Backup/Disaster Recovery procedures

[MLML]

I'm sure this has been asked a lot... ...I couldn't find any references with google searches or checking this forum.

I have 4 WD Red 4TB disks in ZFS 2. The array stores and shares (windows and unix) what I perceive to be typical for a home, data files, photos and videos. I am running plex and syncthing plugins with a unifi controller running in a jail. My FreeNAS boots from mirrored flash drives.

Today, the server is only accessible internally to the home network. Eventually, I'll open up a VPN and allow access to data files.

My specific question: What's the best method to backup FreeNAS configuration? I know ZFS is protecting the data and would need to loose two drives to lose data, so I'm less worried about them. I'd like the server to be in a remote location not necessarily accessible to me daily. If there is a problem, I'd like a disaster recovery option to be as simple as boot from a clean USB device, restore configuration (problem 1), and import the previous volume (which in theory would be intact).

Problem 1 is what do I backup and how is it recovered?

Thanks and appreciate thoughts and feedback.
Matt


I'm running:
Build FreeNAS-11.0-U3 (c5dcf4416)
Platform Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E3-1230 v5 @ 3.40GHz
Memory 16168MB

 

[gpsguy]

Backing up the configuration is easy. System → General → Save Config

I'm not sure what you mean by this part of the message. Are you talking about another server, your current one or ???.

I'd like the server to be in a remote location not necessarily accessible to me daily. If there is a problem, I'd like a disaster recovery option to be as simple as boot from a clean USB device, restore configuration (problem 1), and import the previous volume (which in theory would be intact).

If you stood up a second server, you can configure snapshots on the first one and replicate the changes to the second one. See - http://doc.freenas.org/11/storage.html#replication-tasks

 

[MLML]

Yes, eventually, I intend on having another offsite duplicate server just for offsite replication. It would not run plug ins or jails. Just server as a redundant offsite storage. The replication link you provided is a good idea, thanks!
Matt