Why not backup directly to a Windows PC via a CIFS Share?

[alheim]

I might be missing something obvious here. I have read many threads about different backup strategies. I'm still not sure what I want to do, but here's my very simple idea:

- I am using FreeNAS to consolidate years of mixed data and backups, from a decade of my various PC's, laptops, optical media, external drives, flash media, even floppy disks. I will connect those drives to my Windows PC and send the data to my FreeNAS box via Windows Explorer (a CIFS Share).
- My RAIDZ2 configuration gives me a comfortable margin of safety for that data.
- To backup, occasionally I will copy the entire CIFS share to 1 or 2 large local drives on my Windows PC (~4 TB each, every few weeks, months, whatever I am comfortable with). JBOD. No RAID, no nothing. Maybe even copy to an external that I move off-site. Copy with TeraCopy to verify the files after copy.
- My Windows PC will be additionally backed up via BackBlaze or Crashplan, etc.

Yes, this involves human interaction, but if I lost a few of weeks of data between backups, I'll be OK. This isn't for crucial commercial information. My most important stuff I already access from everywhere via Dropbox.

What's wrong with this simple scenario? Only thing I don't like is the data on my Windows drives is subject to bit rot and other data integrity issues. But FreeNAS handles that. The backups are just that: a backup.

Cheers!

 

[Bidule0hm]

I don't see anything wrong ;)

 

[alheim]

Thank you.

What are some of the pitfalls of such a basic strategy?

A last question, somewhat OT: What can I do to prevent bit rot in Windows?

 

[pirateghost]

Automate it.

Have a look at Robomirror

 

[DrKK]

I use SyncBackFree from 2brightsparks software to pull backups from my FreeNAS to my Windows box. Works awesome. Only sends what has changed, etc.