storage. Critical Shared Drives will be set to "Available Offline."
2. **Weekly Incremental Sync:** I've written a Robocopy script to sync the Google Drive "Shared drives" folder to a separate "Backup" folder on the same HDD every Friday.
3. **Monthly Archiving:** I'll compress the backup folder into a dated archive with 7-Zip every month for long-term storage.
I have a couple of concerns and questions:
- **Deletion Risks:** Using /MIR makes me nervous about accidental deletions from the cloud affecting my local backup. Should I stick with /MIR, or would using /E /XC /XN /XO be better for an additive-only approach?
- **Google Native Files:** I'm encountering "Invalid MS-DOS function" errors while copying Google Sheets and Docs since they are just links to the cloud. What's the right way to handle these in a physical backup? Should I ignore them or is there another method to archive them?
- **Hardware/Process:** Is there anything I might be missing? Any important considerations regarding HDD stress or Windows file indexing with a 1.7TB initial mirror?
I really want to set everything up correctly. Any insights or best practices from seasoned pros would be awesome! Thanks!
6 Answers
You raise some valid points! Remember, a sync isn't a true backup solution. I'd recommend looking into dedicated backup software that’s made for Google Workspace. These tools handle incremental backups and can give you peace of mind with versioning and restore options without all the manual setup.
You're making this overly complicated. If accidental deletions worry you, just get a reputable SaaS backup solution for Google Workspace. They handle everything for you, including snapshots and versioning, which means less hassle for you in the long run.
For backing up your Google shared drives, consider getting a Synology NAS. They have a feature called Cloud Sync specifically designed for this. It's straightforward and will likely do exactly what you need it to do without all the complications you’re trying to set up.
You might want to look into services like IDrive or Afi.ai; they’re inexpensive and typically do a better job than any DIY backups you’re planning. If you go with a NAS solution like Synology, keep in mind that Active Backup for Google Workspace does convert files into MS formats, which could be an issue depending on what you need.
Ever heard of Veeam Backup & Replication? It has a nice Google connector that simplifies backing up shared drives, plus you can have multiple restore points based on the storage you allocate. Definitely worth checking out!
Another thing to think about: review your cyber insurance policy. You might find that they recommend certain backup solutions or might only honor those in case of a data loss event. It’s worth a look!
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