NAS/DAS?

[Enquiries]

Hi,

Since DropBox stopped with unlimited cloudstorage I need to create something new that works for me. I'm a Filmmaker that works mostly alone but sometimes with others. I'm totally new to the NAS and DAS workflow and if you could help me with some suggestions I would really appreciate!

What I want:

- It must met the 3-2-1 way of storage. (because dropbox is now gone, this is not the case anymore for me.)
- I work with 4k/8k RAW files so I like my hot storage to be ssd 4 to 8 tb's
- My cold storage can be hdd, something like 18tb, perhaps two drives.
- Some future proof setup would be nice.

I you know a perfect system for a filmmaker let me know!

Thank you for your time, really appreciated!

Kinds regards,

Jeroen Uriot

[ed]

Thank you for reaching out! Transitioning from Dropbox to a NAS/DAS setup is a smart move, especially for your workflow with 4K/8K RAW files. Here’s a tailored recommendation to meet your storage and future-proofing needs:

Recommended Setup: Hybrid NAS/DAS System
Hot Storage (SSD for Active Projects)
For your hot storage (4-8TB SSD), I recommend using M.2 NVMe SSDs within a NAS for fast read/write speeds. A NAS with SSD caching or dedicated SSD bays will help maintain smooth performance for editing 4K/8K RAW files.

Recommended Model: QNAP TVS-h874-i5
Features: 6 HDD bays, 2 M.2 NVMe SSD slots, and Intel i5 CPU for demanding workloads.
SSD Usage: Use the NVMe slots for hot storage (e.g., 2x 4TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus in RAID 1 for redundancy).
Cold Storage (HDD for Archival Data)
For your long-term storage, HDDs are ideal for cost efficiency. A RAID configuration (e.g., RAID 1 or RAID 5) ensures data redundancy and reliability.

Drives: 2x 18TB Seagate IronWolf Pro or WD Red Pro in RAID 1, giving you 18TB of usable space with redundancy.
This setup can grow as your needs increase—add drives or expand with an external DAS if necessary.
Backup and 3-2-1 Compliance
To adhere to the 3-2-1 backup rule:

Primary Storage (Hot/Cold): On the NAS (SSD + HDD).
Backup: External USB drive or DAS, like the LaCie 2big RAID with 2x 18TB drives.
Offsite Backup: Use cloud services like Backblaze B2 or Wasabi for affordable and scalable offsite storage.
Future-Proofing Suggestions
Connectivity: The QNAP TVS-h874 supports 10GbE networking, essential for fast data transfer when working with large RAW files.
Expansion: With PCIe slots, you can add more SSDs, 10/25GbE network cards, or NVMe storage as your workflow grows.
RAM: Upgradeable RAM ensures smooth multitasking when running virtual machines or handling multiple streams.
Estimated Budget
QNAP TVS-h874-i5: ~€1,300
2x 4TB NVMe SSDs: ~€800
2x 18TB HDDs: ~€900
Total: ~€3,000
If this exceeds your budget, consider scaling down to a smaller NAS, like the QNAP TS-464, and using a DAS for active editing.

Final Thoughts
The QNAP TVS-h874-i5 is a powerful and flexible solution for filmmakers. It combines fast SSD storage for active projects with scalable HDD storage for archiving, all while adhering to the 3-2-1 backup rule. Let me know if you’d like further details or adjustments to the setup!