This is Getting Out of Control...

North Borders
21 Mar 202405:45

TLDRThe speaker discusses their struggle with data storage and the risks associated with hard drives and SSDs. They highlight their past attempts at setting up RAID storage and the limitations encountered. The speaker then introduces a Synology NAS drive as a solution, emphasizing its benefits such as easy data access, AI detection features, and Synology's SHR system for efficient storage. Despite the high cost, they argue that investing in a NAS drive is a strategic move for long-term data safety and efficiency, sharing their personal experience of data loss due to theft and how NAS could have prevented it.

Takeaways

  • 💡 The speaker has accumulated multiple hard drives due to concerns about data safety and workflow efficiency.
  • 🚫 Despite the benefits of SSDs, such as speed, efficiency, and reliability, they are expensive, especially in larger capacities.
  • 🔄 The speaker currently uses a Samsung T5 SSD for active projects and moves completed projects to a hard drive for long-term storage.
  • 🛠️ Hard drives, with their moving parts, are likened to ticking time bombs, leading to frequent replacements in the speaker's photography profession.
  • 🔄 A previous attempt at setting up a RAID storage device with a Lacy 2 Big Dock was both costly and impractical for the speaker's needs.
  • 🌐 The speaker has turned to a Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive for a more reliable and centralized data storage solution.
  • 🔍 NAS systems offer the ability to search for files across multiple hard drives easily and can be accessed via the internet or a private network.
  • 🤖 The Synology NAS includes AI detection features for quick searches based on object recognition, such as finding images of cats, dogs, or specific colored cars.
  • 🛡️ Synology's SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) system provides efficient redundancy with less wasted storage compared to traditional RAID setups.
  • 💸 While the NAS solution is a significant investment, the speaker believes it's a worthy one, considering the costs of previous storage solutions and the value of data protection.
  • 🌍 The speaker's experience with data loss due to theft underscores the importance of a robust backup system, which the NAS provides.

Q & A

  • Why does the speaker feel their current data storage and workflow is unsafe?

    -The speaker feels their current data storage and workflow is unsafe because they rely on a single SSD with limited storage capacity, and moving files to hard drives doesn't guarantee safety due to the mechanical nature and potential failure of hard drives.

  • What are the advantages of SSDs over hard drives according to the speaker?

    -SSDs are faster, more efficient, and do not have moving parts, making them more reliable than hard drives.

  • Why doesn't the speaker use more SSDs for storage despite their advantages?

    -The speaker finds SSDs to be incredibly expensive, especially when considering larger capacities like terabyte SSDs.

  • What was the speaker's initial attempt to solve their storage problem?

    -The speaker initially attempted to set up their own RAID storage device using a Lacy 2 Big Dock filled with two 16 TB hard drives configured in RAID 1.

  • What limitations did the speaker encounter with their RAID 1 setup?

    -With RAID 1, the speaker could only use 16 TB of the total 32 TB storage because the second drive was used solely for backup, and there was still the risk of both drives failing simultaneously.

  • What is the main advantage of a NAS (Network Attached Storage) system like the one the speaker purchased?

    -A NAS system allows for multiple hard drives to be interconnected into a single unit that can be accessed via the internet or a private network, making it easier to search for, store, and back up files.

  • How does the Synology NAS system help with data redundancy and efficiency?

    -The Synology NAS system uses an SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) system, which optimizes storage efficiency and redundancy with less wasted space on each redundant hard drive.

  • What feature of the NAS system does the speaker find particularly helpful for quick searches?

    -The speaker finds the AI detect feature helpful for quick searches, as it can identify and locate files based on descriptions like 'cat', 'dog', or specific colors of cars.

  • How much money has the speaker spent on storage solutions before investing in the NAS system?

    -The speaker estimates they have spent around $8,000 to $9,000 on various storage solutions, including hard drives, the Lacy 2 Big Dock, and SSDs.

  • What incident made the speaker realize the importance of a reliable backup system?

    -While the speaker was traveling, their apartment was broken into and their computer and one of their hard drives were stolen, resulting in the loss of ongoing projects and content. Their computer was backing up to the NAS drive at home, which could have prevented the loss.

  • How does the speaker justify the cost of the NAS system?

    -The speaker justifies the cost by considering it a long-term investment and notes that if they had set up the NAS system earlier, they would have saved enough money to also invest in other items like car parts.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Data Storage Dilemmas and NAS Solution

The speaker discusses their struggle with data storage, highlighting the limitations of using multiple hard drives and SSDs. They explain the drawbacks of hard drives, such as their moving parts and potential for failure, and the high cost and limited storage of SSDs. The speaker then introduces a Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) system as a solution for their storage needs, emphasizing its ability to interconnect hard drives and provide easy access to data via the internet or a private network. The NAS's features, including AI detection and Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) system for efficient data protection, are also mentioned. The speaker acknowledges the expense of the NAS but argues that it's a worthwhile investment for long-term data safety and convenience, reflecting on the cost of their previous storage solutions and the potential savings had they invested in the NAS earlier.

