There will be an UGreen DXP6800s that would be maxed out, and intended to make the most of the resources I will need for my NAS (Network Attached Storage), and file storage options. There will be 4 pools of drives, and each pool will operate for my needs. One of these pools will be exclusively for backing up my system. By using Apple’s Time Machine, I will be able to regularly backup my system especially if I can get VPN capabilities used with the MacBook Pro.
The System
CPU: Intel Core i5 1235u with 10 cores
RAM: 64GB
OS Drive: 128GB
Storage: 2×8TB NVME + 6×44TB hard drives
SD Card Reader: Yes, 4.0
Connectivity: 2×10GBPS
Ports: 2×Thunderbolt4 (40Gb/s) + 2×USB-A2.0, 1×USB-A3.2 + HDMI
I am not a fan of Intel. I never had a good experience with them, but I have no choice but to trust that this CPU will continue on for the foreseeable future. I wouldn’t want to spend thousands of dollars for a NAS because the previous one broke down. Not only is there the financial cost, but there is the time cost where I will have to move the drives from the defective NAS to the functioning NAS. The 64GB of memory will be more than enough to support the features this NAS will be used for. There will be four pools – each with RAID-1, and each intended to make the most of the capabilities. The pools are as follows:
Online Drive
This will be the 8TB NVME drives that would replace the need for services such as Dropbox, or iCloud. Every computer, and smartphone I will have will be able to connect to this online drive within the home network. This will give me a safe, and convenient way to move files around as needed. Assuming I can setup a VPN with my network server will depend on if this system will be accessible even while I am out. By using a VPN, I won’t have to open ports, and provide a security risk. Since I am the only person living with me, there is no need to create a dedicated domain/sub-domain for the 8TB pool.
Backup
Currently, I have 3 computers. If I was to win this windfall of money, it will drop down to 2 computers. One will be a MacBook Pro with 8TB, and the other is a Framework 16 with 4TB of primary storage. Both of these systems will rely on one of the pools to provide for backing up. With Apple, I will use Time Machine. With Zorin, it will be Time Shift. Yes, the names look similar, but they both do the same thing – just in different OSes. While 44TB is overkill, it will still be a backup drive. I will assume that both systems will need about 28TB of backup storage, and therefore – the 44TB drive will allow for more storage, and the ability to nearly fill up the OS drive with applications, and various files.
Archiving
There are files I create, and rarely need to work with them again. An example is the letters I write to people via the postal mail. I compose the letter, and that digital file will remain on my computer for the time of its existence and I will likely never open that file again. Instead of these files taking up space, I will move them to an archive NAS connection. As with the backup solution, this pool will be 44TB.