05:02

🌐 Future-Proofing Data with NAS and Auto-Backup

In this paragraph, the speaker continues the discussion on their data storage strategy, focusing on the benefits of using a NAS system for future-proofing. They mention the ability of the NAS to automatically back up data, preventing potential data loss scenarios such as the theft of their computer and hard drive while they were overseas. The speaker shares their enthusiasm for the NAS system and considers it a great investment for ensuring data security and accessibility. They conclude by encouraging others to consider such solutions for their storage needs.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Hard Drives

Hard drives are data storage devices that use magnetic storage to store and retrieve digital information. They consist of one or more rotating platters with magnetic surfaces. In the video, the user mentions having multiple hard drives for storage, highlighting their concern about their reliability due to the mechanical parts which can fail over time.

💡SSD (Solid State Drives)

SSDs are storage devices that use flash memory to store data, offering faster read and write speeds compared to traditional hard drives. They have no moving parts, which makes them more reliable and resistant to physical shock. However, they are more expensive than hard drives, especially at higher storage capacities.

💡Data Safety

Data safety refers to the protection of digital information from accidental or intentional threats, such as data loss, corruption, or unauthorized access. In the context of the video, the user is concerned about the security of their data storage and workflow, given the potential for hard drive failure.

💡RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)

RAID is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical drives into a single logical unit for improved performance, reliability, or both. The user in the video previously attempted to set up a RAID storage device for data redundancy, using a dock with two 16TB hard drives configured in RAID 1, which mirrors the data between the drives.

💡NAS (Network Attached Storage)

NAS is a dedicated file-level computer data storage server connected to a computer network that provides data access to a heterogeneous group of clients. It is designed to be easily shared over a network and can be accessed via the internet or a private network, allowing multiple devices to access and store data in a centralized location.

💡DAS (Direct Attached Storage)

DAS refers to storage that is directly attached to a single computer rather than being networked. It is typically used for personal or small business storage needs where data does not need to be accessed by multiple users or devices over a network.

💡AI Detection

AI detection in the context of the video refers to a feature of the NAS system that uses artificial intelligence to identify and categorize files based on their content, such as images or videos. This feature allows for quick searches and easy retrieval of files based on specific criteria, like object recognition in images.

💡SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID)

SHR is a proprietary RAID system developed by Synology that optimizes storage efficiency and data protection. It allows for the use of multiple drives in a way that reduces wasted storage space compared to traditional RAID setups, while still providing redundancy and fault tolerance.

💡Data Backup

Data backup is the process of copying data from one location to another to ensure that it is preserved in case of equipment failure, data loss, or other disasters. The user in the video emphasizes the importance of regular data backup for their professional work, especially after experiencing theft and loss of equipment while traveling.

💡Investment

In the context of the video, investment refers to the allocation of resources, such as money or time, into a particular venture or asset with the expectation of achieving a profit or benefit in the future. The user considers the purchase of the NAS system as an investment in their professional photography business, as it provides long-term data safety and efficiency.

💡Future Proofing

Future proofing is the process of preparing or safeguarding against future uncertainties or changes. In the context of the video, the user is future proofing their data storage by investing in a robust and efficient system that is expected to meet their needs for the long term.

Highlights

The user has accumulated eight or nine hard drives due to the need for improved storage solutions.

The user's current data and workflow are not safe due to limited storage capacity.

SSDs are preferred for their speed, efficiency, and reliability, but they are expensive, especially for large capacities.

The user is currently using a 1TB Samsung T5 SSD for recent projects, moving completed projects to hard drives.

Hard drives, despite their moving parts and potential unreliability, are used for long-term storage due to cost-effectiveness.

The user has previously attempted to set up a RAID storage device with a Lacy two big dock and two 16TB hard drives.

The RAID setup utilized only allowed for 16TB of usable storage despite having 32TB installed, due to the RAID 1 configuration.

The user abandoned the RAID setup due to the cost and potential for failure, recognizing it as a hard drive with backups.

The user is now transitioning to a Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive for improved data management and safety.

NAS systems allow for multiple hard drives to be interconnected, accessible via internet or private network.

The NAS system simplifies data retrieval by enabling searches across all connected hard drives from any device on the network.

The Synology NAS drive offers AI detection features for quickly finding files based on descriptions like 'cat' or 'red car'.

The NAS drive uses SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) system, which optimizes storage efficiency and redundancy.

The user acknowledges the high cost of the NAS system but sees it as a worthwhile investment for long-term data safety.

The user estimates that the cost of the NAS system would be less than the cumulative expenses of previous storage solutions.

The user's previous storage setup failed during travel, resulting in the loss of projects and content.

The NAS system would have prevented data loss during the user's travel by automatically backing up to the home system.

The user is investing in the NAS system to future-proof their storage and believes it to be a great investment.

The user's experience highlights the importance of taking data seriously, especially for professionals like photographers.